- Born
- Birth nameMark Alexander Newman
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Alec Newman was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
After graduating from LAMDA he became a fixture in British TV, film and theatre before landing the lead role of Paul Atreides in the Emmy award winning miniseries Dune (2000). A string of appearances on US TV and film followed. He won the coveted role of Barnabus Collins in a 2005 reboot of Dark Shadows (2005) produced by John Wells. Also for television, Frankenstein (2004) saw Newman in the title role, reunited with William Hurt as well as Donald Sutherland.
Continuing work on film included playing aspiring writer Paul in Penny Woolcock's The Principles of Lust (2003) and a supporting role in the Stephen Fry directed Bright Young Things (2003). Both played at festivals worldwide including Cannes, Sundance and LIFF. In Guy Pitt's 2014 drama Greyhawk (2014) Newman's leading performance contributed to the film's nomination for the EIFF Michael Powell award. He has since worked on film with George Clooney, Tomas Alfredson, Amma Assante and Thomas Vinterburg. With a supporting role in The Weight (2026) alongside Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, he attended the 2026 Berlinale premiere.
Series regular roles in Kurt Sutter's The Bastard Executioner (2015), Amazon's Rogue (2013) and HBO's Strike Back (2010) saw Newman exposed to international audiences in edgier often action oriented form. UK audiences will be familiar with Newman's occupancy of the Head teachers chair at Waterloo Road (2006) as Michael Byrne. More recent work on television includes Dept. Q (2025) and Kennedy for Netflix and Hijack (2023) for Apple TV.
A consistent presence on the London stage continues, with work at the National Theatre, Almeida, Hampstead and Young Vic as well as the Donmar Warehouse and Royal Shakespeare Company.
He is also a BAFTA award winning voice actor leading numerous video game titles including Still Wakes the Deep (2024) and Cyberpunk 2077 (2020).
He is a huge football fan and has indulged his love of mountains by twice trekking in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ray Jones
- SpouseHeather Stewart(? - present)
- ParentsSandy Newman
- RelativesJohn James Newman(Sibling)
- To date he is the only actor to portray Paul Atreides through his beginnings on Caladan to his becoming the Preacher in the later books.
- Brother of John James Newman.
- Considered becoming a footballer before breaking his leg playing for Wokingham Town.
- Appeared in Frank Herbert's Dune on television, and Plenty on stage in England, with Cate Blanchett. Both had previously been made as movies with Sting in a supporting role.
- His father is Sandy Newman of the Scottish band, Marmalade.
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