Alec Newman is a Scottish actor best known for portraying Paul Atreides in the Sci Fi Channel's 2000 miniseries adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune. He voiced Adam Smasher in Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Cameron "Caz" McLeary in Still Wakes the Deep, for the latter of which he won the British Academy Games Award for Performer in a Leading Role.
Early life Newman was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Berkshire at the age of four. His father is Sandy Newman, a member of Scottish band Marmalade. He has a brother, John James Newman, who appeared on The Voice UK in 2012. Prior to joining the National Youth Theatre in London at age 17, Newman considered becoming a professional footballer. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Career
After graduating from LAMDA Newman built up a steady list of television and film credits before landing the lead role in the Sci Fi channel's miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune. This led to a string of appearances in US TV and film, which culminated in being cast in the role of Barnabas Collins in a WB reboot of Dark Shadows however, the show was not picked up for series .
The 2004 Hallmark Channel version of Frankenstein with Newman working with an ensemble cast including William Hurt and Donald Sutherland, met with favourable reviews and won an Emmy. This period also found Newman consistently working on film - in Penny Woolcock's The Principles of Lust and in the Stephen Fry directed Bright Young Things. Both played at festivals around the world including Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.
From 2011 to 2013 Newman played head teacher Michael Byrne in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road.
Series regular roles in Kurt Sutter's The Bastard Executioner, Amazon's Rogue, and HBO's Strike Back saw him in edgier and often action oriented territory, yet in Guy Pitt's 2014 film Greyhawk Newman's more intimate and emotional performance contributed to a nomination for the Michael Powell award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. He has since worked with directors Tomas Alfredson, Amma Asante and George Clooney.
Newman has often played edgy and complex characters. Performances in the BBC's Showtrial and World Production's Karen Pirie are recent examples of roles with a moral conflict at their core.
He regularly returns to work in the theatre. The Donmar Warehouse production of King Lear in which he played Edmund, transferred to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York. The National Theatre's 2015 production of The Motherfucker with the Hat featured Newman in the title role and was nominated at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for Best Play. More recently, he played Bruno Bischofberger in the Young Vic production of Anthony McCarten's new play The Collaboration opposite Paul Bettany, Jeremy Pope and Sofia Barclay.
He also works as a voice artist appearing in numerous video games including Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Assassin's Creed Syndicate and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1999G:MT – Greenwich Mean TimeCharlie2002Long Time DeadLiam2003Bright Young ThingsTigerThe Death of KlinghofferYoung BenjaminThe Principles of LustPaul2005Staring at the SunClay RobertsShort ConstellationKent SerasFour Corners of SuburbiaBenjamin Winters2007The Fifth PatientDr. StevensonThe Gene GenerationChristian2008BlackwaterDavidShort 2009Moonlight SerenadeNate Holden2011A Lonely Place to DieRobDiscoMikeShort 2014GreyhawkMal2016The Head HunterJohn2017The SnowmanMould Man2018The Marine 6: Close QuartersPatrick DillonWhere Hands TouchJuttnerSuzanne & MartinMartinShort Mary AnningMr. Cromwell2021All That GlittersDavidShortCode of SilenceWrightThe VisitPatrickShort2022ChevalierPoncet2023The Boys in the BoatHarry Rantz2024The HuntedVlad Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2Alan Robin2025Words of WarMajor Popov2026The WeightTaggert
Television +YearTitleRoleNotesRef1996Lloyds Bank Channel 4 Film ChallengeJohnEpisode: "Cold Season"1997Rag NymphBenTV miniseriesTaggartStephen BurnsEpisode: "Apocalypse" (Part One)1998DangerfieldMichael DysonEpisode: "The Last Picture"HeartbeatJohnny WylerEpisode: "Local Knowledge"Peak PracticeSean HollingsEpisode: "A Matter of Principle"Silent WitnessNick Arnold2 episodes: "An Academic Exercise: Part 1" & "An Academic Exercise: Part 2"1999The Blonde BombshellJimmy StanfordEpisode: "1.1"2000Frank Herbert's DunePaul Atreides / Muad'DibTV miniseriesMurder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock HolmesThomas NeillEpisode: "The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes: Part 1"Episode: "Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle: Part 1 (U.S. Title)"2001Judge John DeedHeathcote MachinEpisode: "Rough Justice"2002Episode: "Nobody's Fool"Night FlightYoung "Flash" Harry PetersTV movie2003Frank Herbert's Children of DunePaul Atreides / Muad'DibTV miniseriesComing UpMarcEpisode: "Loveless"2004Tru CallingMichael MancusoEpisode: "The Longest Day"AngelDrogyn2 episodes: "A Hole In The World" and "Power Play"Dark ShadowsBarnabas CollinsUnaired pilotFrankensteinViktor FrankensteinTV miniseriesStar Trek: EnterpriseMalik3 episodes: "Borderland", "Cold Station 12" & "The Augments"2006SpooksRichard DempseyEpisode: "The Criminal"2007Reichenbach FallsJim BuchanTV movie2008CasualtyCraigEpisode: "Hurt"Heroes and VillainsVillafanaEpisode: "Cortes"2009Hope SpringsEuan HarriesTV series2010CasualtyRobert LudlowRecurring role (9 episodes)Silent WitnessJohn CarmodyEpisode: "Run: Part 1"Peter CarmodyEpisode: "Run: Part 2"The BillMark PierceEpisode: "Paying the Price"2011–2013Waterloo RoadMichael ByrneRecurring role (47 episodes)2013DraculaJosef CervenkaEpisode: "From Darkness to Light"201424Kevin Cordero2 Episodes: "Day 9: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m" and "Day 9: 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m"LewisGraham LawrieEpisode: "Beyond Good and Evil" (2 parts)RogueRay WilliamsRecurring role (10 episodes)2015The Bastard ExecutionerLeon TellRecurring role (9 episodes)The Last KingdomKing Aethelred2 episodes2016HimRoss BrodieTV miniseriesSerial Thriller: Angel of DecayJohnEpisode: "The Head Hunter Part 1"2017FearlessTony Pullings5 episodes2018OutlanderJoseph WemyssEpisode: "Down the Rabbit Hole"EulleniaMarcus Hammond3 episodes2019Strike BackPavel KuraginRecurring role (10 episodes)2020Call the MidwifeFather DuncombeEpisode: "9.1"2021GraceJoe BakerEpisode: "Dead Tomorrow"UnforgottenMark Tomlinson3 episodesLove in the LockdownGiovanniRecurring role (9 episodes)ShowtrialStephen Vendler2 Episodes: "Little Horses" and "Lady Tease"ShetlandNiven Guthrie6 episodes2022Karen PirieZiggy MalkiewiczEpisode "1.1"Cyberpunk: EdgerunnersAdam SmasherVoice; episode: "My Moon My Man"2023The NurseNils LundinVoice; English version (4 episodes)Sister Boniface MysteriesStanley FawcettEpisode: "The Star of the Orient"2024Protection Edward CrowtherRecurring role
Video games +YearTitleRoleNotesRef2010Fable IIIAdditional voicesGoldenEye 007Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.Xenoblade ChroniclesVangarre English version2011The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the UnicornSakharineBrinkSecurityDragon Age IISebastian Vael - The Exiled Prince DLC, Seneschal Bran, Fenarel, Ser Theodore of WildervaleKillzone 3Helghast SoldiersStar Wars: The Old RepublicApprentice Maraad, Captain Joris, Imperial Scientist, Imperial Soldier, Imperial Special Forces Soldier, Imperial Trooper, Lieutenant Mei, Lieutenant Orawn, NK-33, Private Cote, Private Ganbar, Private Wicke, Ri Farrona, Sapper, Sergeant, Sergeant Jaymis, Sergeant Pratt, Sith, Sith Apprentice, Soldier, Technician, Thanaton's Servant, The Old Man Imperial Form, Thul Scout, Thul Soldier, Transport Pilot, Warden KhelWarhammer 40,000: Space MarineOrc BoyzThe Witcher 2: Assassins of KingsArthur Tailles, additional voices English version2013Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of FateSimon Belmont, Night WatchmanCompany of Heroes 2The OfficerIn The British Forces DLCSoul SacrificePraeco2014Assassin's Creed UnityRevolutionary Leader, Parisian CivilianDivinity: Original SinAdditional voicesDragon Age: InquisitionFinn, Gurd Harofsen, Hakkonite In the Jaws of Hakkon DLC2015Assassin's Creed: SyndicateJackIn the Jack the Ripper DLCAssassin's Creed UnityAdditional voicesIn the Dead Kings DLCDragon Age: Inquisition – TrespasserSeneshal BranDragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight BelowKirylEnglish versionFinal Fantasy XIV: HeavenswardLahabreaSomaAutomated Voice, Steve Glasser, additional voicesThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntGradenEnglish version2016Battlefield 1Additional voicesDragon Quest Heroes IIKirylEnglish versionHitmanOybek Nabazov, Brendan Conner, Wen Ts'ai, Pavel Frydel, Keratoplasty Patient, Elusive Target Cast, Supporting CastRIGS: Mechanized Combat LeagueFergusonSteepNate SmithTotal War: WarhammerAdditional voices2017Divinity: Original Sin IIBeastGet EvenAdditional voicesNiohThe OthersStar Wars: Battlefront IIKram NamwenThe SurgeAdditional voicesWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IIIGabriel Angelos2018Ni no Kuni II: Revenant KingdomAdditional voicesVampyrBenjamin, Mason, Richard, Booth2019A Plague Tale: InnocenceRobert, Soldier 2The Surge 2Buccaneer, various voices2020Assassin's Creed ValhallaWallaCyberpunk 2077Anders Hellman, Adam Smasher, Arthur Jenkins, Reyes2021GloomhavenThe NarratorFinal Fantasy XIV: EndwalkerHephaistos, Cagnazzo2022Dying Light 2AitorThe Diofield ChroniclesDonovar Sullion, Engram2024Still Wakes the DeepCameron "Caz" McLearyMain characterElden RingDaneShadow of the Erdtree DLCFinal Fantasy XIV: DawntrailKetenramm, Geode, Frantic Man2026Crimson DesertKliffMain character
References
External links