John Phillips (actor)
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| John Phillips | |
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| Born | William John Phillips 20 July 1914 Birmingham, West Midlands, England |
| Died | 11 May 1995 (aged 80) Oswestry, Shropshire, England |
William John Phillips MC, (20 July 1914 - 11 May 1995) was a British actor. He is best remembered for his role as Chief Superintendent Robins in the television series Z-Cars and for his work as a Shakespearean stage actor.
Phillips was born in Birmingham in 1914, and began his acting career at Birmingham Rep in the 1930s. During World War II, Phillips served in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was awarded the Military Cross.
His early theatre roles included the Ghost in the 1955 Peter Brook – Paul Scofield production of Hamlet at the Phoenix Theatre; the American Ambassador in Peter Ustinov's 1957 production of Romanoff and Juliet; and Prospero in the 1959 production of John Dryden and William Davenant's version of The Tempest, at the Old Vic. Phillips continued to work as a stage actor until his retirement in the 1980s.
Phillips appeared in a number of film and television roles during the 1960s and 70s, which included Lieutenant Colonel John Whitley in Frontier (1968), Jack Frazer in The Onedin Line (1972-1976), Grand Duke Nicholas in the Fall of Eagles (1974), and Naso in Jesus of Nazareth (1977). His role as Chief Superintendent Robins (1962-1978) in Z-Cars and Softly, Softly was perhaps his most memorable.
Phillips died at Oswestry, Shropshire on 11 May 1995.
