Sian Phillips
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Phillips was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's birthday honors in June 2000.
"I have always lived in houses full of things but I don't collect possessions any more. After my marriage to O'Toole broke up, I started off without a teaspoon. I am a working woman. I didn't see why anyone should subsidise [sic] me." --Sian Phillips quoted in Saga magazine, August 1997.
Biography
This slender, willowy actress with hooded eyes and chiseled cheekbones has demonstrated her versatility in roles ranging from the bon vivant of Herbert Ross' musical remake of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969) to the bloodthirsty Livia in "I, Claudius" (BBC, 1976) to impersonating screen legend Marlene Dietrich on stage in the 1990s. Sian Phillips began her career as a child performer on the radio in her native Wales. She also did a stint as an announcer and newsreader in her early 20s before concentrating on an acting career. Almost from the outset of her stage work, she was landing major roles, whether it be playing Shaw's "Saint Joan" in repertory or debuting in the West End as "Hedda Gabler." Since the late 50s, Phillips has amassed an impressive resume, generally earning strong reviews for her performances.
In 1959, Phillips wed the tempestuous Irish actor Peter O'Toole and over the course of their 20-year union, the pair frequently collaborated. They starred as illicit lovers in the BBC production "Siwan" (1960) and acted alongside one another in four films, most notably "Becket" (1964), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and "Under Milk Wood" (1971). While her feature career lay dormant throughout the 70s, the small screen offered this marvelous character player several excellent roles. Phillips excelled as the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in the acclaimed BBC drama "Shoulder to Shoulder" (1974) and won BAFTA Awards for her turns as the matriarch of a Welsh mining family in the series adaptation of "How Green Was My Valley" (BBC, 1975) and as a power-hungry Roman Empress in "I, Claudius." As the 80s dawned, Phillips teamed with Alec Guinness for adaptations of John le Carre's spy novels "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (PBS, 1980) and "Smiley's People" (syndicated, 1982). Simultaneously, she revived her feature career offering nice turns often in material that was subpar (i.e., "Clash of the Titans" 1981). Occasionally, juicier roles, like Madame de Volanges in Milos Forman's "Valmont" (1989) or Mrs. Archer in Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence" (1993) reminded all of what this actress was capable.
In 1980, Phillips undertook her first stage musical role, that of Vera, in a London revival of "Pal Joey" and a new chapter in her career was born. In addition to appearing in classic roles like "Major Barbara" and "Ghosts," she alternated parts in musicals like "Gigi" and "A Little Night Music." Both aspects of her career dovetailed in "Marlene," her superb impersonation of the Teutonic movie legend. The first half of the show was a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for one of the legendary concerts Dietrich gave late in her life, while the second act was a recreation of said concert. When the show opened in 1997 in London, it was a resounding success. A 1999 Broadway staging met a less receptive response, but Phillips justly received a Tony Award nomination for her performance.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1953
Worked as a newsreader and announcer for the BBC
1958
Played title role of "Saint Joan" in Covington
1959
Made London stage debut as "Hedda Gabler"
1960
Starred opposite Peter O'Toole in "Siwan", a BBC production about the arranged marriage between the title character, the daughter of King John and a Welsh prince
1962
Film debut in small role in "The Longest Day"
1964
Appeared as Hannah Jelkes in the London production of Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana"
1964
Had co-starring role in "Becket", starring then-husband Peter O'Toole; first of four films together
1967
Played another Williams' heroine, Alma, in "Eccentricities of a Nightingale"
1969
Received widespread attention for her theatrical performance in the musical remake of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", starring O'Toole and directed by Herbert Ross
1971
Final film with O'Toole, "Under Milk Wood"; last film for nine years
1973
Portrayed Virgina Woolf in the stage production, "A Nightingale in Bloomsbury Square"
1974
Starred as suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in the BBC series "Shoulder to Shoulder" (aired in the USA on PBS in 1975)
1976
Offered a delectable turn as the evil Livia in the BBC production of "I, Claudius"
1978
Starred in the British TV series "Warrior Queen" (Thames Television)
1979
First played Ann Smiley opposite Alec Guiness in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (aired on PBS in the USA in 1980)
1980
Made stage singing debut starring as Vera in the London revival of the musical "Pal Joey"
1980
Returned to film acting in Herbert Ross' feature biopic "Nijinsky"
1981
Cast as Clementine Churchill opposite Robert Hardy in "Winston Churchill--The Wilderness Years"
1982
Reprised Ann Smiley in the syndicated "Smiley's People"
1984
Played Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam in "Dune"
1985
Appeared in the London production of the stage adaptation of the musical "Gigi"
1987
Portrayed the Duchess of Windsor in the NBC miniseries "The Two Mrs Grenvilles"
1989
Essayed the mother or Fairuza Balk's Cecile in "Valmont", Milos Forman's adaptation of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"
1993
Played Daniel Day-Lewis' mother in "The Age of Innocence"
1993
Appeared as the title character's grandmother in "Heidi" (The Disney Channel)
1993
Initial collaborations with playwright Pam Gems (as translator/adaptor) and director Sean Mathias, "Ghosts"
1994
First portrayed screen legend Marlene Dietrich for two nights in the musical play "Marlene"; written by Gems and directed by Mathias
1995
Returned to Broadway as star of the award-winning revival of "An Inspector Calls"
1996
Portrayed Madame Armfeldt in a stage revival of "A Little Night Music", starring Judi Dench and staged by Mathias
1997
Delivered a mememorable performance as Queen Eleanor in the A&E miniseries "Ivanhoe"
1998
Played the Red Queen in the Channel Four adaptation of "Alice Through the Looking Glass", starring Kate Beckinsale
1999
Had supporting role in the BBC-1 series "Aristocrats"
1999
Starred in the short-lived Broadway production of "Marlene"; received a Tony Award nomination
2002
Starred in L.A. stage production "My Old Lady"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Promo
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Phillips was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's birthday honors in June 2000.
"I have always lived in houses full of things but I don't collect possessions any more. After my marriage to O'Toole broke up, I started off without a teaspoon. I am a working woman. I didn't see why anyone should subsidise [sic] me." --Sian Phillips quoted in Saga magazine, August 1997.
"For me, marriage should come with a government health warning. I get boils and eczema. I never feel well, and then I feel absolutely marvellous as soon as I am on my own again." --Sian Phillips to The Daily Telegraph, June 22, 2000.
