Chair? Just chill, he says

Daryl “Chill” Mitchell’s life changed nine years ago when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.

He uses a wheelchair to get around the set of his new Fox comedy “Brothers.” As far as Mitchell is concerned, that’s the only thing that’s different about his life.

He doesn’t want to be defined by the chair – especially when it comes to acting.

“I was an actor first before I was a disabled actor,” he says. “Just because you are standing up doesn’t mean you can act.”

The brothers are played by Mitchell and former NFL standout Michael Strahan.

Mitchell’s character owns a restaurant that capitalizes on his brother’s pro football days. Circumstances have forced both brothers to move in with their parents (CCH Pounder and Carl Weathers).

The accident occurred while Mitchell was on the NBC series “Ed.” When he was able to return to work, the producers changed the character.

Since the accident he has continued to work, appearing on the TV series “Eve,” “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and “The Game” plus the feature film “Inside Man.”

There’s no mercy when it comes to wheelchair jokes in “Brothers.” Mitchell finds when he makes jokes about it, others are more comfortable.

“People associate the wheelchair with being a liability instead of an asset,” he says. “So when you come in and let everybody know I am just as human as the next person – I drink, I have sex – then the wheelchair starts disappearing.”

The birthday bunch

Singer Gordon Lightfoot is 71. Director Martin Scorsese is 67. Actress Lauren Hutton is 66. “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels is 65. Actor-director Danny DeVito is 65. Actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is 51. Entertainer RuPaul is 49. Actor Dylan Walsh is 46. Actress-model Daisy Fuentes is 43. Singer Ronnie DeVoe (New Edition, Bell Biv DeVoe) is 42. Actress Rachel McAdams is 31. Guitarist Isaac Hanson (Hanson) is 29.