Dame Siân Phillips DBE CBE Hon DLitt University of Wales and an Hon Fellow of three colleges. Siân was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales in English and Philosophy. She won a scholarship to RADA and went on to win the Bancroft Gold Medal.
Siân has appeared in hundreds of plays, television programmes and films. Most notably for the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre of Wales and Frantic Assembly Awards and nominations include BAFTA, Olivier, National Television Award, TONY and Drama Desk Awards, Lifetime Achievement awards for Radio Drama and is the only person to have a BAFTA Wales award in her name.
In the theatre she has most recently been seen in the Theatre Royal Windsor's production of The Chalk Garden with Edward Fox, Jermyn Street Theatre's production of Beckett’s Rockabye And Footfalls, and the Royal National Theatre’s production of Under Milk Wood with Michael Sheen.
This year saw the launch of the documentary film ‘Dame Sian at 90’ made by Rondo Films, released in both Welsh and English. Her next play will be ‘Gustave and George’ at the Jermyn Street Theatre, and she will be on tour with Alex Jennings in ‘It’s All Greek!’ This winter she will appear in Separate Tables by Terence Rattigan which begins at the Theatre Royal Bath.
Siân has published two volumes of her autobiography to much acclaim and these were reissued in one volume in 2022. She is a patron of RAFT, Ambassador of Hospice UK, Vice-president of London Welsh Centre and a Member of the Gorsedd of Bards, she has been made a Freeman of the City of London and is a trustee of The Shaw Society. This year she was awarded the Cymmrodorion medal for the Arts.