Al Matthews was a UK-based American actor and singer, best known as Sergeant Apone in the 1986 movie Aliens.
Alien franchise credit[]
Apone[]
- Aliens (1986)
- Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013)
Other credits[]
- Grange Hill (1979) - Mr. Green
- Yanks (1979) - G.I. at dance
- Rough Cut (1980) - Ferguson
- BBC2 Playhouse (1980) - Oxford St. John
- The Final Conflict (1981) - Workman
- Ragtime (1981) - Maitre D'
- Shelley (1982) - Newscaster
- The Sender (1982) - Vietnam Veteran
- The Professionals (1983) - Faroud
- Superman III (1983) - Fire Chief
- Funny Money (1983) - 1st Hood
- The Comic Strip Presents... (1984) - Admiral
- The American Way (1986) - Benedict
- Aliens (1986) - Sgt. Apone
- Defence of the Realm (1986) - First U.S. Controller
- London Embassy (1987) - Uwlie Cooper
- Out of Order (1987) - U.S. DJ
Biographical information[]
Personal life[]
Matthews was born in Brooklyn New York, on November 21, 1942. Matthews has two children; Samantha and Lewis. Matthews joined the United States Marine Corps and served during the Vietnam War. While on combat duty, became the first African-American Marine to be meritoriously promoted to the rank of Sergeant (E-5).
Career life[]
He has played various movie roles, including a fire chief in Superman III, General Tudor in The Fifth Element, Master Sergeant #3 in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Gunnery Sergeant Apone in Aliens as mentioned above. He has also worked in British television and theatre, and has worked in radio, both as an actor (on BBC Radio 4) and as a presenter for BBC Radio 1 and Capital Radio. In 1975, he scored his only hit in the UK Singles Chart, "Fool" which reached number 16 in the autumn of that year.
Death[]
Al Matthews passed away on September 22, 2018 at the age of 75, having been found unresponsive by a neighbor in his Orihuela, Spain home. The cause of death has not been revealed although local reports claim Matthews had battled severe illnesses over the years.