Alun Armstrong (born on 17 July 1946 in County Durham) is an internationally famous English actor and singer, perhaps best known recently for his role in the BBC's 'New Tricks'. He also notably originated the role of Monsieur Thénardier in the musical 'Les Misérables', which earned him a nomination for a Laurence Oliver Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He reprised the role to much acclaim in 'Les Misérables - The Dream Cast in Concert', held at the Royal Albert Hall in October 1995. An actor of the stage and screen (both big and small) for years and years, Armstrong has been nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award six times and won in 1994, for Best Actor in a Musical, with his performance of Sweeney Todd in the musical of the same name. His movie credits include the iconic 1971 drama film 'Get Carter' as well as 'Sleepy Hollow', 'The Mummy Returns', 'Van Helsing', and 'Eragon'. He spent nine years with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford upon Avon and London. In 2006, he returned to the London stage to star in Trevor Nunn's new production of 'The Royal Hunt of the Sun' at the National Theatre. Perhaps best known for his television work, Armstrong has starred in many popular shows, most notably for the BBC. These include his main role in "New Tricks", his 1996 performance in "Our Friends In The North", "Carrie's War" (2004), "Little Dorrit" & "Garrow's Law" in 2008 and "A Passionate Woman" in 2010. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.