Sally Elizabeth Phillips (born 10 May 1970)
[ is an English actress, television presenter, and comedian. She co-created and was one of the writers of the ]sketch comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...
show '' Smack the Pony''. She is also known for her roles in '' Miranda'' as Tilly, ''I'm Alan Partridge
''I'm Alan Partridge'' is a British sitcom written by Steve Coogan, Peter Baynham and Armando Iannucci. Coogan stars as Alan Partridge, a tactless and inept radio DJ and television presenter who has been left by his wife and dropped from the B ...
'' as Sophie, '' Parents'' as Jenny Pope, '' Set the Thames on Fire'' as Colette in 2015, and her guest appearances as the fictional Prime Minister of Finland
The prime minister of Finland ( fi, Suomen pääministeri; ) is the leader of the Finnish Government. The prime minister and their cabinet exercise executive authority in the state. The prime minister is formally ranked third in the protocol ...
Minna Häkkinen in the US TV series ''Veep
''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his sitcom '' The Thick of It''. The protagonist of ''Veep ...
''. Phillips also co-starred in '' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' as Mrs Bennet and in the role of Shazza in all three films of the ''Bridget Jones'' franchise.
From 2004 to 2019, Phillips played the title role in the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
comedy show '' Clare in the Community''. In 2018 she was curator for series 12 of ''The Museum of Curiosity
''The Museum of Curiosity'' is a comedy talk show on BBC Radio 4 that was first broadcast on 20 February 2008. It is hosted by John Lloyd (Professor of Ignorance at the University of Buckingham, and later at Solent University). He acts as th ...
'' on BBC Radio 4.
Early life
Phillips was born in Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
, which at the time was under British rule
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...
; her father Tim, later chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as the All England Club, based at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, England, is a private members' club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam ...
,[ was an executive with ]British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport.
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...
. In following her father's job, she grew up in the Far East, the Middle East, Italy and Australia. At the age of 13 she was sent to board at Wycombe Abbey School, where she studied for both O-Levels
The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...
and A-Levels
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational a ...
.
She then studied Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Ling ...
at New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at ...
. Whilst there she joined the Oxford Revue
The Oxford Revue is a comedy group primarily featuring students from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, England. Founded in the early 1950s, The Oxford Revue has produced many prominent comedians, actors and satirists. The Revue wr ...
, playing mostly male parts, alongside contemporaries including Stewart Lee
Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian, screenwriter, and television director. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, deadpan delivery, and consistent breaking of the fourth wall.
Lee b ...
and Richard Herring
Richard Keith Herring (born 12 July 1967) is an English stand-up comedian and writer, whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring (alongside Stewart Lee). He is described by ''The British Theatre Guide'' as "one of the lea ...
(who went on to have their own television show, '' Fist of Fun'', in which Phillips appeared as "the girl who smells of Spam
Spam may refer to:
* Spam (food), a canned pork meat product
* Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages
** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages
** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ...
"). She then co-wrote and performed the one-woman show ''Benadetta, the Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy'', based on a true story. She appeared in the 1990 Oxford Revue ''THRASH'', which also starred Ed Smith.[
After graduating with a first class degree, Phillips applied to write a ]PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...
on the Spaghetti Western
The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
, but changed her mind and ended up studying drama with the Théâtre de Complicité.[
]
Career
Phillips performed at nine consecutive Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
s, appearing in shows including ''Ra-Ra-Rasputin'', Arthur Smith's version of ''Hamlet'' (as Ophelia) and '' Cluub Zarathustra'' with Simon Munnery, Stewart Lee, Richard Thomas, Julian Barratt and Lori Lixenburg. Her first television role was in Lee and Herring's '' Fist of Fun'' in 1994, followed shortly after by a cameo in '' Alas Smith and Jones'' with Mel Smith
Melvyn Kenneth Smith (3 December 1952 – 19 July 2013) was an English comedian, actor and director. Smith worked on the sketch comedy shows ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' and ''Alas Smith and Jones'' with his comedy partner, Griff Rhys Jones. ...
. In 1995, Phillips played the role of a reporter in the unbroadcast pilot of Chris Morris's spoof series '' Brass Eye'', which at that point was called ''Torque TV'', but she did not appear in the series itself. In ''Six Pairs Of Pants'', six actors produced a number of regular sketches, which developed as the series progressed. As well as Phillips, the show featured Jessica Hynes
Tallulah Jessica Elina Hynes (''née'' Stevenson; born 30 October 1972) is an English actress, director and writer. Known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007, she was one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom ''Spac ...
, Simon Pegg
Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. H ...
, Neil Mullarkey, Katy Carmichael and Simon Schatzberger, and was written in part by Pegg, Hynes, Mullarkey and Phillips. Regular sketches included two New Zealand characters who had moved to the UK and worked behind various bars, the whole group as "Flatmates" and various spoof horror trailers. Phillips had a role as a "Travel Tavern" receptionist in ''I'm Alan Partridge
''I'm Alan Partridge'' is a British sitcom written by Steve Coogan, Peter Baynham and Armando Iannucci. Coogan stars as Alan Partridge, a tactless and inept radio DJ and television presenter who has been left by his wife and dropped from the B ...
'' (1997), and as Laura in '' Holding the Baby''. She played radio DJ Gemma White in the TV series '' In the Red''.
Phillips had a starring role in the short-lived 1999 British comedy series ''Hippies
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
'' with Simon Pegg and Julian Rhind-Tutt
Julian Alistair Rhind-Tutt (born 20 July 1967) is an English actor, best known for playing Dr "Mac" Macartney in the comedy television series ''Green Wing'' (2004–2006).
Early life
Rhind-Tutt was born in West Drayton, Middlesex, the youngest o ...
, and also co-created and wrote '' Smack the Pony'', a double Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-winning comedy show, for which she was nominated for best female newcomer at the 1999 British Comedy Awards. Phillips also featured in Eddie Izzard
Edward John Izzard (; born 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomime.
Izzard's stand- ...
's sitcom '' Cows''.
In 2001, she took the starring role in the David Nicholls series '' Rescue Me'' for BBC1. She also played cameo roles in '' Mean Machine'', ''Birthday Girl
''Birthday Girl'' is a 2001 erotic comedy thriller film directed by Jez Butterworth. The plot focuses on English bank clerk John Buckingham, who orders a Russian mail-order bride, Nadia. It becomes clear upon her arrival that Nadia cannot spea ...
'' and '' Born Romantic'' and wrote episodes for the animation '' Bob and Margaret''.
In 2003, she was listed in ''The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. She appeared in '' Bridget Jones's Diary'' as Shazza, having previously auditioned for Bridget; the character was based upon the film's director, Sharon Maguire
Sharon Maguire (born 17 August 1963) is a film director best known for directing '' Bridget Jones's Diary''. The film was based on the book by her close friend Helen Fielding, and one of the main characters – "Shazza" – is allegedly based o ...
.
In 2004, she took the title role in the BBC radio sitcom '' Clare in the Community'' which ended after 74 episodes in 2019. In August 2005, she returned to the stage after a long absence, in Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
's ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' at the Oxford Playhouse
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, North Ox ...
. In 2006, she appeared in the Australian comedy feature ''BoyTown
''BoyTown'' is a 2006 Australian comedy film, directed by Kevin Carlin and starring an ensemble cast of prominent Australian comedians, including Glenn Robbins, Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Wayne Hope and Gary Eck. It was filmed in Melbourne, Vic ...
''; on television, she appeared as Clare Winchester in the BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
science fiction comedy '' Hyperdrive''.
In the second series of ''Green Wing
''Green Wing'' is a British sitcom set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital. It was created by the same team behind the sketch show '' Smack the Pony'' – Channel 4 commissioner Caroline Leddy and producer Victoria Pile – and stars Mark H ...
'', Phillips played the character of Holly, whose appearance threatens the blossoming relationship between Mac (Julian Rhind-Tutt
Julian Alistair Rhind-Tutt (born 20 July 1967) is an English actor, best known for playing Dr "Mac" Macartney in the comedy television series ''Green Wing'' (2004–2006).
Early life
Rhind-Tutt was born in West Drayton, Middlesex, the youngest o ...
) and Caroline ( Tamsin Greig). Between 2006 and 2009, she had a recurring role in the BBC's comedy '' Jam & Jerusalem'' as Natasha "Tash" Vine, a scatterbrained New Ager.
In 2009, Phillips took the role of Tilly in '' Miranda'' as Miranda Hart
Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972) is an English actress and writer. Following drama training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Hart began writing material for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and making appearances in va ...
's character's irritating upper-class friend. The series found critical success and Phillips remained a part of the show throughout its duration, from 2009 to 2015.
She also had a guest-star part in E4's '' Skins'', series 3 playing Pandora's mother.
In 2009, Phillips won a British Film Council screenwriting competition for her film ''Fag Mountain''. Her first feature film script, ''The Decoy Bride
''The Decoy Bride'' is a 2011 British romantic comedy film written by comedian Sally Phillips and Neil Jaworski, and starring David Tennant, Alice Eve and Kelly Macdonald and set on the fictional island of Hegg, supposedly located in the Outer H ...
'', started production in spring 2010. Phillips appeared in a supporting role in the film, playing Emma, a Hollywood assistant. The film was released in February 2012, premièring first on cable television and as a digital download, and then had a limited theatrical release.
In December 2010, she appeared in the BBC1 drama '' Accidental Farmer''.
In 2012, she played the lead role in the Sky 1 comedy '' Parents'' and also appeared in the ''CBeebies
CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...
'' television series ''Justin's House''. The same year she also appeared with Justin Fletcher in the role of Mr Tumble in '' Something Special''.
She made two episodes of series 3 of the Dave Dave may refer to:
Film, television, and theater
* ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver
* ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film
* Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
maths and comedy series '' Dara Ó Briain: School of Hard Sums'' in 2014, in which she was set various maths-based physical challenges. In America, Phillips has made five appearances in the HBO comedy series ''Veep
''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his sitcom '' The Thick of It''. The protagonist of ''Veep ...
'' as Minna Häkkinen, a fictional Finnish prime minister.
In 2014, she narrated the first series of ''The Supervet
''The Supervet: Noel Fitzpatrick'' (known as ''The Supervet'' from 2014 to 2019) is a Channel 4 television series following the work of Irish veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick
Noel Fitzpatrick is an Irish veterinary surgeon, based in Eas ...
'' on Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
.
During 2015, Phillips appeared in several TV shows, notably '' House of Fools'' and '' Death in Paradise''. She has also appeared in the comedy ''Burn Burn Burn'' as Ingrid, a main character, and also the TV movie ''Distinguished Ladies'' in which she plays the lead role of Bianca.
Phillips appeared in '' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' (2016) as Mrs Bennet, and as Shazza in ''Bridget Jones's Baby
''Bridget Jones's Baby'' is a 2016 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire and written by Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer and Emma Thompson, based on the fictional columns by Fielding. It is the third film in the franchise and a sequel to t ...
''.
In 2016, she presented the one-off BBC documentary ''A World Without Down's Syndrome?'', which examined the potential impact of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).
In 2017, she competed in series 5 of '' Taskmaster'' against Bob Mortimer
Robert Renwick Mortimer (born 23 May 1959) is an English comedian, podcast presenter and actor. He is known for his work with Vic Reeves as part of their Vic and Bob comedy double act, and more recently the '' Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing ...
, Aisling Bea, Nish Kumar
Nishant Kumar (born 1985) is a British stand-up comedian and television presenter. He became known as the host of satirical comedy ''The Mash Report'', now known as ''Late Night Mash''. He has also presented BBC Radio 4 Extra's topical comedy ...
and Mark Watson
Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980) is a British comedian and novelist.
Early life
Watson was born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father. He has younger twin sisters and a brother, Paul. He attended Bristol Grammar School, ...
, finishing as runner-up to the eventual winner Mortimer. She appeared in '' All Star Musicals'' and '' Tim Vine Travels in Time'' in December 2017.
In 2018, she played the scatty new night manager Lou in '' Trollied''.
In 2020, she played The Gibby in Channel 4's sitcom ''Friday Night Dinner
''Friday Night Dinner'' is a
British television sitcom written by Robert Popper and starring Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, Simon Bird, Tom Rosenthal, and Mark Heap. The comedy is focused on the regular dinner experience of the middle-class Briti ...
''.
She was the winner of the four competitors who appeared in the special Christmas edition of '' The Great British Sewing Bee
''The Great British Sewing Bee'' is a BBC reality show that began airing on BBC Two on 2 April 2013. In the show, talented amateur sewers compete to be named "Britain's best home sewer". A spin-off of the format of ''The Great British Bake Off' ...
'' that was transmitted on New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
2020 on BBC 1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
. Her fellow competitors in the programme were Sabrina Grant, Lesley Joseph and The Vivienne.
Personal life
When appearing on the panel show '' QI'' in 2020, Phillips told the story of being hospitalised from salmonella
''Salmonella'' is a genus of rod-shaped (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two species of ''Salmonella'' are '' Salmonella enterica'' and '' Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' is the type species and is ...
in 2002 on a charity trip to Mexico. She said the illness led to a brain infection which made her body become a "micro-brewery
Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis ...
", causing neurological symptoms. Her recovery took months. In March 2022 she appeared on Mel Giedroyc's ''Unforgivable'' TV show and discussed a two-year relationship with Richard Herring
Richard Keith Herring (born 12 July 1967) is an English stand-up comedian and writer, whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring (alongside Stewart Lee). He is described by ''The British Theatre Guide'' as "one of the lea ...
in her early 20s.
Phillips is a Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
. She was married to Andrew Bermejo for 14 years and has three sons from their marriage, one with Down's syndrome. In 2017, the couple split.
Phillips is a patron of Blue Apple Theatre
Blue Apple Theatre is a theatre company based in Winchester, England. It was founded in 2005 by Jane Jessop to support the inclusion of actors with intellectual disabilities on mainstream stages. In May 2012, six Blue Apple actors toured a re-imagi ...
(Hampshire, UK) which specialises in creating performance work with adults with a learning disability.Blue Apple Theatre
/ref>
Filmography
Film
Television
Audiobooks
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Sally
1970 births
English film actresses
English stage actresses
English television actresses
English voice actresses
Living people
English women comedians
People educated at Wycombe Abbey
Alumni of New College, Oxford
20th-century English actresses
21st-century English actresses
English Christians