Ethan Phillips Information

Actor
California, USA

Biography:
Ethan Phillips was raised in Long Island, New York, the only boy of six children. His dad loved to say "I've got five daughters and an actor!" It was while attending a Jesuit prep school in Brooklyn that Ethan decided to pursue theatre when a priest told him he had talent, and cast him in MACBETH. Ethan earned a BA in English Literature from Boston University and received an MFA from Cornell University. From there he went to New York City and worked steadily on stage, playing lead and supporting roles both on and off Broadway in shows such as MY FAVORITE YEAR at Lincoln Center, LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART at the Lucille Lortel, MODIGLIANNI at the Astor Place, ONLY KIDDING for the American Jewish Theatre, and in MEASURE FOR MEASURE with Kevin Kline, at the NY Shakespeare Festival in Central Park , as well as work for the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Hudson Guild Theatre, Chelsea Theatre Center, and Playwrights Horizons.

Regionally, he has acted in many of the major theatres across the country. At Seattle Rep, he worked with Daniel Sullivan to help develop and act in the comedy INSPECTING CAROL. He co-starred with Mary-Louise Parker in the premier of Terence McNally's UP IN SARATOGA for San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and with Delroy Lindo in the premier of MS. EVER'S BOYS at Baltimore's Center Stage. He repeated his performance in LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART with Andrea Martin at LA's Mark Taper Forum as well as acting in the Los Angles premier of THE DINING ROOM for the Coronet Theatre. At Actors' Theatre of Louisville he was a part of the twelfth Humana Festival of New American Plays. For the Boston Shakespeare Co. Ethan played the role of Edgar in KING LEAR, he played Dromio of Ephesus in COMEDY OF ERRORS at Princeton's McCarter Theatre, at Alaska Repertory Theatre he play Toby Belch in TWELFTH NIGHT. For the Salt Lake Acting Co., Ethan received the Best Comic Actor of the year award for his starring role in THE FOREIGNER. He appeared in HARVEY with Beth Berridge for the Westport Country Playhouse, and recently he played in the Los Angeles premier of SIDEMAN with Mare Winningham for the Pasadena Playhouse. John Delancie directed him in Moliere's THE BOURGEOISE GENTLEMAN which premiered at the Pasadena Symphony, and moved to the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony. Ethan played Polonius in HAMLET at LA's Court Theatre. Most recent theatre credits include YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU at the Geffen with Roy Dotrice, and David Mamet's NOVEMBER with Nathan Lane at the Barrymore theatre on Broadway.

In television he spent five seasons playing Pete in the sitcom BENSON, and has guest starred on scores of other shows, most recently ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, LAW AND ORDER, CRIMINAL MINDS, BONES, NUMB3RS, ELI STONE, and BOSTON LEGAL. He appeared for seven seasons in STARTREK: VOYAGER as Neelix, the ship's chef and morale officer and guest starred on the newest Startrek show ENTERPRISE. In film, Ethan's credits include roles in FOR RICHER OR POORER, STARTREK: FIRST CONTACT, GREENCARD, JEFFREY, MAN WITHOUT A FACE, THE SHADOW, CRITTERS, RAIN WITHOUT THUNDER, WAGONS EAST, RAGTIME, LEAN ON ME, and ENDSVILLE. More recent films include FAMILY TREE, BAD SANTA, CHESTNUT: HERO OF CENTRAL PARK, THE BABYSITTERS, THE ISLAND, HALLOWED GROUND, OUT OF OMAHA, KEITH, and BIG GAME.

Ethan has had a long association with Robert Redford's Sundance Institute, having spent ten summers there as part of the Playwrights Lab, both as an actor, and as a writer. He is also a participant in Brave New Works, the Emory University new play development festival where he recently worked on Pulitzer winner Robert Schenkkan's LEWIS AND CLARK REACH THE EUPHRATES. His play PENGUIN BLUES is published by Samuel French and has had hundreds of productions in the U.S. and in Canada. Ethan is a co-founder of Hollywood's First Stage, a playwright's group based on principles developed at Sundance, and he is on the board of The WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory, which helps young playwrights get their dreams realized.