Kenneth MacDonald

Kenneth MacDonald (20 November 1950 – 6 August 2001) was an English actor who was best known for the parts of Gunner Nobby Clark in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Mike Fisher in Only Fools and Horses.

He attended Xaverian College preparatory school in Fallowfield, Manchester, St Anthony's preparatory school in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, and went on to St Bernardine's Franciscan College in Buckingham, where he took part in school productions, notably The Business of Good Government, in which he played Herod, and Arsenic and Old Lace. Ken left school at eighteen to help support his mother Emily. He took a job at a Kellogg's cornflakes factory. During night shifts he would perform Hamlet and other Shakespeare plays that he had learned at school, earning the nickname "Hamlet". He appeared in a 1977 episode of Dad's Army.

MacDonald featured regularly in the BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum, running from 3 January 1974 to 3 September 1981. It was set in the jungles of Burma and India during the Second World War and MacDonald played the character Gunner "Nobby" Clark, a member of a Royal Artillery Concert Party.

In 1975, he made a guest appearance in series 2, episode 1, of Last of the Summer Wine.

When he landed the part of pub landlord Mike Fisher in the Only Fools and Horses episode "Who's a Pretty Boy?" in 1983, it was initially believed to be a one-episode role. However, the character became a series regular, appearing until Christmas 1996. Also in 1996 he played Inspector Jennings in Heartbeat series 6 episode 16.

MacDonald also appeared in the Granada Television Rentals television adverts of the late 1970s and made a cameo appearance in one episode of Goodnight Sweetheart, playing Mr Jones alongside his Only Fools and Horses co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst. He also appeared in an episode of The Thin Blue Line as a club owner. In 1996 he played DI McCluskey in Crocodile Shoes II alongside Jimmy Nail. In 1992, MacDonald had a brief appearance on the Channel 4 soap Brookside as George Webb, a racist owner of a petrol station.

His last role to air before his death was as a Minder in a 2001 episode of Time Gentlemen Please.

Posthumous releases Seven days after his death, MacDonald's guest appearance on BBC television drama Merseybeat was aired, with the episode dedicated to his memory. His last film role, as Pete in the film Dream, was first released to theatres on 26 August. His character Mike in Only Fools and Horses was not killed off; when the programme was revived for three episodes from 2001, after MacDonald's death, Mike was imprisoned for trying to embezzle money from the brewery. The last of his roles to be aired was as Stephen Pearce in an episode of The Last Detective aired in 2003.

Personal life MacDonald met his wife Sheila while he was appearing in panto in Crewe in 1976. She was the costume designer at the time. They had two children, Charlotte and William, who were fourteen and fifteen at the time of his death.

Death MacDonald died suddenly on 6 August 2001 at the age of 50 after suffering from a heart attack while on holiday with his family in Hawaii to celebrate the birthdays of his wife and daughter. He was buried in a private family-only funeral

Only Fools and Horses star David Jason said of MacDonald's death: "It is like losing a member of the family, because he was one of the warmest, kindest people that I have had the good fortune to meet."

1975–1981 Play for Today |School Teacher / John 2 episodes 1977 Dad's Army|The Army Sergeant Episode: "Number Engaged" 1977–1979 The Dick Emery Show| 3 episodes 1978 Come Back Mrs. Noah|Space Hen Voice; Episode: "In Orbit" 1979 The Famous Five|Policeman 2 episodes 1980–1981 BBC2 Playhouse|Albie Warren / Bar Steward 2 episodes

The All Electric Amusement Arcade|Cllr. Hogan Episode: "Episode #1.4" Farmers Arms|Alvin TV movie Cannon and Ball|Ship Crew Member Episode: "Episode #5.3" 1983–1996 Only Fools and Horses|Mike Fisher 30 episodes 1984 Tenko |Corporal Episode: "Episode #3.7"

Shine on Harvey Moon|Spiv 1 Episode: "Love Is Blind" Silas Marner|Bryce TV movie 1987 One by One|Sergeant Barnes Episode: "Remember the Humble Guinea-Pig" 1987–1990 Boon|Arthur Dixon / Moses Wilson 2 episodes 1988 Brush Strokes|Reg Episode: "Episode #3.4" 1990 Chain|Hickman Episode: "Lennox" 1991 About Face|Customs Supervisor Episode: "Monkey Business"

Press Gang|Marvin Bixby Episode: "Love and War" Surgical Spirit|Clifford Episode: "The Fence" Brookside|George Webb 24 episodes

Capital Lives|Governor Episode: "Joan" Zig & Zag: Entertainment Cops|Mike Fisher TV Movie

And the Beat Goes On|Lance Corporal Peck Episode: "Episode #1.7" No Bananas|Foreman Episode: "Dunkirk" Crocodile Shoes II|D.I. McClusky 4 episodes Heartbeat|Inspector Jennings Episode: "Old Friends" The Thin Blue Line|Nightclub Manager Episode: "The Green Eyed Monster"

The Bill |Graham Francis Episode: "A Policeman's Lot" Performance|Benny Episode: "My Night with Reg" Touching Evil |Cyril 4 episodes

The Vanishing Man|Police Officer Episode: "Out on a Limb" A Rather English Marriage|Barman TV movie

Goodnight Sweetheart|Mr. Jones Episode: "Something Fishie" David Copperfield|Littimer Episode: "Episode #1.2"

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries|Alf Wolstenholm Episode: "Laurels Are Poison" The Peter Principle|Ian Kopas Episode: "Greyhound Day" Cor, Blimey!|Eddie TV Movie Heartburn Hotel|O'Hare Episode: "Siege"; credited as Kenneth Macdonald The Sins|Oy 7 episodes

Time Gentlemen Please|Ms. Jackson's Minder Episode: "All the World's a Stag"; last role shown while still alive Merseybeat|Rob Eliot Episode: "Dead Time"; Posthumous release Peak Practice|Neil Jones Episode: "Unhappy Will / Claire's Revenge"; Posthumous release 2003 The Last Detective'' Stephen Pearce Episode: "Pilot"; Posthumous release