Elizabeth Mitchell

**Elizabeth Joanna Mitchell** (née **Robertson**) is one of the main actors of ***Dead of Summer***, portraying the role of Deborah "Deb" Carpenter.

## Biography

### **Life and Career**

Mitchell was born in Los Angeles, California in 1970. Her mother and stepfather were lawyers and moved to Dallas, Texas shortly after her birth. Mitchell is the eldest of three sisters. She grew up in Highland Park. Mitchell graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in 1988. She attended Stephens College in Missouri, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting in 1991. She then studied at the British American Drama Academy. Mitchell worked for six years at the Dallas Theater Center and a year at the Encore Theater. Mitchell had become involved in theatre after her parents wouldn't allow a television set in her household. She also went to high school with jazz trumpeter Ray Hargrove.

Mitchell began her acting debut in the early 1990s. She made her mark playing a couple of lesbian roles: she played Angelina Jolie's stable girlfriend in the 1998 HBO film *Gia*, and played the first lesbian lover of Dr. Kerry Weaver on *ER*. Mitchell starred in the films: *Frequency* and *Nurse Betty* in the year 2000. She's also had guest spots on *Boston Legal*, *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, *Everwood*, *House M.D.*, *JAG*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *Spin City*, *The Sentinel* and in the *Party of Five* spin-off, *Time of Your Life*. In 2002, Mitchell appeared as Ms. Clause on *The Santa Clause 2* and reprised her role as Ms. Clause in *The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause* in 2006.

In July 2006, Mitchell was cast as Juliet Burke on the ABC hit series *Lost*. Her character was described as "the best female villain of 2006". Mitchell submitted an episode as consideration on her behalf in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" at the 2007 Emmy Awards, but was not nominated.

Mitchell was cast on *V*, another ABC series in March 2009. Although ABC and Warner Bros. officials announced she was only cast as a guest star, the announcement led to speculation and concern that Mitchell's character would be killed off at the end of *Lost'*s fifth season, which ended on a cliffhanger that left the fate of her character unknown. Mitchell was later named the lead actress on *V*, and her character on *Lost* was killed off in the premiere of the sixth and final season. However, Mitchell returned for the two-part series finale. She later received an Emmy nomination for her appearance in the series finale, but this time in the guest actress category.

*V* was cancelled by ABC after only two seasons in 2011. Afterwards, Mitchell went on to star in the film *Answers to Nothing*, and had another guest role on *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*. The following year, Mitchell joined the cast of *Revolution* replacing actress Andrea Roth, whom she had worked with on one episode of *Lost*. The series premiered in September 2012, and was cancelled after only two seasons in May 2014.

After *Revolution'*s cancellation by NBC, Mitchell was cast as the Snow Queen from *The Snow Queen* tale on Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz's *Once Upon a Time* in July 2014. She had previously worked with the duo on *Lost*. Mitchell appeared in nine episodes during the fourth season until her character's demise. In February 2015, Mitchell was cast as a series regular on the third season of *Crossing Lines*.

In February 2016, Mitchell joined the main cast of Freeform's *Dead of Summer* as Deborah "Deb" Carpenter. This served as a reunion with Kitsis and Horowitz and actors: Elizabeth Lail and Charles Mesure. Lail played the niece of Mitchell's character on *Once Upon a Time*, and Mesure starred alongside Mitchell on *V*. Mesure also appeared on *Lost*, and had a recurring role on *Once Upon a Time*.

### **Personal Life**

Mitchell divorced her husband of nine years, Chris Soldevilla, due to irreconcilable differences in 2013. They continue to share custody of a son named C.J.

## Gallery

Gallery of behind the scene stills released to promote the actor.

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