Alun Armstrong
Born: 1946-07-17 in Annfield Plain, County Durham, England, UK
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2025
- The Choral as Herbert Trickett
2023
- Tom Jones as Squire Western
2022
- Sherwood as Gary Jackson
2021
2020
- Breeders as Jim
- Breaking The Codes
2019
- Year of the Rabbit as Chief Inspector Hugh Wisbech
- Out of Innocence as Detective Callaghan
2017
- Prime Suspect 1973 as Clifford Bentley
2016
- Frontier as Lord Benton
- Golden Years as Sid
- Dark Angel as George Stot
- Asunder as Self - Narrator (voice)
2014
- Penny Dreadful as Vincent Brand
2012
- The Hollow Crown as Northumberland
- The Mystery of Edwin Drood as Hiram Grewgious
2010
- Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert as Monsieur Thenardier (1985 Cast)
- A Passionate Woman as Donald (1980s)
2009
- Garrow's Law as John Southouse
2008
- Little Dorrit as Ephraim Flintwinch
- Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story as Ernest Whitehouse
2007
- The Dinner Party as Jim
2006
- Eragon as Uncle Garrow
- The Girls Who Came to Stay as Bob Jenkins
2005
- Oliver Twist as Magistrate Fang
- Bleak House as Inspector Bucket
2004
- New Tricks as Brian Lane
- Van Helsing as Cardinal Jinette
- Millions as Saint Peter
- Van Helsing: The London Assignment as Cardinal Jinetta (voice)
- Carrie's War as Mr. Samuel Evans
- When I'm Sixty-Four as Jim
2003
- It's All About Love as David
- Between The Sheets as Peter Delany
- Paradise Found as Camille Pissarro
2002
- Inquisition as Martin
- Sparkhouse as Richard Bolton
2001
- The Mummy Returns as Baltus Hafez
- Strictly Sinatra as Bill
- Messiah as DCI Charlie McIntyre
- Bedtime as Neil Henshaw
- Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years as George Mole
- Score as George
- Extinct as Himself - Narrator
2000
- Proof of Life as Wyatt
- Harrison's Flowers as Samuel Brubeck
- This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper as Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
- This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper as Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
- 7 Up 2000 as Himself - Narrator
1999
- Sleepy Hollow as High Constable
- David Copperfield as Dan Peggotty
- Aristocrats as Lord Holland
- G:MT Greenwich Mean Time as Uncle Henry
- With or Without You as Sammy
- Oliver Twist as Mr. Fleming
- Onegin as Zaretsky
1998
- In the Red as DCI Frank Jefferson
1997
- The Saint as Inspector Teal
- Underworld
1996
- Breaking the Code as Mick Ross
- Brazen Hussies as Jimmy Hardcastle
- Witness Against Hitler as Pastor Harold Poelchau
- Our Friends in the North as Austin Donohue
1995
- Braveheart as Mornay
- An Awfully Big Adventure as Uncle Vernon
- Sorry About Last Night as Mickey
- Les Misérables: 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall as Thenardier
1994
- Black Beauty as Reuben Smith
- Doggin' Around as Charlie Foster
- MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday as Capshaw
1993
- The Tempest as Caliban
- Goggle Eyes as Gerald 'Goggle Eyes' Faulkner
1992
- Patriot Games as Owens
- Blue Ice as Osgood
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales as Caliban (voice)
- Split Second as Thrasher
1991
- American Friends as Dr. Weeks
- London Kills Me as John Stone
- Murder in Eden as Sgt. McGing
- Stanley and the Women as Rufus Hilton
1990
- The Widowmaker as Dad
- Sticky Wickets as Evans
- White Hunter, Black Heart as Ralph Lockhart
- Looking After Number One as Dick
1989
- Tales from the Crypt as Inspector Herbert
- A Night on the Tyne as Willy
- Nineteen96 as Det. Supt. Frank Burroughs
- That Summer of White Roses as Zemba
- The Childeater as Stefano
1988
- The Storyteller as Troll (voice)
- Number 27 as Murray Lester
1987
- Married... with Children as Trevor
- Inspector Morse as Superintendent Holdsby
1985
- Number One as Blackpool Police Sergeant
- Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire as Maxwell Randall, The Green Baize Vampire
- The Caucasian Chalk Circle as Singer
- A.D. as Gamesmaster
1984
- The House as Mr. Smeth
1983
- Krull as Torquil
- Mr Moon's Last Case as Narrator
1981
- The French Lieutenant's Woman as Grimes
- Get Lost! as Neville Keaton
1980
- Fear of God as Trahearne
1979
- All Day on the Sands
- Measure for Measure as Provost
1978
- Liza as Mikhalevich
- Enemy at the Door as Louis Mendoza
- Armchair Thriller as Trahearne
- Freedom of the Dig as Quinn
1977
- A Bridge Too Far as Cpl. Davies
- BBC2 Play of the Week as Brodovich
- Our Day Out as Mr. Briggs
- The Duellists as Lieutenant Lacourbe
- A Sharp Intake of Breath
- Risking It as Richard Clewes
- Shooting the Chandelier as Brodovich
1976
- The New Avengers as Private George Harris
- The Likely Lads as Tommy
1975
- The Sweeney as Peter Jenner
- Days of Hope as Billy Shepherd
- The Stars Look Down as Joe Gowlan
1974
- Porridge as Spraggon
- Easy Go as First docker
- Father Brown as Joe
1973
- Thriller as Mike
- The 14 as Tommy
- Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? as Scaife
- The Sex Victims as George
- Only Make Believe as Michael Biddle
- The Eyes Have It as Mike
1971
- Great Performances as Thénardier
- Get Carter as Keith
- Justice as Bob Graham
1970
- Play for Today as 1st Docker
1965
- BBC Play of the Month as Lightborne
- Public Eye as Vince Gregson