Private faces: The autobiography

by Siân Phillips

The autobiography of Sian Phillips. It covers her early life growing up as an only child in the remote Welsh countryside, her determination to be an actress at an early age, her first short-lived marriage, and how she arrived in London to learn her trade and fell in love with Peter O'Toole.

Genres: Biography

294 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips, known professionally as Siân Phillips, is a Welsh actress. She has performed the title roles in Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan and is also particularly known for her performance as Livia in the 1976 BBC television series I, Claudius.

Reviews

[Darla Ebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinatingly charming read by a Welsh authoress and actress. I loved all the details of life in Wales and was happily surprised to read oer Mrs. Phillips having been married to a great actor for 20 years. It was just fun to learn more of Welsh life particularly in the 30's and 40's as well as the behind the scenes work of an actress in Great Britain.

[Sarah Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book, un-putdownable!

[Jeanius · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lent to me by a friend, I should have know that this book would bore me rigid like so many autobiographies written by actors. My feeling is that the lives of most actors, unless utterly outrageous, or were once married to Liz Taylor (same thing probably) are of interest only to other actors or people "in the theatre". Vaguely interesting was her early childhood in deepest, darkest Wales where she spoke only Welsh until she was twelve years old. The rest - YAWN!