MacDonald's first television role was as Red Whiskers in the Television film
Billy Budd in 1966. MacDonald would not act professionally for another six years before playing Benny in an episode of
Softly, Softly in 1972.He moved to London in 1972 and joined the National Youth Theatre. 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. '' theme song, 1974 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 ==