What Luke Mitchell Did Before Becoming A Hallmark Star

In his long career, Luke Mitchell has worn many hats. You may know him as the vengeful but sad Roman Briggs, from the action-packed TV show, "Blindspot." Or maybe you recognize Mitchell from his charming but powerful portrayal of Lincoln Campbell in Marvel's mega-hit "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." And, more recently, you might've caught him in ABC's thriller, "Big Sky" as Cormac Barnes. 

But don't let Mitchell's pitch-perfect American accent fool you. The in-demand actor was born and raised on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Before beginning his small-screen trajectory, Mitchell trained at the Film & Television Studio International in Melbourne and participated in several theatrical shows internationally. After gaining confidence in his ability as a stage actor, Mitchell began to venture further afield. 

He's been acting professionally since 2008, and in the years since, the Aussie star has worked across several genres, in both TV shows and movies, and has a number of versatile roles under his belt as a result. And if you love to watch Hallmark movies, you'll most likely love his portrayal of Russ in the dreamy vacation drama, "Pinch of Portugal" alongside veteran Hallmark actor, Heather Hemmens, who probably looks familiar too. But, before he came to the fore, Mitchell was doing something most fans wouldn't expect.

For Luke Mitchell, it wasn't necessarily love at first sight with acting. As the actor told CBS News, as a kid, Mitchell dreamt of becoming a pro tennis player after competing in multiple sports alongside his siblings. And the Hallmark star devoted a lot of time and effort to making this dream a reality, too. He played in several tournaments and even brought home some trophies too. Mitchell also shared that financial strains and a lack of results led to him giving the sport up at the age of 19. 

At that point, Mitchell wasn't sure what to do with his life. He got candid about this tough time in his life, admitting, "It wasn't a smooth transition. It wasn't like I was quitting tennis and becoming an actor." The Aussie native added, "I was a pretty shy kid, and I was also interested in getting out of my comfort zone." Mitchell explained that despite the discomfort, he pushed through the acting lessons until he fell in love with it and perfected his craft. 

Mitchell's demonstrable talent and years of hard work bagged him his first television role as Chris Knight in the popular Australian soap, "Neighbours." After that, he was selected for the lead role of Will Benjamin in another beloved homegrown TV show, "H2O: Just Add Water." And soon after, Mitchell played one of his most well-known roles on Australian television. 

And that role would be the charming lead, Romeo Smith, in another long-running soap opera, "Home and Away." Luke Mitchell's stellar performance earned him the Australian Logie Award for Most Popular New Male Talent in 2010. And he even went on to marry his "Home and Away" co-star, Rebecca Breeds. With his feet firmly planted in the Australian TV industry, Mitchell opted to change tacks and headed stateside. 

He bagged his first American TV role as Lincoln Campbell in Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," before making his American film debut playing Sam in the 2015 thriller "7 Minutes." However, Mitchell's feature film debut actually took place back in 2008, when he took on the role of Peter in the Australian gay rom-com, "Performance Anxiety." In 2021, he worked with Michael B. Jordan in the big screen adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel, "Without Remorse." 

Fans might have even spotted him alongside his wife in "Legacies," a spinoff of "The Originals" in which Mitchell played Ken and she portrayed Aurora. He also starred in two TV shows that were canceled after just one season; "The Republic of Sarah" and "The Code." Now, with an impressive amount of acting credits, Mitchell has begun expanding his horizons into producing. He's credited as an executive producer on a short, written by his wife, entitled "Air."