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Harold Phillips
has worked professionally in theatre, film and television for
over 30 years. In that time, he has built a reputation for his
commitment to the characters he plays, and his efforts to strengthen
the creative industries in cities he's worked in.
Harold was born in Frankfurt, Germany to an American military family.
His childhood was spent in places around the U.S. including El
Paso, Texas; Chaparral, New Mexico; White Bear Lake, Minnesota;
and Anchorage, Alaska. He also spent a significant period of his
early life in Europe, living in Kaiserslautern, Germany and traveling
with his family extensively.
His love for acting began during one of these European trips.
When Harold was 11 his family saw a production of Shakespeare's
Taming of the Shrew in London's Regent's Park. He was enthralled
by the non-traditional production, and decided to try his hand
at acting.
School and Community Theatre productions followed, as well as
individual lessons and classes. By the time he started high school
in Anchorage, Alaska Harold had already appeared onstage (and worked
backstage) in several productions.
Harold was fortunate to attend East
Anchorage High School, which was noted for its commitment
to theatrical excellence. East High's drama teacher, Jacqueline
Lynne, encouraged her students to take a hands-on approach; as
a result Harold spent his high school years acting, directing
and, as Thespian president, producing the school's plays.
At the same time Harold continued to perform in community theatre
productions throughout Anchorage. He secured his first professional
role at 16 with Anchorage's now defunct Synergy Dinner Theatre.
He also signed with his first agent that year and appeared in
a public service film (shown at schools
throughout Alaska) about the dangers of smokeless tobacco as well
as several television commercials.
By the time Harold graduated from high school, he had decided to make acting
his life's work. He enrolled at the University of
Alaska at Anchorage in 1989 and quickly found
a place in the college's Department of Theatre and Dance.
While at UAA he began his training in stage combat,
and became a certified member of the Society
of American Fight Directors.
After three years at UAA Harold transferred to Western
Washington University, reasoning that he would have
more professional success if he finished school near
an area with a theatre and film industry.
His plans to finish college at Western
and work in the Seattle area went awry, however, when
he met his future wife Trish
Egan while performing in the college's summer
stock program. After a year's long-distance courtship,
Trish convinced Harold to join her in Portland, OR
and finish his academic career at the University of Portland,
her alma mater.
After college Harold worked in a variety
of Portland-area theatres, including the Miracle
Theatre Co.,
CoHo
Productions, Northwest
Children's Theatre, Artists
Repertory Theatre, Mt.
Hood Repertory Theatre Company, Tygre's Heart Shakespeare Company,
Classic Greek Theater of Oregon, Paula Productions, and
Sylvia's Class Act Dinner Theater.
In the early 2000's Harold shifted his focus to work in front of the
camera, appearing in independent films such as
Sum of the Parts,
Dark Horizon,
The Bicyclists,
Crackin' The Code
and The Falls series
(The Falls,
The Falls: Testament of Love, and
The Falls: Covenent of Grace.)
He also began working in the
nascent field of internet video and gained worldwide attention in
the interactive movie The Outbreak
and pioneering web series such as
Lady Wasteland and
Animus Cross. Roles
in television shows such as TNT's Leverage
and NBC's Grimm followed soon thereafter.
A firm believer that "a rising tide lifts all boats," Harold
has has worked hard over the years to grow and strengthen theatre
and media production in the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife
Trish Egan
have served as co-presidents of the Portland
Area Theatre Alliance, and Harold founded and maintains a
listserv dedicated to supporting Portland-area theatre - PDXBackstage.
He is a founding member of the Alliance
of Professional Performers - NW, and has held multiple positions on the Portland Local SAG-AFTRA Board.
As a member of the Oregon
Media Production Association Harold worked hard to increase
the professionalism of Oregon's film and TV industry while lobbying
the state's legislature in support of that industry. This work
has been recognized multiple times over the years, with awards
including the "Unsung Hero" Drammy award in 2009, the OMPA's "Superfine
Actor" award in 2011 and the Oregon Actors Awards "Megann Ratzow
Above and Beyond" award in 2014.
Harold continues to live and work in the Pacific Northwest and
to promote the strengths of the region's artistic and media production
community.
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