Quick Facts
Born:
1933-05-14
Birthplace:
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Glamorgan, Wales
Credits:
117 Total Roles
Siân Phillips
Acting
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Biography
Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips DBE (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips, is a Welsh actress, author and singer.
Phillips was the daughter of Sally (née Thomas), a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman. She is a Welsh-speaker and in the first volume of her autobiography, "Private Faces", she notes that she spoke only Welsh for much of her childhood, learning English by listening to the radio.
She attended Pontardawe Grammar School and later read English and Philosophy at University College Cardiff, graduating in 1955. She entered RADA in LOndon, England with a scholarship in September 1955, the same year as Diana Rigg and Glenda Jackson. She went on to win the prestigious Bancroft Gold Medal for Hedda Gabler and was offered work in Hollywood when she left RADA. While still a student she was offered three film contracts, entailing her to work for an extended period of time in the United States; but she declined, preferring to work on stage instead.
Phillips was the daughter of Sally (née Thomas), a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman. She is a Welsh-speaker and in the first volume of her autobiography, "Private Faces", she notes that she spoke only Welsh for much of her childhood, learning English by listening to the radio.
She attended Pontardawe Grammar School and later read English and Philosophy at University College Cardiff, graduating in 1955. She entered RADA in LOndon, England with a scholarship in September 1955, the same year as Diana Rigg and Glenda Jackson. She went on to win the prestigious Bancroft Gold Medal for Hedda Gabler and was offered work in Hollywood when she left RADA. While still a student she was offered three film contracts, entailing her to work for an extended period of time in the United States; but she declined, preferring to work on stage instead.
Known For
Dune
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
Good Omens
Mr. Henderson
The Age of Innocence
Mrs. Archer
The Longest Day
WRNS Officer (uncredited)
Clash of the Titans
Cassiopeia
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Mrs. Laura Upward
Midsomer Murders
Lady Annabel Butler
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Charal
Full Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Richard Burton: Wild Genius MOVIE | Self |
| 2024 | Emperor: Rise & Fall of a Dynasty TV | Narrator |
| 2024 | Apple Cider Vinegar MOVIE | Voice |
| 2024 | Alec Guinness: A Class Act MOVIE | self |
| 2024 | Doctor Who TV | Enid Meadows |
| 2023 | Siân Phillips at 90 MOVIE | Self |
| 2022 | Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba MOVIE | Self |
| 2022 | Remembers… TV | Self |
| 2022 | Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends MOVIE | Self |
| 2022 | The Chelsea Detective TV | Grandma Dix |