Former British actor George Armstrong might have lived past the age of 60 if it hadn’t been for leukemia, which he battled for about 6 years before succumbing to it on July 11, 2023. During his lifetime, he captivated the hearts of British TV fans in the late 1970s with his portrayal as Alan Humphries in Grange Hill, the longest British TV series. He retired from acting in the late 1980s and went on to work as a Technical Theater Director in a few schools in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Prior to his death, he was active in philanthropy and cancer awareness. He has raised funds for Macmillan Cancer Support with the help of some of his friends, including Andy Skarpellis, Steven Baldwin, Steve Pell, and John Ayres.
George Armstrong Was A Private Person, But We’ve Gathered Some Interesting Details About His Family
He Had An Australian Heritage
Former British actor George Armstrong was born in London, England, on September 7, 1962. Although he is an English native, he is partly Australian. While this is something George has never revealed, his younger brother, Adam Armstrong, a writer and lead trainer at Herald TD revealed that he is of Australian descent.
What Adam didn’t say was whether their father or mother is of Australian origin.
His Father Fought In World War 2
George Armstrong’s father served in the British military. During WWII, he was a member of the well-known RAF Squadron 195, stationed on Wrattling Common in November 1944.
Armstrong made an appreciation post in May 2020 to thank the men and women of RAF Squadron 195 from Wrattling Common for risking their lives during the war to keep the world at peace.
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He Made A Name For Himself As An Actor In The 1970s Before Changing Careers
George Armstrong’s interest in acting began at a young age. In 1977, he made his breakthrough as Hubert Lane in the film Just William. This was followed by his most renowned part as Alan Humphries in the BBC TV drama Grange Hill, which he appeared in for the first 5 seasons from 1978 to 1982. In addition, he appeared in Tucker’s Luck, a spin-off of Grange Hill, in 1983.
In 1989, he made his final television appearance as PC Driscoll in The Bill. That job signaled the end of his acting career and the beginning of a new one. He worked as a technical theater director in a few schools in the UK and Australia. In addition, from 1993 to 1994, he worked as a drama technician at Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, Australia, and then at Roedean School in Brighton from 1995 to 2005.
George alongside his brother Adam Armstrong, his sister-in-law Kerris Armstrong and Jeremy Fussell founded Herald Training and Development company in London. He served as a director beginning in 2009.
The company has worked with several clients, including BAEsystems, Stephenson Harwood, Oxfordshire County Council, Nokia, Carillion, Laing O’Rourke, and ITG. Furthermore, it has conducted 90 workshops in 25 countries across five continents.
George Armstrong Battled Leukemia Before His Death
The Grange Hill actor died on July 11, 2023, at the age of 60 after a protracted battle with Leukemia, according to reports. It is unknown whether George Armstrong was married or had children at the time of writing.
He was first diagnosed with it in 2017 and battled it for 4 months before going into remission. Unfortunately, he relapsed in February 2019 and was brought to the hospital, where he spent months receiving care and treatment.
In December 2019, the former actor shared a message thanking his family and friends for their support since his illness. He went on to declare that he is recovering and that the fight will continue.
Armstrong became involved in cancer advocacy, awareness, and fundraising in the years preceding his death. He has taken part in several charity activities, including the Prostate Cancer UK golf half marathon challenge and the Macmillan Cancer Support Longest Day Golf Challenge.
