Jonas Armstrong

Irish actor

William Jonas Armstrong (born 1 January 1981) is an Irish English actor who rose to prominence playing the title character on the BBC's Robin Hood (2006–2009). He has since appeared in miniseries such as Dark Angel (2016), Troy: Fall of a City (2018), The Drowning, Hollington Drive (both 2021), After the Flood and Coma (both 2024), and starred as Sean Meredith on the first season of ITV's The Bay (2019). Armstrong won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Barry Bennell in the 2022 television film Floodlights. His feature film credits include Book of Blood (2009), Twenty8k (2012), and Edge of Tomorrow (2014).

Armstrong was born in Dublin, Ireland on New Year's Day, 1981. He attended Arnold School and later won a place at RADA, from where he graduated in 2003 with a BA in acting. He then appeared as Anthony Millington in several episodes of the Channel 4 comedy drama series Teachers (2004), and again on Channel 4 in the following year's crime drama The Ghost Squad, where he played a thrill seeking detective assigned to expose police corruption. Armstrong's first major television role came in October 2006 when he began playing Robin of Locksley in the BBC One action adventure series Robin Hood. Though he initially faced criticism for his slight build and "boyband" good looks, his performance later drew praise, with IGN calling it "brilliant". During filming of the second series, Armstrong broke a metatarsal bone in his foot during a staged fight sequence. In August 2008, he confirmed that he would be leaving Robin Hood the following year at the end of its third season, commenting in his statement that he was "looking for new challenges"; the BBC responded by saying that Armstrong would be "desperately missed". The show was subsequently not renewed for a fourth series.

In 2009, Armstrong starred in the lead role of Simon McNeal in the horror film Book of Blood, based on a short story by Clive Barker. Next, he guest starred in an episode of the BBC drama series The Street, winning praise for his "sterling work" as TA soldier Private Nick Calshaw, who returns from Afghanistan with life changing injuries. That same year, he read four CBeebies Bedtime Stories for the channel's "Bedtime Hour" segment. Between 2011 and 2012, Armstrong had roles in a succession of television crime dramas, such as The Field of Blood, Prisoners' Wives, and Hit & Miss. His portrayal of a university student turned Nazi impersonator in the 2014 feature film Walking with the Enemy was lauded by critics, with Paste Magazine writing, "Armstrong is [Enemy] moral force, and he gives [the] film a forward leaning energy; he's the character that a viewer questions whether he or she would have the guts to be. It's a performance rooted in righteousness, but Armstrong also taps into the inner conflict of a swallowed power dynamic—he locates both the lust and queasiness of playing a Gestapo officer, and having to own that guise, and all the action it entails, at inopportune times and at a moment's notice". That same year, he played the supporting role of Skinner in the big budget action adventure film Edge of Tomorrow, which Variety called a "cleverly crafted and propulsively executed sci fi thriller". Speaking of the opportunity to work with co star Tom Cruise, Armstrong said at the time, "If I thought two years ago I'd be working with probably the biggest film star on the planet I would have said 'never', but it was great He was really supportive and generous [and] it was an absolute privilege to work with him". In November 2013, Armstrong received a "Stars on Horizon" award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. On the fourth and fifth seasons of BBC Two's Ripper Street (both 2016), a fictional dramatisation of the aftermath of the Whitechapel murders, Armstrong played the recurring role of serial killer Nathaniel Croker, with Den of Geek commenting—in their review of the fifth season's third episode—that he played the part "beautifully", adding: "It's an impressive feat for a supporting character to [take over] so completely that the main plot is barely missed". In 2018, Armstrong earned strong notices for his work in two projects: firstly, his portrayal of a Spartan king in the Netflix historical miniseries Troy: Fall of a City, and then for his "convincingly exasperated" caricature of Bob Geldof in an episode of the Sky Arts anthology series Urban Myths. The following year, he co starred as Sean Meredith, a fisherman embroiled in the disappearance of his teenage twins, on the first season of the ITV crime mystery series The Bay. Next, he starred in The Drowning, a four part psychological thriller that aired on Channel 5 in February 2021, and appeared as a grieving father who embarks on an extramarital affair in the ITV miniseries Hollington Drive (also 2021). Armstrong's portrayal of real life convicted sex offender Barry Bennell in the 2022 television film Floodlights was particularly well received by critics. Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Benji Wilson said, "Armstrong [has] quietly been turning in performances of subtlety and power since he shot to fame [with] Robin Hood Here he was oleaginous and creepy, all simmering, smiling menace"; while Dan Einav of the Financial Times felt that "Armstrong's ability to slip between affable mentor and depraved predator is key to his remarkably convincing performance". Speaking to Metro shortly before the film's premiere on BBC Two, Armstrong admitted to having been reluctant to take the part: "It kind of made me feel a bit sick [but] I had a good discussion with my agent and then I decided yeah, I'm going to go for this to raise awareness for people who might still be suffering". In the six part mystery thriller series After the Flood (2024), Armstrong starred as Lee Ellison, a man whose mysterious past is unveiled when he rescues a baby from the River Tees. His next role was that of a vengeful gangster, which the Yorkshire Evening Post felt he played with "nerve bulging intensity", in the four part miniseries Coma, which debuted on Channel 5 in March 2024.

Year Film Role Notes 2009 Book of Blood Simon McNeal2011 Rage of the Yeti Bill Television film Life Outside Daniel Television film 2012 Twenty8k Clint O'Connor2013 Walking with the Enemy Elek Cohen The Whale Owen Chase Television film 2014 Edge of Tomorrow Skinner 2019 Boiling Point Freeman Short2022 Floodlights Barry Bennell Television film Look the Other Way and Run Lee Three Day Millionaire Mr. Graham 2023 Hyem 'Little' John Arckle Short TBA The Enforcer TBA Short

Year Film Role Notes 2004 Teachers Anthony Millington Recurring (series 4) 2005 The Ghost Squad Pete Maitland Series regular 2006 Losing Gemma Steve Main role 2006–2009 Robin Hood Robin Hood Main role 2009 The Street Nick Calshaw Recurring (series 3) 2010 Agatha Christie's Marple Anthony Cade Episode: "The Secret of Chimneys"2011 The Field of Blood Terry Hewitt Recurring (series 1) The Body Farm Nick Warner Episode #1.52012 Prisoners' Wives Steve Roscoe Recurring (series 1) Hit & Miss Ben Main role 2015 The Dovekeepers Yoav Main role2016 Line of Duty Joe Nash Recurring (series 3) Dark Angel Joe Nattrass Main role Ripper Street Nathaniel Croker Recurring (series 4–5)2018 Troy: Fall of a City Menelaus Main role Urban Myths Bob Geldof Episode: "Backstage at Live Aid"2019 Death in Paradise Dylan Shepherd Episode: "Murder Most Animal" The Bay Sean Meredith Series regular (season 1) 2020 Ghost Seekers Finn Coleman Main role2021 The Drowning Jason Main role Hollington Drive Gareth Boyd Main role 2022 Strike Saul Morris Series regular (season 5) 2023Boat StoryArthur 2 episodes2024 After the Flood Lee Main roleComaPaul Main role