John Phillips (actor)


William John Phillips MC was an English actor. He is known for the role of Chief Superintendent Robins in the television series Z-Cars and for his work as a Shakespearean stage actor.

Early life

Phillips was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire in 1914, and began his acting career at Birmingham Rep in the 1930s. During the Second World War, Phillips served in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was awarded the Military Cross.

Career

Stage

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.

Television

Phillips appeared in a number of television roles, which included: Danger Man, Lieutenant Colonel John Whitley in Frontier, Jack Frazer in The Onedin Line, Grand Duke Nicholas in Fall of Eagles, Josiah Wedgewood in Days of Hope, Naso in Jesus of Nazareth and Dr Charles Langley-Beard in The Old Men at the Zoo. His role as Chief Superintendent Robins in Z-Cars and Softly, Softly was perhaps his most memorable.

Death

Phillips died at Oswestry, Shropshire on 11 May 1995.

Selected filmography