Alun Armstrong
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.
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Movies (88)
El coro de Ramsden
2025 · Herbert Trickett
The Nicky Nack
2021
Breaking The Codes
2020
Out of Innocence
2019 · Detective Callaghan
Possum
2018 · Maurice
Funny Cow
2018 · Lenny
Asunder
2016 · Self - Narrator (voice)
Golden Years
2016 · Sid
Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert
2010 · Monsieur Thenardier (1985 Cast)
Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story
2008 · Ernest Whitehouse
The Dinner Party
2007 · Jim
Eragon
2006 · Uncle Garrow
The Girls Who Came to Stay
2006 · Bob Jenkins
Oliver Twist
2005 · Magistrate Fang
Millions
2005 · Saint Peter
When I'm Sixty-Four
2004 · Jim
Van Helsing: la misión de Londres
2004 · Cardinal Jinetta (voice)
Van Helsing: Cazador de monstruos
2004 · Cardinal Jinette
Carrie's War
2004 · Mr. Samuel Evans
It's All About Love
2003 · David
Paradise Found
2003 · Camille Pissarro
Inquisition
2002 · Martin
Strictly Sinatra
2001 · Bill
Score
2001 · George
La momia regresa
2001 · Baltus Hafez
Prueba de vida
2000 · Wyatt
Harrison's Flowers
2000 · Samuel Brubeck
7 Up 2000
2000 · Himself - Narrator
This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper
2000 · Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
Onegin
1999 · Zaretsky
Sleepy Hollow
1999 · High Constable
G:MT Greenwich Mean Time
1999 · Uncle Henry
With or Without You
1999 · Sammy
The Destruction of Troy and the Adventures of Odysseus
1998
The Saint
1997 · Inspector Teal
Brazen Hussies
1996 · Jimmy Hardcastle
Breaking the Code
1996 · Mick Ross
Witness Against Hitler
1996 · Pastor Harold Poelchau
Sorry About Last Night
1995 · Mickey
Les Misérables: 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
1995 · Monsieur Thénardier
Braveheart
1995 · Mornay
An Awfully Big Adventure
1995 · Uncle Vernon
MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday
1994 · Capshaw
Doggin' Around
1994 · Charlie Foster
Black Beauty
1994 · Reuben Smith
The Tempest
1993 · Caliban
Blue Ice
1992 · Osgood
Patriot Games
1992 · Owens
Split Second
1992 · Thrasher
London Kills Me
1991 · John Stone
American Friends
1991 · Dr. Weeks
The Widowmaker
1990 · Dad
Sticky Wickets
1990 · Evans
White Hunter, Black Heart
1990 · Ralph Lockhart
Looking After Number One
1990 · Dick
Nineteen96
1989 · Det. Supt. Frank Burroughs
A Night on the Tyne
1989 · Willy
The Childeater
1989 · Stefano
That Summer of White Roses
1989 · Zemba
Number 27
1988 · Murray Lester
The Storyteller: The True Bride
1988 · Troll (Voice)
Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
1985 · Maxwell Randall, The Green Baize Vampire
Number One
1985 · Blackpool Police Sergeant
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
1985 · Singer
The House
1984 · Mr. Smeth
Krull
1983 · Torquil
Mr Moon's Last Case
1983 · Narrator
The French Lieutenant's Woman
1981 · Grimes
Fear of God
1980 · Trahearne
All Day on the Sands
1979
Measure for Measure
1979 · Provost
Freedom of the Dig
1978 · Quinn
Liza
1978 · Mikhalevich
Our Day Out
1977 · Mr. Briggs
Shooting the Chandelier
1977 · Brodovich
The Duellists
1977 · Lieutenant Lacourbe
Risking It
1977 · Richard Clewes
A Bridge Too Far
1977 · Cpl. Davies
The Chester Mystery Plays
1976 · Lightborne
The Likely Lads
1976 · Tommy
Easy Go
1974 · First docker
The 14
1973 · Tommy
The Eyes Have It
1973 · Mike
The Sex Victims
1973 · George
Only Make Believe
1973 · Michael Biddle
Get Carter
1971 · Keith
My Little Eye
· Dad
A Ticket Too Far
· Dad
TV shows (74)
After the Flood
2024 · Alan Benson
Tom Jones
2023 · Squire Western
Remembers…
2022 · Self
Sherwood
2022 · Gary Jackson
Bendita paciencia
2020 · Jim
Year of the Rabbit
2019 · Chief Inspector Hugh Wisbech
Prime Suspect 1973
2017 · Clifford Bentley
Frontier
2016 · Lord Benton
Dark Angel
2016 · George Stot
Penny Dreadful
2014 · Vincent Brand
La Corona Vacía
2012 · Northumberland
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
2012 · Hiram Grewgious
A Passionate Woman
2010 · Donald (1980s)
Garrow's Law
2009 · John Southouse
Little Dorrit
2008 · Ephraim Flintwinch
Bleak House
2005 · Inspector Bucket
New Tricks
2004 · Brian Lane
Between The Sheets
2003 · Peter Delany
Sparkhouse
2002 · Richard Bolton
Extinct
2001 · Himself - Narrator
Bedtime
2001 · Neil Henshaw
Messiah
2001 · DCI Charlie McIntyre
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
2001 · George Mole
This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper
2000 · Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
David Copperfield
1999 · Dan Peggotty
Oliver Twist
1999 · Mr. Fleming
In the Red
1998 · DCI Frank Jefferson
Underworld
1997
Our Friends in the North
1996 · Austin Donohue
Goggle Eyes
1993 · Gerald 'Goggle Eyes' Faulkner
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
1992 · Caliban (voice)
The Life and Times of Henry Pratt
1992 · Uncle Teddy
Goodbye Cruel World
1992 · Roy Grade
Stanley and the Women
1991 · Rufus Hilton
Murder in Eden
1991 · Sgt McGing
Screen One
1989 · Det Supt Frank Burroughs, Evans, Charlie Foster
Tales from the Crypt
1989 · Inspector Herbert
The Jim Henson Hour
1989 · The Troll (archive audio)
The Storyteller
1988 · Troll (voice)
Married... with Children
1987 · Trevor
Inspector Morse
1987 · Superintendent Holdsby
ScreenPlay
1986 · Willy
A.D.
1985 · Gamesmaster
Sharing Time
1984 · Luke
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
1982
Get Lost!
1981 · Neville Keaton
The BBC Television Shakespeare
1978 · Provost
Armchair Thriller
1978 · Trahearne
Enemy at the Door
1978 · Louis Mendoza
Premiere
1977 · Quinn
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977 · Brodovich, Mikhalevich
A Sharp Intake of Breath
1977 · Arthur Clegg, Terry, Jackson, Brian, Simon Wilson, Albert, Wilson, Jack Dyson, Alec, Frank Grant, Barry, Les Buckley
Romance
1977 · Weaver
The New Avengers
1976 · Private George Harris
The Stars Look Down
1975 · Joe Gowlan
The Sweeney
1975 · Peter Jenner
Father Brown
1974 · Joe
Porridge
1974 · Spraggon
Sporting Scenes
1973 · Bernie
Second City Firsts
1973 · Ken
Centre Play
1973 · Richard Clewes
Thriller
1973 · Mike
Armchair 30
1973 · Glazier
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
1973 · Scaife
Villains
1972 · Terence 'Tel' Bolden
New Scotland Yard
1972 · Ray Davies
Six Days of Justice
1972 · P.C. Williamson
Justice
1971 · Bob Graham
Great Performances
1971 · Thénardier
Play for Today
1970 · 1st Docker, Mr Briggs
BBC Play of the Month
1965 · Lightborne
Public Eye
1965 · Vince Gregson
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
· Bert Baxter
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
· Harald Vanger