Margaret Phillips (6 July 1923 – 9 September 1984) was a Welsh-born actress who was active on Broadway from the 1940s and in television in the 1950s and 1960s.

Early life

Margaret Phillips was born at

Cwmgwrach Blaengwrach ( ; ) is a community near Glynneath and Resolven in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It is also the name of an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough, which is a larger area than the Community. The principal ...

, South Wales. She moved to the United States with her parents at age 16 and attended Walton High School, a girls' school in the Bronx."Margaret Phillips Dies at 61; Veteran Broadway Actress"
''New York Times'' (11 September 1984). She performed in summer theatre at

Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 20 ...

and trained with actor Cecil Clovelly.

Career

Margaret Phillips had a stage career lasting from the 1940s until her last appearance in 1982. In 1947, she won the

Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom. Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...

for "most promising female performer" and the

Donaldson Award The Donaldson Awards were a set of theatre awards established in 1944 by the drama critic Robert Francis in honor of W. H. Donaldson (1864–1925), the founder of ''The Billboard'' (now ''Billboard'') magazine. Categories included "best new pla ...

for her supporting work in ''

Another Part of the Forest ''Another Part of the Forest'' is a 1946 play by Lillian Hellman, a prequel to her 1939 drama '' The Little Foxes''. Plot synopsis Set in the fictional town of Bowden, Alabama, in June 1880, the plot focuses on the wealthy, ruthless, and innate ...

''. She had a supporting role in

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

's ''

Summer and Smoke ''Summer and Smoke'' is a two-part, thirteen-scene play by Tennessee Williams, completed in 1948. He began working on the play in 1945 as ''Chart of Anatomy'', derived from his short stories "Oriflamme" and the then-work-in-progress "Yellow Bir ...

'' when it opened on Broadway in 1948. In 1950 she replaced

Irene Worth Irene Worth, CBE (June 23, 1916March 10, 2002) was an American stage and screen actress who became one of the leading stars of the British and American theatre. She pronounced her given name with three syllables: "I-REE-nee". Worth made her Br ...

in ''Cocktail Party'' by T. S. Eliot.Louis Sheaffer
"Miss Phillips' Accent Returns for an English 'Cocktail Party'"
''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' (5 June 1950): 5. via

Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...

She played Titania in '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' in 1960. On screen, Phillips appeared as Ray Milland's disabled wife in ''

A Life of Her Own ''A Life of Her Own'' is a 1950 American melodrama film directed by George Cukor and starring Lana Turner and Ray Milland. The screenplay by Isobel Lennart focuses on an aspiring model who leaves her small town in the Midwest to seek fame and ...

'' (1950,

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head ...

, director), and in '' The Nun's Story'' (1959) with Audrey Hepburn, among other films. Phillips had a busy television career in the 1950s, with credits in ''

NBC Matinee Theater ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. E ...

'' and a 1950 production of ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' for NBC. She played one of the King's daughters in a live 1953 television production of ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'' starring

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

and staged by

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 Sha ...

. In 1959, she starred in an episode of '' Rawhide'' titled "Incident of the Dust Flower." In 1960, she starred in an episode of '' Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond'' titled "Call from Tomorrow." Phillips was in the first membership class of the Actors Studio, along with Marlon Brando,

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

Maureen Stapleton Lois Maureen Stapleton (June 21, 1925 – March 13, 2006) was an American actress. She received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, in addition to ...

, and many other notable actors.Dick Kleiner
"The Actors Studio: Making Stars out of the Unknown"
''Sarasota Journal'' (21 December 1956): 26.

Personal life

She died from cancer in New York City, in 1984, age 61.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Margaret 1923 births 1984 deaths American stage actresses American film actresses American television actresses 20th-century American actresses British emigrants to the United States People from Neath Port Talbot Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Actors Studio alumni