Joe Armstrong
Joe Armstrong is an English actor, best known for his roles in the television series Robin Hood, Happy Valley, and The Village. He has also starred in films such as Darkest Hour and The Hollow Crown.
Armstrong was born in Hammersmith, London, England, in 1978. He is the son of actor Alun Armstrong. He has an older brother, Tom, and a younger brother, Dan, who was in the band Clock Opera. He attended Elliott School in Putney from 1993 to 1997. He then studied at the University of Bristol, where he acted in The Brecht Project—a collection of scenes from the works of Bertolt Brecht—in 1998 and Women Beware Women in 1999.
Armstrong's first major television role came in 2006, when he was cast as Allan A Dale in the BBC series Robin Hood. He remained with the series for all three seasons, which aired from 2006 to 2009.
In 2014, Armstrong starred in the BBC series Happy Valley as Ashley Cowgill, a police officer who is investigating a murder in a small Yorkshire town. The series was a critical and commercial success, and Armstrong's performance was praised by critics.
In 2017, Armstrong starred in the BBC series The Village as Bairstow, a newcomer to a small English village who is hiding a dark secret. The series was also a critical and commercial success, and Armstrong's performance was praised by critics.
Armstrong is currently filming the upcoming television series The Undeclared War, a six-part thriller series for Channel 4. He will play the role of Daniel Granger, a computer analyst who is recruited by the government to help with a cyberwarfare operation.
Acting
TV
Black Mirror
as Nick Shelton
2011
Movie
Darkest Hour
as John Evans
2017
TV
Fool Me Once
as Alexander Dosman
2024
TV
Happy Valley
as Ashley Cowgill
2014
TV
Midsomer Murders
as David Cooke
1997
TV
Britannia
as Gildas
2018
TV
Gentleman Jack
as Samuel Washington
2019
TV
Hustle
as Joe Ryan
2004
TV
Robin Hood
as Allan
2006
TV
Foyle's War
as Tom Jackson
2002
TV
The Bay
as Dean Metcalf
2019
TV
The Hollow Crown
as Hotspur
2012
Movie
Closer to the Moon
as Răzvan Orodel
2014
Movie
To Walk Invisible
as Thomas Mallinson
2016
TV
The Bill
1984
TV
Waking the Dead
as Jason Murphy
2001
TV
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
as Darren
2002
TV
Dark Angel
as Joe Nattras
2016
TV
Blackpool
2004
TV
Land Girls
as Danny Sparks
2009
TV
The Village
as Bairstow
2013
TV
A Passionate Woman
as Donald (1950s)
2010
TV
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story
as DCI Davies
2025
TV
Party Animals
2007