Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
July 17, 1946
Place of Birth:
Annfield Plain, County Durham, England, UK
Social Media
Alun Armstrong
Biography
Alun Armstrong is a prolific English character actor.
Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of characters from the grotesque to musicals... I always play very colourful characters, often a bit crazy, despotic, psychotic."
His numerous credits include six different Dickens adaptations and seven series as eccentric ex-detective Brian Lane in New Tricks.
Armstrong is also an accomplished stage actor who spent nine years with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He originated the role of Thénardier in the London production of Les Misérables and he won an Olivier Award for playing the title role in Sweeney Todd.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Nicky Nack | |
| 2020 | Breaking The Codes | |
| 2019 | Out of Innocence | Detective Callaghan |
| 2018 | Funny Cow | Lenny |
| 2018 | Possum | Maurice |
| 2016 | Golden Years | Sid |
| 2016 | Asunder | Self - Narrator (voice) |
| 2010 | Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert | Monsieur Thenardier (1985 Cast) |
| 2008 | Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story | Ernest Whitehouse |
| 2007 | The Dinner Party | Jim |
| 2006 | Eragon | Uncle Garrow |
| 2006 | The Girls Who Came to Stay | Bob Jenkins |
| 2005 | Oliver Twist | Magistrate Fang |
| 2004 | Van Helsing: The London Assignment | Cardinal Jinetta (voice) |
| 2004 | Van Helsing | Cardinal Jinette |
| 2004 | Carrie's War | Mr. Samuel Evans |
| 2004 | When I'm Sixty-Four | Jim |
| 2004 | Millions | Saint Peter |
| 2003 | Paradise Found | Camille Pissarro |
| 2003 | It's All About Love | David |
| 2002 | Inquisition | Martin |
| 2001 | The Mummy Returns | Baltus Hafez |
| 2001 | Strictly Sinatra | Bill |
| 2001 | Score | George |
| 2000 | This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper | Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield |
| 2000 | Harrison's Flowers | Samuel Brubeck |
| 2000 | 7 Up 2000 | Himself - Narrator |
| 2000 | Proof of Life | Wyatt |
| 1999 | Sleepy Hollow | High Constable |
| 1999 | G:MT Greenwich Mean Time | Uncle Henry |
| 1999 | With or Without You | Sammy |
| 1999 | Aristocrats | Lord Holland |
| 1999 | Onegin | Zaretsky |
| 1997 | The Saint | Inspector Teal |
| 1996 | Breaking the Code | Mick Ross |
| 1996 | Witness Against Hitler | Pastor Harold Poelchau |
| 1996 | Brazen Hussies | Jimmy Hardcastle |
| 1995 | An Awfully Big Adventure | Uncle Vernon |
| 1995 | Les Misérables: 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall | Thenardier |
| 1995 | Braveheart | Mornay |
| 1995 | Sorry About Last Night | Mickey |
| 1994 | MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday | Capshaw |
| 1994 | Black Beauty | Reuben Smith |
| 1994 | Doggin' Around | Charlie Foster |
| 1992 | Split Second | Thrasher |
| 1992 | Patriot Games | Owens |
| 1992 | Blue Ice | Osgood |
| 1991 | London Kills Me | John Stone |
| 1991 | American Friends | Dr. Weeks |
| 1990 | Sticky Wickets | Evans |
| 1990 | White Hunter, Black Heart | Ralph Lockhart |
| 1990 | Looking After Number One | Dick |
| 1990 | The Widowmaker | Dad |
| 1989 | The Childeater | Stefano |
| 1989 | A Night on the Tyne | Willy |
| 1989 | That Summer of White Roses | Zemba |
| 1989 | Nineteen96 | Det. Supt. Frank Burroughs |
| 1985 | Number One | Blackpool Police Sergeant |
| 1985 | Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire | Maxwell Randall, The Green Baize Vampire |
| 1985 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | Singer |
| 1984 | The House | Mr. Smeth |
| 1983 | Krull | Torquil |
| 1983 | Mr Moon's Last Case | Narrator |
| 1981 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | Grimes |
| 1980 | Fear of God | Trahearne |
| 1979 | All Day on the Sands | |
| 1979 | Measure for Measure | Provost |
| 1978 | Freedom of the Dig | Quinn |
| 1978 | Liza | Mikhalevich |
| 1977 | The Duellists | Lieutenant Lacourbe |
| 1977 | Our Day Out | Mr. Briggs |
| 1977 | Risking It | Richard Clewes |
| 1977 | A Bridge Too Far | Cpl. Davies |
| 1977 | Shooting the Chandelier | Brodovich |
| 1976 | The Likely Lads | Tommy |
| 1974 | Easy Go | First docker |
| 1973 | The 14 | Tommy |
| 1973 | Only Make Believe | Michael Biddle |
| 1973 | The Sex Victims | George |
| 1973 | The Eyes Have It | Mike |
| 1971 | Get Carter | Keith |
| The Choral |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tom Jones | Squire Western |
| 2022 | Sherwood | Gary Jackson |
| 2020 | Breeders | Jim |
| 2019 | Year of the Rabbit | Chief Inspector Hugh Wisbech |
| 2017 | Prime Suspect 1973 | Clifford Bentley |
| 2016 | Frontier | Lord Benton |
| 2016 | Dark Angel | George Stot |
| 2014 | Penny Dreadful | Vincent Brand |
| 2012 | The Hollow Crown | Northumberland |
| 2012 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | Hiram Grewgious |
| 2010 | A Passionate Woman | Donald (1980s) |
| 2009 | Garrow's Law | John Southouse |
| 2008 | Little Dorrit | Ephraim Flintwinch |
| 2005 | Bleak House | Inspector Bucket |
| 2004 | New Tricks | Brian Lane |
| 2003 | Between The Sheets | Peter Delany |
| 2002 | Sparkhouse | Richard Bolton |
| 2001 | Bedtime | Neil Henshaw |
| 2001 | Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years | George Mole |
| 2001 | Messiah | DCI Charlie McIntyre |
| 2001 | Extinct | Himself - Narrator |
| 2000 | This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper | Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield |
| 1999 | Oliver Twist | Mr. Fleming |
| 1999 | David Copperfield | Dan Peggotty |
| 1998 | In the Red | DCI Frank Jefferson |
| 1997 | Underworld | |
| 1996 | Our Friends in the North | Austin Donohue |
| 1993 | Goggle Eyes | Gerald 'Goggle Eyes' Faulkner |
| 1992 | Shakespeare: The Animated Tales | Caliban (voice) |
| 1991 | Murder in Eden | Sgt. McGing |
| 1991 | Stanley and the Women | Rufus Hilton |
| 1989 | Tales from the Crypt | Inspector Herbert |
| 1988 | The Storyteller | Troll (voice) |
| 1987 | Inspector Morse | Superintendent Holdsby |
| 1987 | Married... with Children | Trevor |
| 1985 | A.D. | Gamesmaster |
| 1982 | The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby | |
| 1981 | Get Lost! | Neville Keaton |
| 1978 | The BBC Television Shakespeare | Provost |
| 1978 | Enemy at the Door | Louis Mendoza |
| 1978 | Armchair Thriller | Trahearne |
| 1977 | A Sharp Intake of Breath | |
| 1976 | The New Avengers | |
| 1975 | The Sweeney | Peter Jenner |
| 1975 | The Stars Look Down | Joe Gowlan |
| 1975 | Days of Hope | Billy Shepherd |
| 1974 | Porridge | Spraggon |
| 1974 | Father Brown | Joe |
| 1973 | Thriller | Mike |
| 1973 | Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? | Scaife |
| 1971 | Justice | Bob Graham |
| 1970 | Play for Today | 1st Docker |
| 1970 | Play for Today | Mr Briggs |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | Lightborne |
| 1965 | Public Eye | Vince Gregson |