Christopher Mitchum

Christopher Mitchum (born October 16, 1943) is an American film actor, screenwriter, and businessman. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of film star Robert Mitchum and Dorothy Mitchum. He is the younger brother of actor James Mitchum.

Film career
Mitchum appeared in more than 60 films in 14 countries. He appeared with John Wayne in the motion pictures Chisum (1970), Rio Lobo (1970), and Big Jake (1971). He was cited by Box Office magazine as one of the top five stars of the future and the recipient of Photoplay's Gold Medal Award for 1972. He won both The Golden Horse Award (1981) and The Golden Reel, Best Actor award (1988, Indonesia). He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1978. He was the Screen Actors Guild national first vice president, in 1987–89 and a member of the SAG board of directors, in 1983–89.

Personal life
Mitchum married Cynthia "Cindy" Davis in 1964. Together, they had children Bentley, Carrie, Jennifer, and Kian before divorcing in 1996. For four years in the 1990s, Mitchum was father-in-law to Carrie's husband, Casper Van Dien. Mitchum is the grandfather of Cappy Van Dien, Grace Van Dien, Allexanne Mitchum, Carrington Mitchum, and Wyatt Mitchum Cardone.

Mitchum has resided in the Santa Barbara, California area (Central Coast) since 1984. He ran unsuccessfully for the California State Assembly in 1998 and the U.S. House of Representatives, 24th Congressional District, in 2012 and 2014.

Filmography

 * Young Billy Young (1969) (uncredited)
 * The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969) as Minor Role (uncredited)
 * Chisum (1970) as Tom O'Folliard
 * Bigfoot (1970) as Rick
 * Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came (1970) as Alturi
 * Rio Lobo (1970) as Sgt. Tuscarora Phillips
 * Cactus in the Snow (1971) as George
 * Big Jake (1971) as Michael McCandles
 * H-Bomb (1971) as Eddie Fulmer / Reddy
 * Summertime Killer (1972) as Ray Castor
 * A Time for Love (1973, TV Movie) as Mark
 * Murder in a Blue World (1973) as David
 * Ricco the Mean Machine (1973) as Ricco
 * Once (1974) as Creation
 * Cosa Nostra Asia (1974)
 * Master Samurai (1974, a.k.a. "The Agency") as James Peterson
 * Bloody Sun (1974, a.k.a. "Blue Jeans & Dynamite")
 * Chinese Commandos (1975, Was Never Finished / Made)
 * The Last Hard Men (1976) as Hal Brickman
 * Flight to Holocaust (1977, TV Movie) as Mark Gates
 * Stingray (1978) as Al
 * One Man Jury (1978) as Sgt. Blake
 * The Day Time Ended (1979) as Richard
 * Tusk (1980) as Richard Cairn
 * A Rumor of War (1980, TV Mini-Series) as Capt. Peterson
 * Desperate Target (1980, a.k.a. "Escape from Russia")
 * The One Armed Executioner (1981)
 * Ritoru Champion (1981, a.k.a. "My Champion") as Mike Gorman
 * Commander Firefox (1983)
 * Magnum P.I. (1984, TV Series) as Eric DeForrest
 * The Executioner, Part II (1984) as Lieutenant Roger O'Malley
 * No Time to Die (1984 film) (1984, a.k.a. "Hijacked to Hell") as Mr. Gull
 * Rocky IV (1985) as Russian Guard (uncredited)
 * Promises to Keep (1985, TV Movie) as Tom Palmer
 * The Serpent Warriors (1985) as Dr. Tim Muffett
 * American Commandos (1986) as Dean Mitchell
 * Final Score (1986) as Richard Brown
 * Angel of Death (1987, a.k.a. "Commando Mengele") as Wolfgang von Backey
 * Faceless (1987), (a.k.a. "Les Predateurs de la Nuit") as Morgan
 * SFX Retaliator (1987) as Steve Baker
 * Death Feud (1987, a.k.a. "Savage Harbor") as Bill
 * Columbian Connection (1988, a.k.a. "Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil) as Derek Carpenter
 * Leathernecks (1989)
 * We Are Seven (1989–1991, TV Series) as Tommy Morgan
 * American Hunter (1990, a.k.a. "Lethal Hunter") as Jake Carver
 * Gummibärchen küßt man nicht (1989) as Johannes / Josef Thalberg
 * Aftershock (1990) as Col. Slater
 * Magic Kid (1993) as Dad
 * Tombstone (1993) as Ranch Hand
 * Jungle of Fear (1993)
 * Biohazard: The Alien Force (1995) as Donald Brady
 * Body Count (1995) as Captain Langston
 * Lethal Cowboy (1995) as Maffia-hoodlum
 * Striking Point (1995) as Col. Ivan Romanov
 * Bad Boys (1995) as Sergeant Copperfield
 * Fugitive X: Innocent Target (1996, TV Movie) as Nick
 * Countdown to Disaster (1996, a.k.a. "Lethal Orbit", TV Movie) as Gunter
 * Jimi (1996) as Chris Chandler
 * Lethal Seduction (1997) as Trent Jacobson
 * Motorcycle Cheerleading Mommas (1997) as Himself
 * Diamondbacks (1998) as Bill Jones
 * Love and War II: The Final Showdown (1998)
 * Lycanthrope (1999) as Jake Sutter
 * Night of Terror (1999)
 * Soul Searchers (2006) as Sheriff Traft
 * The Ritual (2009) as Sheriff Traft
 * Goy (2011, never finished) as Harald Rosenberg
 * Santa's Summer House (2012) as Pop

State and federal office candidacies
Mitchum has run once for the California State Assembly (35th District), and twice for the U.S. House of Representatives (California's 24th District). Since January 1, 2011, under California law, candidates are voter-nominated for state and federal offices; political parties cannot nominate candidates for office.

California Assembly
In 1998, Mitchum was the Republican nominee in the general election for the California State Assembly in the 35th district, which included portions of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, where he served on the Republican Central Committee (1998–2000). His opponents were Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson and Natural Law Party candidate Eric Dahl. Mitchum came in second behind Jackson with 44.5 percent of the vote to Jackson's 53 percent.

U.S. Congress
In 2012, Mitchum ran for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican candidate in California's 24th district (San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and part of Ventura counties), challenging incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Lois Capps. In the June 5, 2012 primary, he came in third, behind Republican Abel Maldonado and Capps, and ahead of Independent candidate Matt Boutté.

In 2014, Mitchum ran again for the U.S. congressional seat held by Representative Capps. He won the June 3, 2014, primary (running alongside four other Republicans, two additional Democrats, and an Independent candidate), coming in second behind Capps with 15.8 percent of the vote, and narrowly defeating Republican Justin Fareed by slightly over 600 votes. In the November 4 general election, Mitchum received 48.1 percent of the vote to Capps's 51.9 percent, in the closest race of Capps's entire congressional career.

Despite the close margin by which Mitchum lost to Capps, as well as the announcement that Capps would retire in 2016, Mitchum ultimately declined a third run for the same seat again, and instead endorsed Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian for the race to succeed Capps.

Philanthropic positions
Mitchum has served on several organizations'boards of directors and has been a fundraiser for a number of charities.
 * Hollywood Benefit Horse Show, advisory board, 1996–present
 * ZONA SECA, Board of Director, 2011–present
 * Community Outreach for Prevention and Education chairman and honorary chairman, 1998–present
 * Liberty Program—gang-member rehabilitation program—board member, Santa Barbara, 1999–2001
 * Criminal Advisory Board for Fighting Back, Santa Barbara, 1999–2004
 * Public Policy Advisory Board for Fighting Back, Santa Barbara, 1999–2004
 * Board of directors, Police Activities League, Santa Barbara, 1999–2001
 * Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Commission, chairman, for the governor's Office, State of California, OCJP January 1999
 * Autistic Treatment Center "Roundup of Autism": Honorary Advisory Council: 1994–2002
 * North American Riding for the Handicapped Association Advisory Board: 1992–96
 * Santa Barbara International Film Festival: Honorary Board 1988–92
 * Santa Barbara International Film Festival, board of directors: one-year term, 1987
 * Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera: founding chairman of the "Star Circle" fund-raiser, 1989