Alun Armstrong has had an incredible career, with major roles on both stage and screen. However, many fans will remember him from 00s crime drama New Tricks, which aired on BBC1 between 2003 and 2015.
The star played the eccentric former detective Brian Lane, who was able to recall the tiniest of details in cases, which often proved to be the key to solving them. The character remained on the show until its tenth season, departing in its fourth episode.
Away from the show, Alun is known for his roles in the likes of Black Beauty, Sleepy Hollow, Van Helsing, Garrow's Law, Downton Abbey and Breeders. However, it is his stage roles where the 79-year-old is best remembered, spending nine years with the Royal Shakespeare Company and winning an Olivier Award for his performance in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
In his personal life, Alun is married to his wife, Sue, who he first met when she was hitchhiking. Speaking to the Irish News in 2019, he explained: "The other turning point was picking up a hitchhiker when I was travelling from Scotland to England. Sue sat in the back with her friend, and I fell in love with her voice first as she chatted away. I also admired the way she kept her cool when I crashed the car twice because of a combination of my terrible driving and snow and ice on the road. She's always been calm, unflappable, a brilliant support to me and a fantastic parent to our boys."
The couple have welcomed three sons, Tom, Joe and Dan, with two of them entering the world of showbusiness, while the eldest, Tom, prefers to keep out of the spotlight. In the same interview, the actor admitted that he felt guilt over not being present for his sons as they grew up.
He confessed: "I recognise that in the past I was a workaholic, and probably could have been a better father to my sons and a more well-rounded human being if I hadn't been so obsessed with my job."
© Redferns via Getty ImagesHere's all you need to know about Alun's famous offspring…
Alun's sons Joe and Dan
Alun's middle son, Joe, has followed in his footsteps by becoming an actor. Like his father, Joe has appeared in several stage shows, including the likes of Orphans, The Empire and The Dumb Waiter, the latter of which he was nominated at the Offie Awards.
Joe has also appeared several times on-screen, including in the Oscar-winning film Darkest Hour, and major series like The Bill, Robin Hood, The Village, Gentleman Jack and Fool Me Once.
© BBCJoe and his father also acted together in A Passionate Woman, with Alun playing an older version of Joe's character. The duo also acted together in the likes of Henry IV and Between the Sheets.
Meanwhile, Alun's youngest son, Dan, is a musician, playing the keyboard and providing vocals for indie rock band Clock Opera. The band was active between 2009 and 2022, although Dan ended up departing the group in 2014. Alun showed his support for the band by appearing in the music video for their hit, The Lost Buoys.
