Daryl “Chill” Mitchell is no stranger to shifting gears, so his latest television project is a perfect fit.

When he received the call to reunite with Tim Allen on-screen in the ABC comedy Shifting Gears as Stitch, a wheelchair-assisted mechanic at the show’s central auto show, Mitchell knew he had to accept.

“Well, one, I appreciate the fact of them reaching out to me, you know. That’s a monumental thing, when you’re an actor and someone reaches out to you,” Mitchell told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “And secondly, when I read the script, I thought it was hilarious. And the third thing was Tim Allen, the fact that we had a history of working together already on Galaxy Quest. It was a no-brainer when they asked me to come on board.”

What is ‘Shifting Gears’ about?

According to an official show synopsis, Shifting Gears follows Matt (Tim Allen), the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When his estranged daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.

SHIFTING GEARS - ABC's ÒShifting GearsÓ stars Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as Stitch — Photo: Disney/Justin Stephens

Beyond just being a show centered on cars, Shifting Gears also highlights the power of perseverance, teamwork and passion, a message that Mitchell drives home as someone left paralyzed following a life-changing accident in 2001.

“I’ve got to give it to Disney first and foremost, and ABC for, you know, we’re battling for inclusion as disabled actors in Hollywood,” Mitchell said. “So for Disney to step up in this big way, the way they do, and give me such a pivotal role in the show, it says a lot about the network and studio. But more than anything, is the fact that, again, with Tim, what you see is real in a sense because we have this rapport with each other that when we start acting, all the walls, just everything, goes away.”

“The same banter we have on camera, we have off camera. We laugh all day like two little children,” he continued. “So we have fun, and then we have conversations about things I don’t always agree on, and he [doesn’t] agree with everything I agree on. So it just translates to what we do on camera.”

On advocating for inclusion for disabled actors

As a trailblazing advocate for disability inclusion in entertainment, Mitchell knows that roles like Stitch are vital for representation in the space.

SHIFTING GEARS - ÒKissÓ - When Jimmy returns with a new job and a proposition for Riley and the kids to move into his house, Riley is torn between her past and her future. Meanwhile, MattÕs feud with Eve flares up once again after she damages his car. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), on ABC. — Photo: Disney/Raymond Liu

“People be texting me, hitting me on my DM, and telling me, ‘Dude, seeing you on this show makes me want to get out of bed.’ Simple things that people take for granted,” Mitchell said. “People, you know, they feel like they have no worth. And Stitch is doing the simple things, and the fact that he’s learned the craft that he can continue to do, he found something he could do when he got out of the military. And that’s when Matt Parker [Tim Allen] gave him a shot, and they became friends, and he learned how to do these things. That’s basically what it is. Some people see the character, and it just makes them want to get out of bed.”

What keeps Daryl “Chill” Mitchell going?

For Mitchell, that same kind of motivation comes from his colleagues in Hollywood.

“A lot of times, people say Hollywood don’t have a heart,” he said. “Hollywood has a big heart because after I got hurt, so many people reached out to me. People that I wouldn’t even expect to reach out to me were sending me cards and well wishes and telling me, ‘Look, If you need anything.’ And that motivated me to say, ‘You know what, I got some backup.’ And that’s what it is.”

He added, “You can’t do it on your own. But Hollywood definitely reached out and gave me that energy and gave me that love and still do to this day, and that’s what keeps me pushing.”

The season finale for Shifting Gears airs on Wednesday, March 19 at 8 p.m. ET.

Shifting Gears

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