Born Mark Benton Mitchell on August 1, 1961 in Houston, Texas, Red attended high school in Splendora, Texas, where he was an all-district athlete in football, baseball and basketball - but it was also there that he discovered his love for poetry and drama. He graduated with a BA in Drama from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas in 1984, and began an arduous career in regional theater and industrial film. After joining the Screen Actor's Guild, he changed his name to Red, largely to honor his father - who was also his high school football coach. He seemed on the cusp of great things after appearances in JFK (1991) and especially 8 Seconds (1994), opposite Luke Perry and Stephen Baldwin, but his career stalled and he returned home for an extended visit. Driving with his father, he crossed a "blind" rural railroad crossing - one without warning lights or barriers - at exactly the wrong time. Red the actor was killed instantly, though Red the father survived.