# Mark Mitchell (actor)

Mark Mitchell (born 29 September 1954) is an Australian actor, comedian and contemporary artist, best known for his roles in the sketch comedy series The Comedy Company, most especially his character of Greek Australian fruit store proprietor Con the Fruiterer.

## Early life and education

Mark Mitchell was born in Melbourne.
He studied English and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and then completed a Diploma of Education at Rusden College (now part of Deakin University). He taught secondary school English for five years before becoming an advertising copy-writer and then a professional actor.

## Career

Mitchell starred in the pioneering sketch comedy show The Eleventh Hour, a predecessor to his hit sketch show The Comedy Company. His best known character is Con Dikaletis aka 'Con the Fruiterer' whom he created after being served by two Greek Australian stall holders at Glenferrie Markets in 1984. The character became known nationally from regular appearances in The Comedy Company, for which he also created the character of Con's wife, Marika.
He has made many guest appearances on Australian television series such as SeaChange, Neighbours, Something in the Air, Blue Heelers, Prisoner, Special Squad, Willing and Abel, Dogwoman and Upper Middle Bogan.
He has also starred in children's television programs such as Round the Twist, Lift Off and The Genie From Down Under. He played the part of Chief Quimby in the 2003 film Inspector Gadget 2. He has also lent his voice to the children's animated series Li'l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers and The Flamin' Thongs.
Mitchell voices commercial radio advertising campaigns, playing a dim-witted fool who interviews various people about radio advertising, with amusing consequences resulting from his character's lack of understanding the interviewees.
He portrayed fictional museum exhibit figure 'Max Muck' for some of the video reel and photos used and depicted in the exhibit "The Muck Bunker Constipation Experience" at Scienceworks Museum in Melbourne, housed in the Spotswood Pumping Station.
He has had supporting lead roles in various US movies made in Australia including The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas and The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes, and voiced the character of 'Buck Cluck' for the Australian release of Chicken Little. He has also portrayed David Lange in the 1994 New Zealand miniseries Fallout.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1985 | Wills & Burke | Carpenter | Feature film |
| 1987 | Ground Zero | Detective | Feature film |
| 1987 | With Love to the Person Next to Me | Salesman in Taxi | Feature film |
| 1988 | Evil Angels (aka A Cry in the Dark) | School Teacher | Feature film |
| 2003 | Inspector Gadget 2 | Chief Frank Quimby | Feature film |
| 2005 | Chicken Little | Buck Cluck (voice – Australian release only) | Feature film |
| 2009 | The Fourth Pillar | Dr. Francis Staedler | Feature film |
| 2011 | Taj | Ben | Feature film |
| 2016 | Spirit of the Game | President Bingham | Feature film |
| 2024 | Carole & Grey | Narrator | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1984 | Carson's Law | Worker at protest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | The Fast Lane | Derek | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | Trapp, Winkle and Box | Various characters | TV series |
| 1985 | A Thousand Skies | Hotel Receptionist in San Francisco | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1985 | Anzacs | Young Dying German | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1985 | The Eleventh Hour | Various characters (including Bert Newton) | TV series |
| 1984–1986 | Prisoner | Peter Waterson / Steve Formby / Restaurateur | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1986 | Sword of Honour | Sergeant Olsen | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1987 | The Petrov Affair | West | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Willing and Abel | Sergeant Dobson | TV series, 9 episodes |
| 1988 | The Comedy Company | Con the Fruiterer / Stuart Parkington-Loafe / Marika Dikaletis (Con's Wife) | TV series |
| 1990 | Larger than Life | Various characters | TV series |
| 1990 | The Big Time | Mark | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Good Vibrations | W.C. Fields | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Lift Off | Mr. Fish | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | E Street | Uncle Wally | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1992; 2000–2001 | Round the Twist | Mr. Gribble | TV series, 39 episodes |
| 1993 | Paradise Beach | Shirley Barnett | TV series |
| 1994 | TVTV | Co-host | TV series |
| 1995 | Fallout | David Lange | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1996 | The Genie from Down Under | Otto von Meister | TV series, 12 episodes |
| 1996 | The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas | Santa Claus | TV movie |
| 1997 | Con's Bewdiful Holiday Videos | Con the Fruiterer / Marika | TV series |
| 1998 | The Genie From Down Under 2 | Otto von Meister / Mrs Simpson | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1998 | Li'l Elvis and the Truckstoppers | Voice | Animated TV series |
| 2000 | Something in the Air | Neville McGregor | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 2000 | SeaChange | Morton Tregonning | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 2000 | Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking | Prologue Narrator (voice) | TV movie |
| 2000 | On the Beach | Reg | TV movie |
| 2000 | Dogwoman: A Grrrl's Best Friend | Prologue Narrator (voice) | TV movie |
| 2001 | Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes | Sante's Lawyer | TV movie |
| 2001 | Dogwoman: The Legend of Dogwoman | Prologue Narrator (voice) | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Griff | TV movie, episode: "Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story" |
| 2001 | Blonde | Texas Oilman | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Backlands | Chief Inspector Peck | TV movie |
| 2001 | Farscape | Mu-Quillus | TV series, 1 episodes |
| 2004 | Blue Heelers | Arnold Robinson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2004 | Loot | Billy Angel | TV movie |
| 2005 | Eagle and Evans | Ron Salisbury | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2006 | Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King | Blondie | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 2007 | The Nation | Con the Fruiterer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2009 | Paper Planes | Mr. White | TV movie |
| 2010 | Neighbours | Magistrate Paul O'Regan | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Sleuth 101 | Ramsay McGordon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2013 | This Week Live | Con the Fruiterer | TV series |
| 2014 | The Flamin' Thongs | Trevor Thong (voice) | Animated TV series, 26 episodes |
| 2014 | Upper Middle Bogan | Dr. Mortimer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016 | Movement | Casting Agent Dave | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016 | The Wizards of Aus | Senator Quinn | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Jack Irish | Radio Host | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries | Harvey Treloar | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2018 | True Story with Hamish & Andy | Dr. Beatson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2018 | American Eggs | Driver | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Feedback | Narrator / Charles Bukowski | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | New Gold Mountain | Linus Cummins | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2025 | The Newsreader | Brian's Dad | TV series, 1 episode |

### Video

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| | The Muck Bunker Constipation Experience | Max Muck | Video reel (for Scienceworks (Melbourne) |
| 1989 | Con the Fruiterer: A Coupla Days | Con the Fruiterer | Music video |
| 1992 | The Story of EC | Mr. Fish | Video |
| 2010 | Finding My Magic | Mench / Tom (voice) | Video |