Mark Mitchell

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 greengrocer Con the Fruiterer, as well as his role in Round the Twist as greedy real estate agent Mr. Gribble.

Early life and education Mark Mitchell was born in Melbourne, Victoria.

He studied at the University of Melbourne in English and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and then attended Rusden College (now part of Deakin University). completing a Diploma of Education.

Career

Prior to his showbiz and acting career, Mitchell taught English at a secondary school for five years before becoming an advertising copy-writer prior.

He started in entertainment by starring in the pioneering sketch comedy show The Eleventh Hour, a predecessor to hit sketch show The Comedy Company.

He portrayed numerous characters on the show, but was best known for his comic character of bumbling greengrocer 'Con the Fruiterer'. Mitchell stated he created Con after being served by two Greek Australian stall holders at the 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.

Mitchell 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 also starred in children's television programs Round the Twist as greedy real estate agent Mr. Gribble as well as 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 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 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 2025 Car Dealer George

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