Sally Phillips is an English actor, writer, comedian, producer, and director. She serves as an executive producer at Captain Dolly. She is recognised for her roles in TV sitcoms such as Im Alan Partridge, Jam and Jerusalem, Miranda, and Veep, as well as in films like the Bridget Jones trilogy. Her comedy career began with the Oxford Revue, and she participated in nine Edinburgh Fringe runs alongside comedians Simon Munnery, Stewart Lee, and Arthur Smith, notably portraying Ophelia in Smith's version of Hamlet.
Sally wrote and performed comedy for BBC Radio, with her first comedy-drama, Protesting Too Much, airing on BBC Radio 4 in 1994. She co-wrote and developed the influential female-led sketch show Smack the Pony, which aired from 1998 to 2002 and won multiple awards, including two international Emmys. Her subsequent television roles include Green Wing, Friday Night Dinner, Breeders, Jerk, and Pennyworth, with recent appearances in Channel 4's Big Mood and BBC's We Might Regret This.
In film, Sally is known for her role as Shazzer in the Bridget Jones movies, as well as parts in How to Please a Woman, Off the Rails, Pride and Prejudice, and Zombies. She also lent her voice to the animated film Ferdinand. As an occasional presenter, she hosted The One Show and My Life At Christmas for the BBC in 2023. During the lockdown, she co-presented BBC One's Sunday Morning Live.
Sally is a mother to three neurodivergent children. While two prefer privacy, her son Olly, who has Down syndrome and autism, advocates for individuals with Down syndrome. In 2016, they created the documentary A World Without Down's Syndrome? for BBC2, which received the Radio Times Readers Award and the Sanford St Martin award. She is a joint patron of the Down Syndrome Association and supports several charities focused on individuals with learning disabilities.
