Sian Phillips

[MTVMANN]

I only know of her through my two "A Little Night Music" recording......for the record, on the recording I liked her much better as Madame Armfeldt.

Anyways, after reading a review about a cast recording it said, "The Great Sian Phillips......" Should I know who she is? What other plays/musicals/films has she been in?

I saw once on ET that she was really good friends with Audrey Hepburn, but that's all I know about her.

Also, how do you pronounce her first name? Someone told me it sounds like "Shawn" or "Sean". Is this correct?

[BigFatBlonde]

Sian is pronounced like dawn, but with an "s"

I saw her in

A little Night Music

Marlene

Some play set in Paris that had to do with an apartment an incest.

She was great in all three.

Her Madame Armfelt was second only to Glynis Johns ( yes,she did eventually play Madame Armfelt)

[Paulyd]

You pronounce her name Sharn.

She's a great british character actress. She was in I Claudius, Tinker,Tailor,Solider,Spy and even popped up in Clash of The Titans.

She played Msrlene Dietrich in the stage musical tribute in London a few years ago, and recieved a Tony nomination in 1999 when the show played on Broadway.

[temms]

You absolutely MUST go get "I, Claudius", the 13-episode BBC Miniseries from the '70s based on the Robert Graves novel. It tells the story of the early Caesars of Rome (Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius) and is AMAZING. Sian Phillips plays Livia, the wife of Augustus, who very patiently goes about murdering everyone who stands in the way of her son gaining the throne. She is as evil a villain I've ever seen, yet you love her immensely and her eventual death is actually very moving (not really a spoiler). She's the standout in a brilliant cast.

The whole series is phenomenal - Derek Jacoby, Brian Blessed, Patrick Stewart (with a full head of hair), Patricia Quinn (Magenta from "Rocky Horror", out of that garb and looking amazingly hot), John Hurt. Everyone I've shown it to has said they'd watch one or two episodes, and wind up watching five or six in one sitting. Great writing, great acting, absolutely no production values, and it's really unmatched.

[Danielm]

She is amazing, I Claudius is probably her best TV/Movie appearance, but she's also a lot of fun in Dune.

[bob8rich]

Sian Phillips is pretty much a legend in the theatre and in televsion in the UK. She is from Wales, a contemporary of the equally legendary Richard Burton, with whom she starred back in the 1970s in a film version of Dylan Thomas' classic play, "Under Milk Wood". Her stage credits on the West End have included a stunning performance as Marlene Dietrich in "Marlene", as well as major roles in musicals such as "Peg", "Gigi", and a knock-out performance as Vera in "Pal Joey". Perhaps her most memorable TV role was as Claudius's evil mother in the 1970s epic "I, Claudius".

Oh - and, at one time, she was married to Peter O'Toole.

[EmmaT]

Loved her as Ursula Mossbank in "Goodbye Mr. Chips." I believe she was married to Peter O'Toole at the time.

[WOSQ]

She and O'Toole were well known for wearing identical outfits in their youth. Kind of in the category of 'Too Precious" if you ask me.

She stole Good-bye Mr. Chips (1969) from the rest of the cast which included O'Toole and this season was in the Paul Rudnick play at MTC, the title of which I forget.

She is also in Becket.

[Jimmcf]

She has written some incredibly fascinating autobiographies
Public Places

[MTVMANN]

Thank You all so much!!!!!!

[Glebb]

Her Marlene and Livia are tops!

[Mattbrain]

She was amazing as Livia. She also gave an amazing performance as Eleanor of Acquitaine in the 1997 miniseries adaptation of Ivanhoe and as Katerina Ivanovna in the 1970s adaptation of Crime and Punishment starring John Hurt as Rodya.

[keen on kean]

I, Claudius is so worthwhile for so many reasons, including Sian Phillips. I was one of those people who missed the original telecasts and ended up borrowing the VHS tapes from the local library and watching the entire series in four days.

[IssaMe]

She is an exceptional actress and a wonderful lady. Personally though, I didn't care for her Marlene at all - she didn't portray the Dietrich I knew and worked with...instead, she dealt too much in stereotypes, some of which were untrue. The scene of mopping the floor with a mink coat was particularly annoying. It's one thing to spread legendary rumours, but something quite else to portray them on the stage as literal truth.

Otherwise, she is amazing.