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Al Matthews

Al Matthews built a career that crossed music, film, television, theatre and radio, but for many movie fans, one performance stands at the centre of it: Sergeant Apone in Aliens. Matthews gave the 1986 film a commanding presence shaped by more than acting alone. Before entering entertainment, he had served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, graduating at Parris Island in 1966. Born in Brooklyn on November 21, 1942, Matthews first found notable success as a singer. His single “Fool” reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in 1975, and he continued recording with releases including “It’s Only Love” in 1977 and “People Are People” in 1978. That musical background became one part of an unusually varied working life rather than a separate chapter left behind. His screen credits stretched from Rough Cut and Omen III: The Final Conflict to The Sender and Superman III. In 1986, the same year he played Apone, he appeared as Benedict in The American Way. Later film roles included General Tudor in The Fifth Element and Master Sergeant #3 in Tomorrow Never Dies, both released in 1997. Matthews was also active in British television, playing Sam Green, the father of Benny Green, in Grange Hill. Away from the screen, he worked in theatre and on radio, acting for BBC Radio 4 and presenting on BBC Radio 1 and Capital Radio. He also worked as a voice actor, returning to Sergeant Apone 27 years after Aliens for the 2013 video game Aliens: Colonial Marines. Matthews died in 2018, leaving behind a body of work spread across several corners of entertainment. His career did not follow a single lane, moving instead between records, broadcasting and genre movies with the ease of a seasoned performer.