William John Phillips MC (20 July 1914 – 11 May 1995) was an English actor. He is known for the role of Chief Superintendent Robins in the television series ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' and for his work as a

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

stage actor.

Early life

Phillips was born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

in 1914, was educated at

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the England–Wales border, Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5 road (Great Britain), A5, A483 road, A483 and A495 road, A495 ro ...

and began his acting career at Birmingham Rep in the 1930s. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Phillips served in the

Royal Warwickshire Regiment The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...

and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

Career

Stage

His early theatre roles included the Ghost in the 1955

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

–

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work. Scofield ...

production of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' at the Phoenix Theatre; the American Ambassador in

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...

's 1957 production of '' Romanoff and Juliet''; and

Prospero Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's ''The Tempest''. Character Twelve years before the play begins, Prospero is usurped from his position as the rightful Duke of Milan by his brother Antonio, ...

in the 1959 production of

John Dryden John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration (En ...

and

William Davenant Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned bo ...

's version of ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

'', at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

. Phillips continued to work as a stage actor until his retirement in the 1980s.

Television

Phillips appeared in a number of television roles, which included: ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'' (1962), Lieutenant Colonel John Whitley in ''

Frontier A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. Australia The term "frontier" was frequently used in colonial Australia in the meaning of country that borders the unknown or uncivilised, th ...

'' (1968), Jack Frazer in ''

The Onedin Line ''The Onedin Line'' is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, nam ...

'' (1972–76), Grand Duke Nicholas in ''

Fall of Eagles Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere ...

'' (1974), Josiah Wedgewood in ''

Days of Hope ''Days of Hope'' is a BBC television drama serial produced in 1975. The series dealt with the lives of a working-class family from the turmoils of the First World War in 1916 to the General Strike in 1926. It was written by Jim Allen, produced ...

'' (1975), Naso in ''

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religi ...

'' (1977) and Dr Charles Langley-Beard in '' The Old Men at the Zoo'' (1983). His role as Chief Superintendent Robins (1962–78) in ''

'' and '' Softly, Softly'' was perhaps his most memorable.

Death

Phillips died in

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, on 11 May 1995.

Selected filmography

*1938: ''The Wooing of Anne Hathaway'' (TV Movie) *1952: ''

Angels One Five ''Angels One Five'' is a 1952 British war film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Jack Hawkins, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, John Gregson, Cyril Raymond and Veronica Hurst. Based on the book ''What Are Your Angels Now?'' by Pelham G ...

'' .... Engineer Officer *1954: ''The Monkey's Paw'' (TV Short) .... Sergeant-Major Morris *1955: ''Noah Gives Thanks'' (TV Movie) .... Mr. Pebble, Vicar of Crockitt *1955: '' The Dark Avenger'' .... Second French Knight *1955: ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' .... Norfolk *1955: ''The Vise'' (TV Series) .... Philip Twyford (uncredited) *1955-1959 '' BBC Sunday-Night Theatre'' (TV Series) .... Jacob Dillon / Colonel Davies / Escales / Chorus *1956: '' Women Without Men'' .... Male Guard at Gate (uncredited) *1956: '' Passport to Treason'' .... Police Driver (uncredited) *1956: ''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...

'' (TV Series) .... Major Du Valle *1956: ''The Black Tulip'' (TV Series) .... John de Witte *1956: ''Theatre Royal'' (TV Series) *1957: '' The Adventures of Peter Simple'' (TV Series) .... Captain Savage, RN *1957: ''Theatre Night'' (TV Series) .... Hooper Moulsworth *1957: '' Fortune Is a Woman'' .... Willis Croft *1957: '' The Shiralee'' .... Doctor *1957-1965: '' ITV Play of the Week'' (TV Series) .... John Anthony / Prime Minister / Mr. Smith / John Graham Whitfield / Cromwell / Professor Robert Linden / Judge Gaunt / General von Sauberzweig / Anthony Folland / David Crampton / Mr. Friday *1958: ''Television World Theatre'' (TV Series) .... The Mayor / Count Peter Zichy *1958: '' I Accuse!'' .... Prosecutor - Esterhazy Trial *1958: ''Doomsday for Dyson'' (TV Movie) .... General Schalz *1958: ''

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

'' .... Boat Owner Spokesman (uncredited) *1958: '' Floods of Fear'' .... Dr. Matthews *1959: ''

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode Serial (literature), serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853. The novel has many characters and several subplots, and is told partly by th ...

'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Mr. Tulkinghorn *1960: ''Saturday Playhouse'' (TV Series) .... Jeffrey Bellenger *1960: ''Somerset Maugham Hour'' (TV Series) .... Jeffrey Bellenger *1960: '' Village of the Damned'' .... General Leighton *1960: '' Follow That Horse!'' .... American Delegate (uncredited) *1960: ''

Man in the Moon In many cultures, several pareidolic images of a human face, head or body are recognized in the disc of the full moon; they are generally known as the Man in the Moon. The images are based on the appearance of the dark areas (known as lunar m ...

'' .... Professor Stephens *1960-1961: ''

'' (TV Series) .... Coyannis / Paul *1961: '' Romanoff and Juliet'' .... Hooper Moulsworth *1961: ''

One Step Beyond One Step Beyond may refer to: Music * ''One Step Beyond'' (Dungeon album) or the title song, 2004 * ''One Step Beyond'' (Jackie McLean album), 1963 * '' One Step Beyond...'', an album by Madness, or the title song (see below), 1979 * ''One Ste ...

'' (TV Series) .... Frank *1961: '' Offbeat'' *1961: '' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone'' .... Tom Stone *1961-1962: '' BBC Sunday-Night Play'' (TV Series) .... Trifonov / Prince Galitzin *1962: ''Under Western Eyes'' (TV Movie) .... Ivanovich *1962: ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'' (TV Series) .... Luther Ross *1962: ''The Hatchet Man'' (TV Movie) .... George Curnic, head of studio *1962: ''

Saki Hector Hugh Munro (18 December 1870 – 14 November 1916), popularly known by his pen name Saki and also frequently as H. H. Munro, was a British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirise Edwardian society and ...

'' (TV Series) .... Duncan Dullamy *1962: '' Man of the World'' (TV Series) .... General Montreaux *1962: '' A Prize of Arms'' .... Col. Fowler *1962: '' We Joined the Navy'' .... Rear Admiral *1962: ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' (TV Series) *1962-1978: '' Z Cars'' (TV Series) .... Asst. Chief Constable Robins *1963: ''

The Mouse on the Moon ''The Mouse on the Moon'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the sequel to ''The Mouse That Roared (film), The Mouse That Roared''. It is an adaptation of the 1962 novel ''The Mouse on the Moon (novel), The Mouse on the Moon'' by Irish author Leona ...

'' .... Bracewell - U.S. Delegate *1963: '' First Night'' (TV Series) .... Gideon Cobb *1963: '' The Sentimental Agent'' (TV Series) .... Henry Peabody Sr. *1964: ''

Becket ''Becket or The Honour of God'' (), often shortened to ''Becket'', is a 1959 stage play written in French by Jean Anouilh. It is a depiction of the conflict between Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England leading to Becket's assassination in ...

'' .... Bishop of Winchester *1964: ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Ca ...

'' (TV Series) .... George *1964: ''

Rupert of Hentzau ''Rupert of Hentzau'' is a sequel by Anthony Hope to '' The Prisoner of Zenda'', written in 1895 but not published in book form until 1898. The novel was serialized in ''The Pall Mall Magazine'' and '' McClure's Magazine'' from December 1897 ...

'' (TV Series) .... Colonel Zapt *1964: '' Smuggler's Bay'' (TV Series) .... Elzevir Block *1964-1966: ''

Sergeant Cork ''Sergeant Cork'' is a British detective television series which aired between 1963 and 1968 on ITV. It was a police procedural show that followed the efforts of two police officers and their battle against crime in Victorian London. In all 66 ...

'' (TV Series) .... Col. Haverlock / Big Ben Lewis *1965: ''Alexander Graham Bell'' (TV Series) .... Professor Bell *1965: ''Legend of Death'' (TV Series) .... Edward Gargan *1965: '' Knock on Any Door'' (TV Series) .... Robert Prettyman *1965: ''

'' (TV Series) .... Dr. Brajanska *1965: '' Joey Boy'' .... Insp. Morgan *1965-1968: ''

Theatre 625 ''Theatre 625'' is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production an ...

'' (TV Series) .... Clifford Dyke / Alfred Truelove *1965-1968: ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of United Kingdom, British television plays which ran on BBC One, BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic ...

'' (TV Series) .... Councillor Percival / Sir Gilbert Hardacre / Cardinal Runan / Forbes-Wainwright *1966: '' BBC Play of the Month'' (TV Series) .... Major General Atkins *1966: ''

Mystery and Imagination ''Mystery and Imagination'' is a British television anthology series of classic horror and supernatural dramas. Five series were broadcast from 1966 to 1970 by the ITV network and produced by ABC and (later) Thames Television. Outline The se ...

'' (TV Series) .... Colonel Gaillarde *1966-1967: ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'' (TV Series) .... Magistrate / Mr. Parry *1967: '' The Avengers'' (TV Series) .... Nesbitt *1967: '' The Mummy's Shroud'' .... Stanley Preston *1967: ''

Thirty-Minute Theatre ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' was a British anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which ...

'' (TV Series) .... Mr. Tredgold *1967: ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle th ...

'' (TV Series) .... Sir Alexander MacGown *1967: '' This Way for Murder'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Barnton *1967: ''Out of Town Theatre'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Sir Howard Price *1967: '' Torture Garden'' .... Eddie Storm (segment 2 "Terror Over Hollywood") *1968: '' Softly, Softly'' (TV Series) .... Det. Chief Supt. Robins *1968: ''

'' (TV Series) .... Lt. Col. Whitley *1968: '' The Caesars'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Piso *1969: ''W. Somerset Maugham'' (TV Series) .... Commandant *1969: ''Christ Recrucified'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Pope Grigoris *1969: ''Who-Dun-It'' (TV Series) .... Det. Insp. Hollis *1970: '' Manhunt'' (TV Series) .... Klintzch *1970: ''

Doctor in the House Doctor in the House may refer to: * Doctor in the House (novel), ''Doctor in the House'' (novel), a 1952 novel by Richard Gordon ** Doctor in the House (film), ''Doctor in the House'' (film), a 1954 British film adaptation of the novel *** Doctor i ...

'' (TV Series) .... Sir Hartley Maynard *1970: ''Confession'' (TV Series) .... Headmaster *1970: '' The Black Tulip'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Cornelius de Witt *1970: '' The Main Chance'' (TV Series) .... Arnold Bingley *1970: ''Horizon'' (TV Series documentary) .... Mr. Bidder *1970-1972: ''

Crime of Passion A crime of passion (), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger or jealousy rather than as a premeditated crime. A ...

'' (TV Series) .... Maître Lacan *1970-1980: ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'' (TV Series) .... Examining judge / Rev. Howard Whithead - Anglican Vicar *1971: '' The Persuaders'' (TV Series) .... Lanning Koestler *1972: '' Man of Straw'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Dr. Heuteufel *1972-1976: ''

'' (TV Series) .... Jack Frazer *1973: '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (TV Series) .... Professor Dyne *1973: ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Mr. Brocklehurst *1973: ''Wipers Three'' (TV Movie) .... Admiral Sir John Jellicoe *1974: '' John Halifax, Gentleman'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Abel Fletcher *1974: ''

'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Grand Duke Nicholas *1974: '' The Pallisers'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Sir Gregory Grogram *1974: ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective. He is featured in 53 short stories by English author G. K. Chesterton, published between 1910 and 1936. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and ...

'' (TV Series) .... Brander Merton *1975: ''

'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Josiah Wedgwood *1975 '' Quiller'' (TV Series) .... Henry Tulliver *1976: ''The Flight of the Heron'' (TV Series) .... Cameron of Lochiel *1977: ''

'' (TV Mini-Series) .... Naso *1977: ''Mr. Big'' (TV Series) .... Leopold Ruchworth *1977: ''

Ripping Yarns ''Ripping Yarns'' is a British television adventure comedy anthology series. It was written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame and transmitted on BBC 2. Following an initial pilot episode in January 1976, it ran for two se ...

'' (TV Series) .... Colonel Harcourt Badger Owen *1977: ''

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

'' (TV Series) .... Attorney General Graham *1977: ''

Three Dangerous Ladies ''Three Dangerous Ladies'' is a 1977 British-Canadian horror film, horror anthology film composed of three episodes of the six-part ITV Wales & West, Harlech Television and TVOntario, The Ontario Educational Communications Authority co-produced ...

'' .... Urcombe (segment "Mrs. Amworth") *1978 '' Hazell'' (TV Series) .... Det. Supt. Bull *1978: ''Mrs. Amworth'' (Short) .... Francis Urcombe *1978: '' Lillie'' (TV Mini-Series) .... W. E. Gladstone *1979: ''

Quadrophenia ''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the previous two being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, While ...

'' .... Magistrate *1983: '' Ascendancy'' .... Wintour *1983: '' The Old Men at the Zoo'' (TV Series) .... Dr. Charles Langley-Beard *1984: ''

Strangers and Brothers ''Strangers and Brothers'' is a series of novels by C. P. Snow, published between 1940 and 1970. They deal with – among other things – questions of political and personal integrity, and the mechanics of exercising power. Plot All eleve ...

'' (TV Series) .... Reggie Collingwood *1985: ''TV Eye'' (TV Series) .... Committee Member *1987: '' One by One'' (TV Series) .... Ben Friedhofer *1991: ''Merlin of the Crystal Cave'' (TV Series) *1992: '' Leon the Pig Farmer'' .... Trevor (final film role)

References

External links

*
Obituary: ''The Independent''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, John 1914 births 1995 deaths Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands English male stage actors English male television actors English male film actors English male Shakespearean actors Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers officers British Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the Military Cross 20th-century English male actors Military personnel from Birmingham, West Midlands