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.

Mark Mitchell
Born (1954-09-29) 29 September 1954 (age 70)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian, contemporary artist
Years active1984–present

Early life and education

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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

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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.[1] 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.[2][3]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1985 Wills & Burke Carpenter Feature film
1987 Ground Zero Detective Feature film
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

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Year Title Role Type
1984 Carson's Law Worker at protest TV series, 1 episode
1985 The Fast Lane Derek TV series, 1 episode
Trapp, Winkle and Box Various characters TV series
A Thousand Skies Hotel Receptionist in San Francisco TV miniseries, 1 episode
Anzacs Young Dying German TV miniseries, 1 episode
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
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
The Big Time Mark TV series, 2 episodes
1992 Good Vibrations W.C. Fields TV miniseries, 1 episode
Lift Off Mr. Fish TV series, 2 episodes
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
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
Li'l Elvis and the Truckstoppers Voice Animated TV series
2000 Something in the Air Neville McGregor TV series, 5 episodes
SeaChange Morton Tregonning TV series, 7 episodes
Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking Prologue Narrator (voice) TV movie
On the Beach Reg TV movie
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
Dogwoman: The Legend of Dogwoman Prologue Narrator (voice) TV movie
The Wonderful World of Disney Griff TV movie, episode: "Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story"
Blonde Texas Oilman TV miniseries, 2 episodes
Backlands Chief Inspector Peck TV movie
Farscape Mu-Quillus TV series, 1 episodes
2004 Blue Heelers Arnold Robinson TV series, 1 episode
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
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
Upper Middle Bogan Dr. Mortimer TV series, 1 episode
2016 Movement Casting Agent Dave TV series, 1 episode
The Wizards of Aus Senator Quinn TV series, 4 episodes
Jack Irish Radio Host TV series, 1 episode
The Doctor Blake Mysteries Harvey Treloar TV series, 1 episode
2018 True Story with Hamish & Andy Dr. Beatson TV series, 1 episode
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

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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

References

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  1. ^ "Con The Fruiterer's secret". ABC news. 12 November 2005. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012.
  2. ^ Fallout at IMDb
  3. ^ "Fallout - Part 1". NZ On Screen.
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