Sally Phillips

Sally Phillips is a British comic actress and writer.

Listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy (2003), she is instantly recognisable as one of the four female writers and performers behind Channel 4’s award-winning comedy sketch show, Smack the Pony, which ran for four years from 1999, and won an Emmy Award for the Best Popular Arts Show (‘99 and ’00). Sally was also nominated for Best Comedy Female Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards for her role on the show.

Her intelligence, talent, and razor-sharp wit make Sally perfect for a range of corporate events. She hosted the glittering Professional Beauty Awards with the perfect combination of humour and glamour. She has also fronted a corporate DVD for a Video Arts presentation skills programme, hosted the BMJ Improving Health Awards, and featured in a Post Office Travel Money Card radio campaign.

In addition to her famed role in Smack the Pony, Sally’s numerous other TV roles include playing Tilly, Miranda Hart’s irritating upper-class friend, in the hit series Miranda, a guest star part in the E4 drama Skins (series 3) playing Pandora's mother, the role of Clare Winchester in the BBC 2 sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive , playing Tash Vine in the BBC 1 comedy, Jam and Jerusalem, written by Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, and starring in the David Nicholl's comedy drama series Rescue Me for BBC 1.

Sally has played the eponymous character Claire in Radio 4's sitcom, Clare in the Community, since 2004. The first series won the Bronze Comedy Award at the Sony Radio Awards.

Sally has appeared on the big screen many times, firstly featuring in the British film Born Romantic in followed by Bridget Jones' Diary. She appeared in the American-British Film Four-backed film, Birthday Girl, starring Nicole Kidman. She featured in the Bridget Jones sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and the satiric film Churchill: The Hollywood Years. She has starred as Mrs Bennett in Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Sally reprised her role as Shazza in the third Bridget Jones instalment, Bridget Jones' Baby.

As well as acting, Sally wrote the film, The Decoy Bride, which was filmed in Scotland and released in 2012. Starring David Tennant, Kelly MacDonald and Alice Eve, Sally also makes an appearance in the film herself. Sally won a British Film Council screenwriting competition for her film Fag Mountain (2009).

Sally was born in Hong Kong. Her father, Tim Phillips, was the Chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which hosts The Wimbledon Championship. She graduated from New College Oxford, where she read Italian, with a First Class Honours degree.