Thomas John Mitchell was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He was a winner of the Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony. Thomas Mitchell was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to a family of Irish immigrants. After graduating from high school, he followed in the footsteps of his father and older brother and became a newspaper reporter. However, he soon moved from writing newspaper columns to creating comic theatrical routines. In 1913, Mitchell made his acting debut with Charles Coburn's theater company. By the 1920s, he had become a fairly successful actor, already playing major roles on Broadway. In 1923, he made his film debut in a small role in the picture Six-Cylinder Love. A major breakthrough for him was his role in Frank Capra's Lost Horizon in 1937, after which Mitchell became much in demand in Hollywood. That same year, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for his role in John Ford's The Hurricane. Over the next few years, Mitchell appeared in many cult films of the 20th century—in 1939 he appeared in five such pictures.

Although in those years he was probably best remembered for his role as Scarlett O'Hara's father in Gone with the Wind, his triumphant role was in John Ford's Western Stagecoach, which earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Over the next two decades, Mitchell remained in demand in Hollywood. In 1953, for his roles in theater and television, the actor was awarded the Tony and Emmy, becoming one of the few actors to receive what is called in the United States the Triple Crown (Oscar, Tony, and Emmy). In the 1950s, he appeared frequently on television, and he ended his career on the stage with the role of Lieutenant Columbo, whom several years later Peter Falk played in the television series of the same name. Thomas Mitchell died on December 17, 1962, of a bone tumor in Beverly Hills at the age of 70. The actor was cremated, and his ashes are kept in one of the chapels of Los Angeles. For his contribution to the film industry and television, the actor was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.