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Alun Armstrong (born 17 July 1946) is an 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."〔Kalina, Paul, ("Old Hand Returns with New Tricks" ), ''The Age'', 8 November 2007. Retrieved 2011-02-02.〕 His numerous credits include several different Charles Dickens adaptations and the 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''. ==Early life== Alun Armstrong was born in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham.〔Keal, Graham, ("Alun's Glad to Be Gay" ), ''Sunday Sun'', 18 July 2004. Retrieved 2011-01-29.〕 His father was a coal miner and both his parents were Methodist lay preachers.〔 He attended Annfield Plain Junior School〔Oglethorpe, Tim ("Me and my school photo: Alun Armstrong remembers getting caned and working with Michael Caine" ), ''Daily Mail'', 26 November 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-26.〕 and then went on to Consett Grammar School, where a teacher inspired him to try acting. In the lower sixth, he played Petruchio in ''The Taming of the Shrew'' – a role he would later perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company.〔Lockyer, Daphne, ("Alun Armstrong" ), ''TES Magazine'', 27 June 2008. Retrieved 2011-02-06.〕 He took part in the National Youth Theatre summer school in 1964, but his background and his northern accent made him feel out of place.〔 Armstrong auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but was not accepted.〔 He instead studied fine art at Newcastle University.〔 He found the course pretentious and felt that he did not fit in, and he was expelled after two years because he stopped attending classes.〔〔 Armstrong had jobs with a bricklayer and as a gravedigger before he decided to try acting again. He started out by working as an assistant stage manager at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. He then went on to a Theatre in Education company affiliated with the Sheffield Repertory Theatre, and he performed in several Radio 4 dramas.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alun Armstrong」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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