reviews_and_ramblings | Mitchell Anderson & Richie Arpino

Mitchell Ogren Anderson (born August 21, 1961) is an American character actor. (Picture: Mitchell Anderson And Chad Darnell)

Anderson was born in Jamestown, New York, to a retail store owner mother and a father who worked in business. Openly gay, he currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his partner since 1997, Richie Arpino, and owns a restaurant called MetroFresh, a healthy fast-food restaurant. ''When I realized that keeping an acting career on a national level was difficult [here], I looked around for a new career. I had always been a good cook and enjoyed bringing people together with food,” he says.

Anderson quips that ''hair stylist to the stars'' Arpino is the family’s true celebrity. ''He’s practically an Atlanta institution, much more famous here than I ever was,'' says Anderson. ''It’s funny, though—I do occasionally get people who come to my restaurant looking for the guy from Party of Five.''

Back in 1996 Anderson made a statement by coming out at a Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation media event. Looking back, he has no regrets about his decision to be public with his sexual orientation.

“For me, coming out was a natural progression of the political work I was doing,” Anderson says. “I feel like my life changed that day. Pride is a sin, but of all the things I have done in my life, coming out and being able to speak for justice, equality, and acceptance is the thing for which I am most proud. I spent several years traveling the country, telling my story. Back then, it was a new story. I was happy and free for the first time in my adult life.”

Mitchell Anderson is an American character actor best known for his role in Party of Five. He currently lives in Atlanta with his partner since 1997, Richie Arpino, and owns a restaurant called MetroFresh. ''When I realized that keeping an acting career on a national level was difficult, I looked around for a new career. I had always been a good cook and enjoyed bringing people together with food,” he says. Anderson quips that ''hair stylist to the stars'' Arpino is the family’s true celebrity.