Walter Lord Lynbrook Mills was born on 29 May 1924 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He received his BA from the University of Saskatchewan in 1957 and continued with postgraduate work at the University of Minnesota, receiving an MA in Theatre Arts in 1963. He joined the faculty of the U of S in 1964. In addition to his work as an actor, director, and playwright, Professor Mills has run for the Saskatoon Collegiate Board, and has been elected as Saskatchewan's representative on the national Board of Directors for the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA).