Alun Armstrong

Alun Armstrong, a prolific English character actor hailing from County Durham, navigated his theatrical inclinations through Shakespearean productions at his grammar school. Since the early 1970s, his career has seen him inhabit a kaleidoscope of characters, from grotesque villains to musical theatre roles, often bordering on the eccentric or deranged. With credits spanning six Dickens adaptations and seven series as the quirky ex-detective Brian Lane in "New Tricks," Armstrong's stage work is equally lauded, including a nine-year tenure with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he originated the role of Thénardier in "Les Misérables" and clinched an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd.