Christopher Mitchell (actor)

Christopher Mitchell
Born	Christopher Mitchell Driver (1948-05-21)21 May 1948 Surrey, England
Died	22 February 2001(2001-02-22) (aged 52) King's Lynn, Norfolk, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1967–1991
Parent	Norman Mitchell

Christopher Mitchell Driver (21 May 1948 – 22 February 2001) was an English actor known for his role in the BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum as Gunner Nigel 'Parky' Parkin.^[1][2]

Career

His film credits include Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1967), This, That and the Other (1969), The Sex Thief (1973) and What's Up Superdoc! (1978).^[3] From 1974 to 1981, Mitchell played Gunner Nigel "Parky" Parkin in the sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum. He appeared in two episodes of Only Fools and Horses ("May the Force Be With You" in 1983 and "To Hull and Back" in 1985), playing policeman Terry Hoskins.^[4][5] In addition he had parts in many other comedies such as: Keeping Up Appearances; Never the Twain and That's My Boy.^[6]

Mitchell (third from right) in the lineup of the It Ain't Half Hot Mum theme song, 1974

Death

He died from liver cancer at the age of 52, a month before his father, actor Norman Mitchell, and in the same year as Kenneth MacDonald, another actor with a role as a gunner in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, who died of a heart attack aged 50.^[6][7]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
1967	Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush	Tony[8]
1969	This, That and the Other	Carl[8]
1973	The Sex Thief	Wensleydale[8]
1978	What's Up Superdoc!	Dr. Todd[8]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1967	Emergency Ward 10	Ron Lee	One episode[8]
	Seven Deadly Virtues	Gordon Mather
1968	Sam and Janet	Ron
	Cold Comfort Farm	Bounder
	Dixon of Dock Green	Pete
1969	Strange Report	Jay Brand
	Detective	Billy Smith
1969—1970	Take Three Girls	Edwin	Five episodes[8]
1970	Ours Is A Nice House	Simon	One episode[8]
1971	Z-Cars	Bob	Three episodes[8]
	The Fenn Street Gang	Edgar	One episode[8]
1972	The Shadow of the Tower	First Guard
	Alcock and Gander	Harry
	Emmerdale	Norman Harrison	Three episodes[8]
1973	Arthur of the Britons	Barth	One episode[8]
1974—1981	It Ain't Half Hot Mum	Gunner "Parky" Parkin	Fifty-six episodes[8]
1974	The Protectors	Juan	One episode[8]
	Doctor at Sea	Doctor
1976, 1995	This Is Your Life	Himself	Two episodes[8]
1976	The Cedar Tree	Alan Chapman
1977	No Appointment Necessary	Garth	One episode[8]
1978	Come Back Mrs. Noah	The Butler
1979	You're Only Young Twice	Junior
1980	Crossroads	Det. Const. Hardiman	Four episodes[8]
	Watch This Space		One episode[8]
	Born and Bred	PC Willis
	The Professionals	Simms
1983, 1985	Only Fools and Horses	Terence Hopkins	Two episodes[8]
1983	That's My Boy	Mike	One episode[8]
1988	Never the Twain	Norman the barman	Two episodes[8]
1989	Mr Majeika	Ron Bigmore	Five episodes[8]
1990	The Bill	Prison officer	One episode[8]
1991	Keeping Up Appearances	The porter
	Minder	Customer in Winchester
1995	Omnibus	Himself (archive footage)

References

1. "Christopher Mitchell | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
2. "Christopher Mitchell". aveleyman.com.
3. "Christopher Mitchell". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018.
4. Guide, British Comedy. "Only Fools And Horses Series 3, Episode 5 – May The Force Be With You". British Comedy Guide.
5. "Christopher Mitchell". MUBI.
6. Williamson, Lucy (1 June 2021). "The Only Fools and Horses actor who died tragically young at 52". MyLondon.
7. "Kenneth MacDonald". The Independent. London. 21 February 2014.
8. "Christopher Mitchell | Actor, Music Department". IMDb. Retrieved 25 August 2025.

External links

• Christopher Mitchell at IMDb