Internationally Sought After Actress Amanda Mitchell Plays a Damn Good Detective
With numerous leading roles in films such as the multi-award winning drama Just One More Day and Awake for a Moment, and the hit crime series Deadly Women and Facing Evil, Australian actress Amanda Mitchell has carved out a prominent position for herself as an actress in both Hollywood and abroad. While her collective body of work reveals her as an exceedingly talented and versatile actress capable of taking on leading roles across genres, she’s definitely found a niche as a sought after detective in the acting world.
Mitchell admits, “I love playing strong roles, as they are a contrast to my innately warm personality and the contrast tends to come across very well on screen. It also allows me to express a more serious side of myself, as we all have various aspects to our personality.”
There’s just something about the way Mitchell takes to the screen in a detective role that draws us in and keeps us on the edge of our seats until she solves the case. Recently Mitchell played the starring role of Olivia Patterson in the series Starship One, which follows her character and James North, played by Jack Warner, a relentless duo on a mission to save the world from total destruction. Acting alongside Jack Warner from the films An Accidental Kidnapping and The Blue Diamond Movie, and Aleeto Lee from the films Kiss Kiss, Look Back and The Snooty Mass Murder, there’s no doubt about it, Mitchell definitely holds our attention.
“I feel I am more uniquely skilled at playing these roles, as authority is easy for me to express, combined with having had basic military training as a flight attendant, as well as EMT training and current Guns and Weapons skills. I have also studied Martial Arts and boxing which helps in the way I carry myself and allows me the confidence to play roles of command,” explains Mitchell.
Aside from the series Starship One, Mitchell has also become known for her onscreen roles as a lead detective in series including the multi-award winning sci-fi action series Atomic Kingdom, Dr. What and films such as Push Came to Shove, which also stars Daniel Needs from the multi-award winning film Ravenwood. All of these projects have undoubtedly led Mitchell to develop a strong command and diverse grasp over what it is to play a detective on screen — and her combined experience playing these roles over the years have led her to take on one of her most pivotal detective roles yet — Detective Alison on NBC’s new hit series In Ice Cold Blood.
Out of all the detective roles she’s played to date, Mitchell admits, “My favourite has been playing Detective Alison in Ice-T’s crime show as it is a role that brings together many of my skill sets and is a comfortable fit for me. It is also in line with the future roles I would like to play.”
Hosted by hip-hop legend and Grammy Award winner Ice-T (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Chicago P.D., Saturday Night Live), In Ice Cold Blood depicts true stories involving sex, money and murder with each episode diving into a different shocking tale. Landing a recurring role on the series, one of the few recurring roles on the show in fact, Amanda Mitchell has indeed found the perfect character to explore and breathe life into within the new series.
Mitchell says, “I really enjoyed playing the character as strong roles are a natural fit for me. I really connected with her flaws which I felt humanised the character… characters that are determined yet hopeful and optimistic are roles very easy to adapt to.”
Using their wit, skill and unrelenting determination for justice, the series follows a team of detectives as they hunt down dangerous criminals while navigating their own flaws and insecurities within the department. With each episode presenting a completely different story from the last, Mitchell’s role on the series has given her plenty of room to challenge herself as an actress and reveal different sides to her character.
Mitchell explains, “The character is challenging in that in every episode I had a different objective and crime to solve and the characters I would interact with had their own agenda. This required adapting to the given circumstances of each show, which created challenge and variety in the way my character would handle each situation.”
Just as Mitchell’s character is heavily present throughout the first season of In Ice Cold Blood, she continues her intriguing detective work throughout the second season as well. She says, “My character continues to lead the charge in bringing down some incredibly dangerous and violent criminals, and has a rhythm in the role, as she works with her co-workers who are not only her partners, but through hours of association have developed into great friends.”
While her finesse as an actress has indeed lent itself to increasing the onscreen chemistry of the cast of In Ice Cold Blood, Mitchell’s warm and magnetic personality has also been a major plus in terms of her relationships with those she works with.
Mitchell’s costar Mark Krenik (Seal Team, Glow, Big Little Lies) says, “Working with Amanda on ‘In Ice Cold Blood’ is a delight. She is courteous and very professional. She is of outstanding reputation and a pleasure to work with.”
Clearly this Australian actress has found her niche in the American entertainment industry as a detective, but this is not the only uniformed role where she thrives.
She says, “Other roles I enjoy playing are senators, lawyers, judges, teachers, business managers, bosses, therapists, doctors, nurses, secret agents…”
As a woman in uniform, actress Amanda Mitchell is definitely a knock-out on screen.
