Tribute to a Gay Soap Star: James Mitchell … aka Palmer Cortlandt of “All My Children”

While reading the obituary on actor James Mitchell in the LA Times, there were plenty of surprises to his "All My Children" fan.

The man who played the gruff patriarch Palmer Cortlandt for more than three decades on ABC’s All My Children was 89 years old! He also had the lead roles on Broadway musicals including Paint Your Wagon, Billion Dollar Baby, Brigadoon and Bloomer Girl. James also toured with Chita Rivera in The Three Penny Opera. He had many movie roles including The Turning Point, The Band Wagon, Oklahoma and Deep in My Heart.

And the most importantly surprise was that we did not know he was gay!

On the obituary, at the end of the second paragraph, it attributes the information about his death last Friday to his longtime partner Albert Wolsky.

Mitchell’s last All My Children appearance was earlier this month on the show’s 40th anniversary episode which was taped sometime in December. Palmer was gruff on the outside and could be quite a ruthless schemer in days gone by, but at the core of it was a deep love for his family.

All My Children fans may recall when he first came on the show as the over-controlling father of the beautiful Nina. Once she finally got a life of her own, and moved away, he had a lovely remarriage to Daisy (Nina’s mom) then a terrible one to Cynthia and also marriages to Donna and Opal.

May "Palmer Cortlandt" rest in peace.

"Palmer Cortlandt" has Passed Away at 79

Soap Opera Digest is reporting that longtime All My Children star James Mitchell (Palmer Cortlandt) died Friday, January 22nd, in LA of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, complicated by pneumonia.

Sacramento native Mitchell appeared on the soaps The Edge of Night as Lloyd Griffin and Where The Heart Is as Julian Hathaway prior to his run on All My Children which began in 1979. He earned seven Daytime Emmy nominations for the role of Palmer.

Mitchell started his career as a dancer and achieved great success appearing in films such as Moonlight in Havana, Rhythm of the Islands and White Savage.

Taylor Miller, who played Mitchell's daughter Nina on All My Children, spoke fondly of him in our recent interview: "James Mitchell (Palmer), one of the kindest men in the world, was about finding the humor in situations." She also spoke about requesting to come back to the show last year to spend time with him: "I wanted to come back on the show because James [Mitchell] is not feeling well. And I wanted to come back to be with him, to be able to see him more. And they said, 'No.'"

Mitchell recently appeared on All My Children's 40th anniversary show on January 5th.