Alun Armstrong
Known for Acting · 158 credits
- Born
- 1946-07-17 (age 80)
- Place of birth
- Annfield Plain, County Durham, England, UK
- Also known as
- Alan 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
TV Shows (71)
Married... with Children
1987
as Trevor
Play for Today
1970
as 1st Docker / Mr Briggs
Great Performances
1971
as Thénardier
BBC Play of the Month
1965
as Lightborne
Tales from the Crypt
1989
as Inspector Herbert
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
as Brodovich / Mikhalevich
New Tricks
2004
as Brian Lane
The Sweeney
1975
as Peter Jenner
Inspector Morse
1987
as Superintendent Holdsby
Penny Dreadful
2014
as Vincent Brand
Public Eye
1965
as Vince Gregson
Thriller
1973
as Mike
The Storyteller
1988
as Troll (voice)
Frontier
2016
as Lord Benton
Justice
1971
as Bob Graham
Centre Play
1973
as Richard Clewes
ScreenPlay
1986
as Willy
The Hollow Crown
2012
as Northumberland
Bleak House
2005
as Inspector Bucket
The New Avengers
1976
as Private George Harris
Remembers…
2022
as Self
Screen One
1989
as Det Supt Frank Burroughs / Evans / Charlie Foster
Sherwood
2022
as Gary Jackson
Breeders
2020
as Jim
Father Brown
1974
as Joe
The Jim Henson Hour
1989
as The Troll (archive audio)
Second City Firsts
1973
as Ken
Enemy at the Door
1978
as Louis Mendoza
David Copperfield
1999
as Dan Peggotty
Little Dorrit
2008
as Ephraim Flintwinch
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
1992
as Caliban (voice)
New Scotland Yard
1972
as Ray Davies
Premiere
1977
as Quinn
The BBC Television Shakespeare
1978
as Provost
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
1973
as Scaife
Porridge
1974
as Spraggon
Garrow's Law
2009
as John Southouse
A.D.
1985
as Gamesmaster
Our Friends in the North
1996
as Austin Donohue
Oliver Twist
1999
as Mr. Fleming
Messiah
2001
as DCI Charlie McIntyre
Prime Suspect 1973
2017
as Clifford Bentley
Armchair Thriller
1978
as Trahearne
Dark Angel
2016
as George Stot
Sharing Time
1984
as Luke
Villains
1972
as Terence 'Tel' Bolden
Year of the Rabbit
2019
as Chief Inspector Hugh Wisbech
Tom Jones
2023
as Squire Western
Murder in Eden
1991
as Sgt McGing
Armchair 30
1973
as Glazier
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
1982
Days of Hope
1975
as Billy Shepherd
In the Red
1998
as DCI Frank Jefferson
Six Days of Justice
1972
as P.C. Williamson
Romance
1977
as Weaver
Underworld
1997
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
2012
as Hiram Grewgious
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
2001
as George Mole
The Stars Look Down
1975
as Joe Gowlan
Between The Sheets
2003
as Peter Delany
Movies (87)
Braveheart
1995
as Mornay
The Mummy Returns
2001
as Baltus Hafez
Van Helsing
2004
as Cardinal Jinette
Sleepy Hollow
1999
as High Constable
The Choral
2025
as Herbert Trickett
Krull
1983
as Torquil
A Bridge Too Far
1977
as Cpl. Davies
Eragon
2006
as Uncle Garrow
Patriot Games
1992
as Owens
The Saint
1997
as Inspector Teal
Split Second
1992
as Thrasher
Brazen Hussies
1996
as Jimmy Hardcastle
Funny Cow
2018
as Lenny
Oliver Twist
2005
as Magistrate Fang
The Duellists
1977
as Lieutenant Lacourbe
White Hunter, Black Heart
1990
as Ralph Lockhart
Black Beauty
1994
as Reuben Smith
Proof of Life
2000
as Wyatt
Onegin
1999
as Zaretsky
Blue Ice
1992
as Osgood
Possum
2018
as Maurice
The French Lieutenant's Woman
1981
as Grimes
Millions
2005
as Saint Peter
Van Helsing: The London Assignment
2004
as Cardinal Jinetta (voice)
Get Carter
1971
as Keith
Asunder
2016
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Paradise Found
2003
as Camille Pissarro
Harrison's Flowers
2000
as Samuel Brubeck
The Chester Mystery Plays
1976
as Lightborne
Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary in Concert
2010
as Monsieur Thenardier (1985 Cast)
Golden Years
2016
as Sid
7 Up 2000
2000
as Himself - Narrator
When I'm Sixty-Four
2004
as Jim
The Dinner Party
2007
as Jim
The Childeater
1989
as Stefano
G:MT Greenwich Mean Time
1999
as Uncle Henry
The Widowmaker
1990
as Dad
The Storyteller: The True Bride
1988
as Troll (Voice)
An Awfully Big Adventure
1995
as Uncle Vernon
Freedom of the Dig
1978
as Quinn
American Friends
1991
as Dr. Weeks
Risking It
1977
as Richard Clewes
Witness Against Hitler
1996
as Pastor Harold Poelchau
Strictly Sinatra
2001
as Bill
Only Make Believe
1973
as Michael Biddle
It's All About Love
2003
as David
The Likely Lads
1976
as Tommy
London Kills Me
1991
as John Stone
Breaking the Code
1996
as Mick Ross
Number One
1985
as Blackpool Police Sergeant
Les Misérables: 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
1995
as Monsieur Thénardier
The Tempest
1993
as Caliban
MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday
1994
as Capshaw
Measure for Measure
1979
as Provost
Out of Innocence
2019
as Detective Callaghan
Doggin' Around
1994
as Charlie Foster
Breaking The Codes
2020
With or Without You
1999
as Sammy
That Summer of White Roses
1989
as Zemba
Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story
2008
as Ernest Whitehouse
Score
2001
as George
The 14
1973
as Tommy
Sorry About Last Night
1995
as Mickey
This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper
2000
as Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
All Day on the Sands
1979
Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
1985
as Maxwell Randall, The Green Baize Vampire
Carrie's War
2004
as Mr. Samuel Evans
Shooting the Chandelier
1977
as Brodovich
The Eyes Have It
1973
as Mike
Our Day Out
1977
as Mr. Briggs
Liza
1978
as Mikhalevich
My Little Eye
as Dad
Aristocrats
1999
as Lord Holland
Inquisition
2002
as Martin
The House
1984
as Mr. Smeth
A Night on the Tyne
1989
as Willy
Number 27
1988
as Murray Lester
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
1985
as Singer
Looking After Number One
1990
as Dick
Nineteen96
1989
as Det. Supt. Frank Burroughs
Fear of God
1980
as Trahearne
The Sex Victims
1973
as George
The Girls Who Came to Stay
2006
as Bob Jenkins
Mr Moon's Last Case
1983
as Narrator
The Nicky Nack
2021
Sticky Wickets
1990
as Evans
Easy Go
1974
as First docker
About 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… With 158 credits spanning from 1965 to 2025, Alun Armstrong has appeared in 87 films and 71 TV shows.
Fans searching for Alun Armstrong movies, Alun Armstrong filmography, or the latest projects starring Alun Armstrong can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Alun Armstrong Movies
- Braveheart (1995) — as Mornay
- The Mummy Returns (2001) — as Baltus Hafez
- Van Helsing (2004) — as Cardinal Jinette
- Sleepy Hollow (1999) — as High Constable
- The Choral (2025) — as Herbert Trickett
Where to Watch Alun Armstrong Films
Most Alun Armstrong movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Alun Armstrong, check our movies catalogue and browse page.