Alun Armstrong
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Married... with Children
Trevor
1987
Series
Play for Today
1st Docker
1970
Series
Play for Today
Mr Briggs
1970
Series
Great Performances
Thénardier
1971
Series
Tales from the Crypt
Inspector Herbert
1989
Series
BBC Play of the Month
Lightborne
1965
Film
The Mummy Returns
Baltus Hafez
2001
Series
New Tricks
Brian Lane
2004
Series
Inspector Morse
Superintendent Holdsby
1987
Film
Braveheart
Mornay
1995
Series
Penny Dreadful
Vincent Brand
2014
Series
Remembers…
Self
2022
Film
Sleepy Hollow
High Constable
1999
Series
Frontier
Lord Benton
2016
Series
The Sweeney
Peter Jenner
1975
Film
Van Helsing
Cardinal Jinette
2004
Series
ScreenPlay
Willy
1986
Series
The Storyteller
Troll (voice)
1988
Series
The Hollow Crown
Northumberland
2012
Series
Public Eye
Vince Gregson
1965
Series
Thriller
Mike
1973
Series
The New Avengers
Private George Harris
1976
Film
Patriot Games
Owens
1992
Series
Screen One
Det Supt Frank Burroughs
1989
Series
Screen One
Evans
1989
Series
Screen One
Charlie Foster
1989
Series
Centre Play
Richard Clewes
1973
Series
Breeders
Jim
2020
Series
Justice
Bob Graham
1971
Film
A Bridge Too Far
Cpl. Davies
1977
Series
Sherwood
Gary Jackson
2022
Series
BBC2 Play of the Week
Brodovich
1977
Series
BBC2 Play of the Week
Mikhalevich
1977
Second City Firsts
Ken
1973
Series
New Scotland Yard
Ray Davies
1972
Film
The Choral
Herbert Trickett
2025
Film
Krull
Torquil
1983
Series
The BBC Television Shakespeare
Provost
1978
Series
Little Dorrit
Ephraim Flintwinch
2008
Film
The Saint
Inspector Teal
1997
Series
Bleak House
Inspector Bucket
2005
Film
Eragon
Uncle Garrow
2006
Series
Our Friends in the North
Austin Donohue
1996
Series
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
Caliban (voice)
1992
Series
Porridge
Spraggon
1974
Series
David Copperfield
Dan Peggotty
1999
Film
Proof of Life
Wyatt
2000
Series
The Jim Henson Hour
The Troll (archive audio)
1989
Series
Enemy at the Door
Louis Mendoza
1978
Premiere
Quinn
1977
Series
Garrow's Law
John Southouse
2009
Series
Prime Suspect 1973
Clifford Bentley
2017
Series
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
Scaife
1973
Series
A.D.
Gamesmaster
1985
Film
The Duellists
Lieutenant Lacourbe
1977
Series
After the Flood
Alan Benson
2024
Series
Year of the Rabbit
Chief Inspector Hugh Wisbech
2019
Series
Father Brown
Joe
1974
Sharing Time
Luke
1984
Series
Messiah
DCI Charlie McIntyre
2001
Film
Oliver Twist
Magistrate Fang
2005
Series
Six Days of Justice
P.C. Williamson
1972
Film
Black Beauty
Reuben Smith
1994
Sporting Scenes
Bernie
1973
Film
Split Second
Thrasher
1992
Romance
Weaver
1977
Series
Villains
Terence 'Tel' Bolden
1972
Series
Oliver Twist
Mr. Fleming
1999
Series
Tom Jones
Squire Western
2023
Film
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Grimes
1981
Film
Get Carter
Keith
1971
Armchair 30
Glazier
1973
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Arthur Clegg
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Terry
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Jackson
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Brian
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Simon Wilson
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Albert
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Wilson
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Jack Dyson
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Alec
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Frank Grant
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Barry
1977
Series
A Sharp Intake of Breath
Les Buckley
1977
Film
Van Helsing: The London Assignment
Cardinal Jinetta (voice)
2004
Film
White Hunter, Black Heart
Ralph Lockhart
1990
Series
Dark Angel
George Stot
2016
Film
Possum
Maurice
2018
Series
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Hiram Grewgious
2012
Series
In the Red
DCI Frank Jefferson
1998
Film
Onegin
Zaretsky
1999
Series
Days of Hope
Billy Shepherd
1975
Series
Armchair Thriller
Trahearne
1978
Series
Underworld
1997
Film
Millions
Saint Peter
2005
Series
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
1982
Series
Bedtime
Neil Henshaw
2001
Series
Between The Sheets
Peter Delany
2003
Film
Harrison's Flowers
Samuel Brubeck
2000
Series
This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper
Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
2000
Film
It's All About Love
David
2003
Film
Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert
Monsieur Thenardier (1985 Cast)
2010
Series
A Passionate Woman
Donald (1980s)
2010
Film
Blue Ice
Osgood
1992
Film
An Awfully Big Adventure
Uncle Vernon
1995
Series
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
George Mole
2001
Film
Funny Cow
Lenny
2018
Series
Stanley and the Women
Rufus Hilton
1991
Series
The Stars Look Down
Joe Gowlan
1975
Film
Paradise Found
Camille Pissarro
2003
Series
Sparkhouse
Richard Bolton
2002
Series
Murder in Eden
Sgt McGing
1991
Film
Aristocrats
Lord Holland
1999
Film
Brazen Hussies
Jimmy Hardcastle
1996
Series
Goodbye Cruel World
Roy Grade
1992
Film
The Childeater
Stefano
1989
Film
Les Misérables: 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Monsieur Thénardier
1995
Series
Get Lost!
Neville Keaton
1981
Extinct
Himself - Narrator
2001
Film
The Dinner Party
Jim
2007
Goggle Eyes
Gerald 'Goggle Eyes' Faulkner
1993
Film
Asunder
Self - Narrator (voice)
2016
Film
Risking It
Richard Clewes
1977
Film
London Kills Me
John Stone
1991
Film
Carrie's War
Mr. Samuel Evans
2004
Film
Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
Maxwell Randall, The Green Baize Vampire
1985
Film
MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday
Capshaw
1994
Film
Golden Years
Sid
2016
Film
American Friends
Dr. Weeks
1991
Film
With or Without You
Sammy
1999
Film
The Likely Lads
Tommy
1976
Film
Number One
Blackpool Police Sergeant
1985
Film
The Chester Mystery Plays
Lightborne
1976
Film
Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story
Ernest Whitehouse
2008
Film
Doggin' Around
Charlie Foster
1994
Film
G:MT Greenwich Mean Time
Uncle Henry
1999
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Bert Baxter
Film
Only Make Believe
Michael Biddle
1973
Film
Breaking the Code
Mick Ross
1996
Film
Strictly Sinatra
Bill
2001
Score
George
2001
Film
The Storyteller: The True Bride
Troll (Voice)
1988
Film
Measure for Measure
Provost
1979
Film
Number 27
Murray Lester
1988
The Life and Times of Henry Pratt
Uncle Teddy
1992
Film
Our Day Out
Mr. Briggs
1977
Film
The Widowmaker
Dad
1990
Film
When I'm Sixty-Four
Jim
2004
Film
All Day on the Sands
1979
Film
The 14
Tommy
1973
Film
This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper
Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
2000
Film
Witness Against Hitler
Pastor Harold Poelchau
1996
Film
The House
Mr. Smeth
1984
Film
The Sex Victims
George
1973
Film
Inquisition
Martin
2002
Film
The Tempest
Caliban
1993
Film
Liza
Mikhalevich
1978
Film
Sorry About Last Night
Mickey
1995
Film
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Singer
1985
Film
That Summer of White Roses
Zemba
1989
Film
Out of Innocence
Detective Callaghan
2019
Film
Freedom of the Dig
Quinn
1978
Film
Sticky Wickets
Evans
1990
The Girls Who Came to Stay
Bob Jenkins
2006
Film
Nineteen96
Det. Supt. Frank Burroughs
1989
Film
The Eyes Have It
Mike
1973
Film
7 Up 2000
Himself - Narrator
2000
Film
Easy Go
First docker
1974
Film
Breaking The Codes
2020
Film
Shooting the Chandelier
Brodovich
1977
Film
Looking After Number One
Dick
1990
Film
The Nicky Nack
2021
Film
A Night on the Tyne
Willy
1989
Fear of God
Trahearne
1980
Film
Mr Moon's Last Case
Narrator
1983
My Little Eye
Dad