Kate Phillips (born 21 May 1989) is a British actress. She became famous for her role as Jane Seymour in the successful miniseries Wolf Hall (2015). She subsequently appeared in the miniseries War & Peace (2016), the first season of the television series The Crown (2016), and 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 |
| Education | University of Leeds Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Early life edit
After spending three years studying at Leeds University, Phillips secured a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.[1]
Career edit
After 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,[2] a role she had been offered whilst still studying at Guildhall.[3] There was some mild controversy following the initial airing of Wolf Hall after some historians described Phillips as 'too pretty' to play Henry VIII's third wife.[4] This criticism was disregarded by several critics who praised Phillips' performance with Screen Daily naming her as a 'Star of Tomorrow'.[5] 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.[6] In 2020 Phillips took on the lead role in the detective series Miss Scarlet and the Duke.
In 2024, Phillips launched the production company Just John Films with Rosie Day and Amber Anderson.[7]
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Aftermath | Susan | |
| 2019 | Downton Abbey | Princess Mary | |
| 2021 | Benediction | Hester |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Wolf Hall | Jane Seymour | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | War & Peace | Lise Bolkonskaya | 3 episodes |
| 2016–2022 | Peaky Blinders | Linda Shelby | Recurring role (series 3–6) |
| 2016 | The Crown | Venetia Scott | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | My Mother and Other Strangers | Tillie Zeigler | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | The Alienist | Laura Boone | Series 1, episode 3: "Silver Smile" |
| 2020–present | Miss Scarlet and The Duke | Eliza Scarlet | Series lead |
| 2020 | The English Game | Laura Lyttelton | Mini-series |
| 2022 | Atlanta | Wendy | Season 3, Episode 6: "White Fashion" |
| 2023 | Hijack | Collette | Mini-series |
| TBA | Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light | Jane Seymour | Mini-series |
References edit
- ^ "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". www.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".
- ^ 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.