Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Wales. Her early career consisted primarily of stage roles, including the title roles in

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

's '' Hedda Gabler'' and

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's '' Saint Joan.'' In the 1960s, she started taking on more roles in television and film. She is particularly known for her performance as

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC AD 29) was List of Roman and Byzantine empresses, Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption ...

in the 1976

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television series '' I, Claudius,'' for which she was awarded a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

and a

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

award. She was nominated for a Tony Award and Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

in '' Marlene''.

Early life

Phillips was born on 14 May 1933 in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Glamorgan, South Wales, the daughter of Sally (''née'' Thomas), a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker who became a policeman. She is a Welsh-speaker: in the first volume of her autobiography ''Private Faces'' (1999) she notes that she spoke only Welsh for much of her childhood, learning English by listening to the radio."Sian Phillips" BBC:Wales Arts at www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2011. Phillips attended

Pontardawe Pontardawe () is a town and a community (Wales), community in the lower Swansea Valley (). it had a population of approximately 7,172 in the 2021 Census for Pontardawe Parish, and forms part of the county borough of Neath Port Talbot. On the opp ...

Grammar School and originally was known there as Jane, but her Welsh teacher called her Siân, the Welsh form of Jane."Sian Phillips: Stage and Screen Actress" at www.terrynorm.ic24.net. Retrieved 12 December 2011. Later she read English and Philosophy at University College Cardiff. Phillips graduated from the University of Wales in 1955. She entered

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

with a scholarship in September 1955, the same year as

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

and

Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (9 May 1936 – 15 June 2023) was an English actress and politician. Over the course of her distinguished career she received List of awards and nominations received by Glenda Jackson, numerous accolades including two Academy ...

."Sian Phillips" in Turner Classic Movies at www.tcm.com. Retrieved 13 December 2011 She won the Bancroft Gold Medal for '' Hedda Gabler'' and was offered work in Hollywood when she left RADA."Phillips, Siân (1933–)" in BFI Screenonline at www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2011. While still a student, she was offered three film contracts to work for an extended period of time in the United States, but she declined, preferring to work on stage."Wales Video Gallery: Sian Phillips" (video interview) at alesvideogallery.orgRetrieved 18 December 2011.

Career

Early career

Phillips began acting professionally at the age of 11 with the Home Service of BBC Radio in Wales. At the same age she won her first speech-and-drama award for her performance at the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

held at Llandybïe in 1944, where she and a school friend played the parts of two elderly men in a dramatic duologue. She made her first British television appearance at 17 and won a Welsh acting award at 18. In 1953, while still a student at University College, Cardiff she worked as a newsreader and announcer for the BBC in Wales and toured Wales in Welsh-language productions of the Welsh Arts Council. From 1953 to 1955, Phillips was a member of the BBC Repertory Company and the National Theatre Company and toured Wales performing Welsh and English plays for the Welsh Arts Council. For the Nottingham Playhouse in 1958, she was Masha in ''Three Sisters''. She performed as Princess Siwan in

Saunders Lewis Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis; 15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. Born into a Welsh-speaking ministerial family in Greater Liverpool, Lewis studied in a p ...

's '' The King's Daughter'' at the

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

Theatre Club in 1959 and as Katherine in ''

Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a Frame story, framing device, often referred to as the Induction (play), inducti ...

'' for the

Oxford Playhouse The Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F. G. M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road (Oxford), W ...

in 1960. She was Princess Siwan again in the BBC's production of ''Siwan: The King's Daughter'' alongside Peter O'Toole with Emyr Humphrys as producer. It was broadcast on BBC One (Wales only) on 1 March 1960. From October 1958 to April 1959, she was compere of the ''Land of Song'' (''Gwlad y Gân'') monthly programme at TWW (Television Wales and the West) Channel 10 with baritone Ivor Emmanuel. She made her first appearance on the London stage in 1957 when she appeared in

Hermann Sudermann Hermann Sudermann (30 September 1857 – 21 November 1928) was a German dramatist and novelist. Life Early career Sudermann was born at Matzicken, a village to the east of Heydekrug in the Province of Prussia (now Macikai, in southwestern ...

's ''Magda'' for RADA. ''Magda'', about an opera diva, was her first real success in London. The play did well and benefited her career greatly; although she was only a student at the time, she was the first since

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...

to play the role. In 1957, Phillips performed the title role in Ibsen's ''Hedda Gabler''."V&A Search the Collections: Sian Phillips in The Holiday" at collections.vam.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2011. West End opening at The Duke of York's Theatre, December 3, 1957, with Fredrik Ohlsson as ''Tesman.'' They also performed at Det Nye Teatret in Oslo and at The Vanbrugh,

. Many sources consider this her London stage debut but she actually did ''Magda'' before ''Hedda Gabler''. In September 1958, she was performing as Margaret Muir in John Hall's ''The Holiday'' at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

New Theatre. In May 1958, Phillips performed as Joan in a production of Shaw's '' Saint Joan'' by Bryan Bailey, at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, which had opened just six weeks before. An observer described her performance: "Sian Phillips' portrayal of Joan defies the law of averages, since, after seeing Siobhan McKenna in the 1955 Arts Theatre production, I reckoned it impossible to equal within half a century. Like the Irish girl, the Welsh girl is perfect.... 'This girl doesn't act Joan – she is Joan.' In short, perfection." She was Julia in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1960–1961 version of ''

The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...

''. Her Royal Shakespeare Company performances are: *Julia in ''The Duchess of Malfi'': at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (Stratford, 30 November 1960, opening night). *Julia in ''The Duchess of Malfi'': at the Aldwych Theatre (London, 15 December 1960, opening night) *Bertha in '' Ondine'': at the Aldwych Theatre (London, 12 January 1961, opening night) * Miss Havisham in ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...

'': at Royal Shakespeare Company (Stratford, 6 December 2005).

Later film and television

Her long career has included many films and television programmes, but she is perhaps best known for starring as

in the popular

adaptation of

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, soldier, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were b ...

's novel '' I, Claudius'' (

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

, 1976), for which she won the 1977 BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress, and for many appearances on the original run of '' Call My Bluff''. She also appeared opposite her then-husband Peter O'Toole and

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

in ''Becket'' (1964); as Ursula Mossbank in the musical film '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1969), again starring O'Toole; once more opposite O'Toole in '' Murphy's War'' (1971); as

Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst (; Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was a British political activist who organised the British suffragette movement and helped women to win in 1918 the women's suffrage, right to vote in United Kingdom of Great Brita ...

in the TV mini-series '' Shoulder to Shoulder'' (1974); as Clementine Churchill in Southern Television's '' Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years'' (1981) starring

Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Siegf ...

; as Lady Ann, the unfaithful wife of

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

's character George Smiley, in the

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...

dramas '' Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' (1979) and '' Smiley's People'' (1982), adapted from

John le Carré David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. A "sophist ...

's eponymous novels; in '' Nijinsky'' (1980); and as the queen Cassiopeia in '' Clash of the Titans'' (1981). Another popular role was that of the Reverend Mother

Gaius Helen Mohiam Gaius Helen Mohiam is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. She is a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, and initially appears in the 1963–65 novel ''Dune'' and its 1969 sequel, '' Dune Messiah''. Mohiam also has ...

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

's ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

'' (1984) and Charal from '' Ewoks: The Battle for Endor'' (1985). She also appeared in seasons 2 and 4 (1998 and 2000) of the Canadian TV series '' La Femme Nikita'' as Adrian, the renegade founder of the powerful Section One anti-terrorist organisation. In 2001, she appeared as herself in '' Lily Savage's Blankety Blank''. and in '' Ballykissangel'' as faith healer Consuela Dunphy in Episode 7 ('One Born Every Minute' or 'Getting Better All the Time'). Her most recent film is ''

The Gigolos ''The Gigolos'' is a 2005 British comedy film directed by Richard Bracewell, starring Sacha Tarter, Trevor Sather and Ben Willbond alongside Susannah York, Anna Massey, Angela Pleasence and Siân Phillips. Bracewell's debut feature, ''Th ...

'' (2006) by Richard Bracewell, in which she played Lady James. In 2010, she appeared in ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall (until its final year, when it was handled by Headstrong Pictures), and broadcast on BBC On ...

'' in the episode "Coming out Ball" and in 2011 she appeared in the episode "Wild Justice" in the fifth season of the television series '' Lewis''. In 2017, she played Lady Yvette Bristow in the TV series ''

Strike Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) * Hobart Huson, author of several drug related books Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm * Airstrike, ...

''. In 2022, she appeared in the series '' McDonald & Dodds''. In 2024, Phillips portrayed Enid Meadows in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' episode " 73 Yards".

Other work

Phillips's West End credits include '' Marlene'' (in which she portrayed

), '' Pal Joey'', '' Gigi'' and '' A Little Night Music''. She has also appeared on the American stage in ''Marlene''. Her National Theatre performances have included playing the roles of Lady Britomart in ''

Major Barbara ''Major Barbara'' is a three-act English play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907. The story concerns an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who is engaged in helping the poor as a Major in ...

'' at the Lyttelton Theatre (18 October 1982, opening night); Madam Armfeldt in '' A Little Night Music'' at the Olivier Theatre (18 September 1995, opening night); Hope in ''In Bed With Magritte'' (1 December 1995, opening night); and Madame Neilsen in " Les Blancs" at the Olivier Theatre in 2016. She provided spoken-word backing to a track on

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded eleven studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical opera ...

's 2007 album '' Release the Stars'' and appeared live with him at the Old Vic Theatre in London on 31 May/1 June 2007. In 2009 Phillips starred in London's West End production of '' Calendar Girls''. Phillips played Juliet opposite Michael Byrne's Romeo in ''Juliet and her Romeo'' at the

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...

from 10 March to 24 April 2010. In January 2011, she appeared in a new cabaret show, ''Crossing Borders'', at

Wilton's Music Hall Wilton's Music Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Shadwell, built as a music hall and now run as a multi-arts performance space in Graces Alley, off Cable Street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is one of very few surviving music ...

in London. One review said: "Her cabaret shows are always of the more traditional type. She's had a long and very impressive career, and her show followed its progression, with backstage anecdotes about the people she's met and worked with along the way. It may not be edgy, but it's a truly delightful evening, by a truly delightful performer, in a truly delightful venue." In 2015, she played the lead character Fania Fénelon in the

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

stage version of '' Playing for Time'' at

Sheffield Theatres Sheffield Theatres is a theatre complex in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It comprises four theatres: the Crucible, the Lyceum, the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, and (as of January 2025) the Montgomery Theatre. These theatres make up ...

. In 2024, Phillips reflected on her life and career, for the first time, in ''Siân Phillips at 90'', broadcast on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

on 1 March. The documentary includes Philips recounting, with candour, the difficulties in the later part of her marriage to O'Toole, which culminated in the ultimatum that she should leave the family home, without their two children, within the space of four hours.

Awards and nominations

In January 2018, Phillips was recognised for her career spanning more than 70 years at the

BBC Audio Drama Awards The BBC Audio Drama Awards is an awards ceremony created by BBC Radio to recognise excellence in the radio industry, in particular in Radio drama, audio dramas. The inaugural awards were presented in 2012 and the ceremony hosted at the BBC Radio ...

, and was given a Radio Lifetime Achievement Award.

Honours

Phillips was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the 2000 Birthday Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to drama. Since 2005, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Cymru (BAFTA in Wales) has presented the Tlws Sian Phillips Award to a Welshman or woman who has made a significant contribution in either a major feature film or network television programme. In 2024, she and

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

became the first female members of the Garrick Club.

Personal life

Phillips's first husband was Donald Roy, a post-graduate student at the University of Wales, who later established the Drama Department at the

University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hu ...

and after whom the University Theatre is named. They were married in 1956 and divorced in 1959."When the magic wore off"
''The Observer'', 29 July 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Already pregnant with their first child, Phillips married Peter O'Toole in December 1959. They had two daughters, including Kate O'Toole. The couple divorced in 1979, and Phillips wrote about this tempestuous period of her life in ''Public Places'', the second volume of her autobiography. Her third husband was actor Robin Sachs, who was 17 years her junior. Their relationship began in 1975. They were married on Christmas Eve 1979, shortly after her divorce from O'Toole. Phillips and Sachs divorced in 1991. Her great aunt was the Welsh evangelist Rosina Davies. She is a patron of the Bird College of Dance, Music & Theatre Performance, based in Sidcup, Greater London. Her two volumes of autobiography – ''Private Faces'' and ''Public Places'' – were published in 1999 and 2001, respectively.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links

*
Siân Phillips
at Mario Huet's web site (Wayback Machine Archive)

Ammanford Web Site * at the Wales Video Gallery: this video interview was conducted shortly after Phillips performed in Israel Horovitz's ''My Old Lady'', where she played the 94-year-old Mathilde Giffard. The play opened at the Promenade Theatre on Broadway in October 2002. {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Sian 1933 births Living people 20th-century Welsh actresses 21st-century Welsh actresses Actresses awarded damehoods Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Royal Shakespeare Company members British film actresses Welsh stage actresses British television actresses Welsh video game actresses Welsh-speaking actors People from Neath Port Talbot Alumni of Cardiff University