Born:
May 10, 1970
in
Hong Kong
Best Known For:
Smack the Pony
Early-life:
Phillips was born in Hong Kong in 1970, the daughter of Tim Phillips, the chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club who host The Championships, Wimbledon. She was educated at the private Wycombe Abbey School, in Campbell House and then graduated from New College, Oxford with a 1st class degree in Italian. Keen for a career on the stage she was involved in nine consecutive Edinburgh festivals. Her first TV role was in Lee and Herring's Fist of Fun in 1994, shortly after followed by a cameo in Alas Smith and Jones.
Career:
Her role as a receptionist in I'm Alan Partridge proved to be her big break and she was nominated for best female newcomer at the British Comedy Awards that year. She had a starring role in the short-lived 1999 British comedy series Hippies (with Simon Pegg and Julian Rhind-Tutt), and also co-created and wrote Smack the Pony, the all-female, double Emmy Award winning comedy show. She appeared in Bridget Jones's Diary as 'Shazzer', and has appeared in such success stories as Jam and Jerusalem and hit comedy Miranda.
Quote:
'Both my boys are obsessed with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and I have spawned the greatest, tiniest Dick Van Dyke impersonators of all time. Me Ol' Bamboo has to be seen to be believed.'
Trivia:
She has played the title role in Radio 4 sitcom Clare in the Community since 2004.