Biografia
Phillip was born in South London, the middle of three brothers. After graduating from Westminster College, he spent a year living and working in Paris. He then returned to London to study acting with Marianna Hill at the Lee Strasberg Institute, followed by training with Jeffrey Tambor and Milton Katselas at the Beverly Hills Playhouse in Los Angeles. Phillip honed his acting skills through a wide variety of roles in film, television, and theatre.
The British-born Rhys gained recognition starring in the hit drama Survivors (2008), which aired for two seasons on BBC and BBC America. American audiences know him for his compelling role as Jude Sawyer, Joely Richardson’s love interest, in the Golden Globe-winning series Nip/Tuck (2003). Fans of the Emmy-winning show 24 (2001) recognized him as Reza Naiyeer. In 2002, Rhys appeared alongside Dennis Hopper in Flatland (2002), a 22-episode sci-fi action series produced by Oscar winner Albert S. Ruddy. His other television credits include Bones (2005), NCIS (2003), Glee (2009), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), and Ramone in the Doctor Who (2005) Christmas special, The Husbands of River Song.
Beyond television, Rhys is well known to independent film audiences for roles in Salome (2013), starring Al Pacino, who also wrote and directed the film; Punks (2000), produced by music mogul Babyface; Woundings (1998) with Ray Winstone and Guy Pearce; the Sundance favorite Kill the Man (1999), co-starring Luke Wilson; Fathers and Sons (2005), directed by Rodrigo García; The Space Between (2010) featuring Oscar winner Melissa Leo; and The Magnificent Eleven (2013), co-written by Irvine Welsh of Trainspotting (1996) fame. He also appeared in the highly successful film The Adventures of Tintin (2011), directed by Steven Spielberg.
Early in his career, Phillip achieved cult status as Proto Zoa, an intergalactic rock star, in the popular Disney Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999) film series. On stage, he earned critical acclaim for his role in Dario Fo's The Devil with Boobs and won a Drama-Logue Award for his performance in the Los Angeles production of Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Other stage credits include playing John Buchanan Jr. in Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke and a role in John Patrick Shanley’s The Dreamer Examines His Pillow at Theatre West. Rhys is set to appear as Murphy in Syfy/Netflix's Nightflyers, a supernatural thriller based on George R.R. Martin’s novella.
In addition to acting, Rhys has directed several commercials and documentary shorts. He recently produced and directed his first narrative short film, The Scarecrow (2015), starring Darren Pettie, Sandra Oh, and Sandra Seacat. He was selected as a Fellow in the prestigious Disney ABC Television Directing Program. Rhys is actively involved in various non-profit organizations, including the BAFTA Outreach Program and serves on the Inner City Shakespeare Advisory Board. Formerly a member of the alternative rock band Egos Aside, Phillip now splits his time between London and Los Angeles.
