Alexander Basil Matthews (November 21, 1942 â€" September 22, 2018)
was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearance as
Gunnery Sergeant Apone in the James Cameron film Aliens (1986). He
reprised his role 27 years later, providing the voice of Apone for the
video game Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013). Matthews' portrayal of
Apone was the inspiration for Sgt. Avery Johnson of the Halo
franchise.Matthews was a member of the United States Marine Corps who
graduated at Parris Island on 25 May 1966, and served during the
Vietnam War. On his website, he stated:Matthews played various acting
roles, such as Ferguson in Rough Cut (1980), a workman in Omen III:
The Final Conflict (1981), a Vietnam veteran in The Sender (1982), a
fire chief in Superman III (1983), Benedict in The American Way
(1986), General Tudor in The Fifth Element (1997) and Master Sergeant
#3 in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). He also worked in British
television, appearing in Grange Hill as Sam Green, the father of Benny
Green, as well as in theater and radio; for the latter, as both an
actor (on BBC Radio 4) and a presenter (on BBC Radio 1 and Capital
Radio). In 1975, he scored a musical hit in the UK Singles Chart,
"Fool", which reached number 16 in the fall of that year.On September
22, 2018, Matthews was found unresponsive by a neighbor in his
Orihuela, Spain home. He was later pronounced dead at age 75. Local
reports claim he had battled severe illnesses over the years.
was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearance as
Gunnery Sergeant Apone in the James Cameron film Aliens (1986). He
reprised his role 27 years later, providing the voice of Apone for the
video game Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013). Matthews' portrayal of
Apone was the inspiration for Sgt. Avery Johnson of the Halo
franchise.Matthews was a member of the United States Marine Corps who
graduated at Parris Island on 25 May 1966, and served during the
Vietnam War. On his website, he stated:Matthews played various acting
roles, such as Ferguson in Rough Cut (1980), a workman in Omen III:
The Final Conflict (1981), a Vietnam veteran in The Sender (1982), a
fire chief in Superman III (1983), Benedict in The American Way
(1986), General Tudor in The Fifth Element (1997) and Master Sergeant
#3 in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). He also worked in British
television, appearing in Grange Hill as Sam Green, the father of Benny
Green, as well as in theater and radio; for the latter, as both an
actor (on BBC Radio 4) and a presenter (on BBC Radio 1 and Capital
Radio). In 1975, he scored a musical hit in the UK Singles Chart,
"Fool", which reached number 16 in the fall of that year.On September
22, 2018, Matthews was found unresponsive by a neighbor in his
Orihuela, Spain home. He was later pronounced dead at age 75. Local
reports claim he had battled severe illnesses over the years.
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