Kate Phillips (born 21 May 1989) is a British actress. She became known for her role as Jane Seymour in the miniseries Wolf Hall (2015). She subsequently appeared in the miniseries War & Peace (2016), the first season of the television series The Crown (2016), and the last three seasons of the television series Peaky Blinders (2016–2022). In 2019, she appeared as Princess Mary in the film Downton Abbey. Since 2020, she has appeared as Eliza Scarlet, the series lead, in the Victorian era crime drama, Miss Scarlet and The Duke.
Kate Phillips | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 May 1989 England |
| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Partner | Oliver Chris |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
editUntil she was nine, Phillips grew up in South West London, but moved with her family to Nottinghamshire, then to Bristol.[1] After spending three years studying at Leeds University, Phillips secured a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.[2]
Career
editAfter graduating from drama school, Phillips returned to Leeds to appear as Abigail Williams in The Crucible at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. By this time she had already filmed her scenes for the BBC's adaptation of Wolf Hall in which she played Jane Seymour,[3] a role she had been offered whilst still studying at Guildhall.[4] There was mild controversy following the initial airing of Wolf Hall after some historians described Phillips as 'too pretty' to play Henry VIII's third wife.[5] This criticism was disregarded by several critics who praised Phillips' performance with Screen Daily naming her as a 'Star of Tomorrow'.[6] She went on to secure roles in War & Peace, Peaky Blinders and The Crown.
An August 2018 announcement indicated that Phillips would be among the new cast to join the original actors in the feature film Downton Abbey which started principal photography at about the same time.[7] In 2020, Phillips took on the lead role in the detective series Miss Scarlet and The Duke.[8]
In 2024, Phillips launched the production company Just John Films with Rosie Day and Amber Anderson.[9]
Personal life
editPhillips is the partner of actor Oliver Chris and they have a daughter.[10]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Little Stranger | Diana Baker-Hyde | |
| 2019 | The Aftermath | Susan | |
| Downton Abbey | Princess Mary | ||
| 2021 | Benediction | Hester | |
| TBA | The Yellow Tie | Ioana Celibidache | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Wolf Hall | Jane Seymour | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | War & Peace | Lise Bolkonskaya | 3 episodes |
| The Crown | Venetia Scott | 3 episodes | |
| My Mother and Other Strangers | Tillie Zeigler | 3 episodes | |
| 2016–2022 | Peaky Blinders | Linda Shelby | Recurring role (series 3); main role (series 4–6) |
| 2018 | The Alienist | Laura Boone | Episode: "Silver Smile" |
| 2020 | The English Game | Laura Lyttelton | 5 episodes |
| 2020–present | Miss Scarlet and The Duke | Eliza Scarlet | Series lead |
| 2022 | Atlanta | Wendy | Episode: "White Fashion" |
| 2023 | Hijack | Collette | 7 episodes |
| 2024 | Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light | Jane Seymour | Miniseries |
References
edit- ^ Taylor, Mike. "Wolf Hall star Kate Phillip's life off-screen from new production firm to family home". uk.news.yahoo.com. Yahoo! News. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Guildhall School of Music & Drama - Kate Phillips". Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips) – Who are the royal subjects? – Wolf Hall – BBC Two".
- ^ "How I stepped out next to Damian Lewis". yorkshirepost.co.uk.
- ^ Lawson, Mark. "Why historical inaccuracies in Wolf Hall don't matter".
- ^ Halligan, Fionnuala. "Kate Phillips, UK Stars of Tomorrow 2014".
- ^ McNary, Dave (30 August 2018). "Imelda Staunton, Geraldine James Join 'Downton Abbey' Movie".
- ^ White, Peter (2 December 2019). "'Miss Scarlet & The Duke': PBS Boards A+E Networks International's Period Drama Co-Pro". Deadline Hollywood. Deadline. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Yossman, KJ (20 February 2024). "Actors Kate Phillips, Amber Anderson and Rosie Day Launch Production Banner Just John Films (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ Morris, Nicky. "Wolf Hall star Kate Phillips' very private family life with famous partner". hellomagazine.com. Hello!. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
