Honestly, if you’ve watched any high-quality British drama in the last decade, you’ve definitely seen Kate Phillips. You just might not have realized it was the same person every time. She has this uncanny, chameleon-like ability to slip into a corset or a 1920s flapper dress and look like she’s lived in it her entire life. Most people know her as the pious-turned-furious Linda Shelby from Peaky Blinders, but the list of Kate Phillips movies and tv shows is actually a masterclass in how to build a career by being the most reliable person in the room.
She’s basically the secret weapon of every major casting director in the UK. Whether it’s playing a doomed secretary in The Crown or a quick-witted detective in Miss Scarlet and the Duke, she brings this weirdly specific mix of vulnerability and "don't mess with me" energy.
The Breakout: How Wolf Hall Changed Everything
Most actors spend years doing "Background Waitress #3" roles. Not Kate. She was literally still in her final year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama when she landed the role of Jane Seymour in Wolf Hall. Talk about a high-pressure debut.
Playing Henry VIII’s third wife is tricky. History usually remembers Jane as the "boring" one who stayed quiet and gave the King a son, but Phillips played her as a subtle, strategic observer. Critics actually gave her some heat for being "too pretty" for the role—which is a bizarre complaint—but her performance silenced most of them.
She recently reprised the role in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024), and you can see how much she’s grown. There’s a scene in the sequel where she challenges Henry about the monasteries. It’s a moment where you see the "drab little sparrow" finally find her claws.
That Peaky Blinders Transition: The Evolution of Linda Shelby
If you want to see range, just look at Linda Shelby. When she first showed up in Peaky Blinders, she was the moral compass. A Quaker. Someone who actually thought she could pray the "devil" out of Arthur Shelby.
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Quick rundown of her Peaky journey:
- Season 3: The devout wife trying to keep Arthur sober.
- Season 4: Realizing the Shelby family business is a literal death trap.
- Season 5: The breaking point. The cocaine. The attempted murder of Arthur.
- Season 6: The aftermath of her exit and her brief, complicated return.
The way she played Linda’s descent from "Fook Linda" (as the fans loved to meme) to a woman completely destroyed by the Shelby lifestyle was harrowing. It’s actually a bit of a bummer for fans that she won’t be in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, The Immortal Man. She’s gone on record saying there were talks, but it just didn't pan out. Still, her impact on Arthur’s arc was arguably the most significant of any supporting character in the show.
Stepping Into the Lead: Miss Scarlet and the Duke
While she was killing it in supporting roles, everyone was waiting for her to lead a show. Then came Miss Scarlet and the Duke.
Playing Eliza Scarlet allowed her to finally lean into comedy and "front-footed" wit. It’s a Victorian detective show, but it feels incredibly modern. Phillips plays Eliza as a woman who refuses to follow the rules because the rules are basically designed to keep her in a kitchen.
The chemistry between her and "The Duke" (Stuart Martin) was the engine of the show for years. Now that the show has pivoted into Miss Scarlet (with Martin departing), the pressure is entirely on her. Honestly? She’s carrying it easily. By Season 6, she’s shifted the character from a grief-stricken daughter to a grounded, successful professional. It’s probably the best look at her actual personality—sharp, funny, and slightly anxious but incredibly capable.
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The Roles You Forgot (But Shouldn't Have)
Beyond the big hits, her resume is surprisingly dense. She has a "blink and you'll miss it" but heartbreaking role in The Crown.
Venetia Scott in The Crown
She played Winston Churchill’s secretary, Venetia. If you remember the "Great Smog" episode, she’s the one who gets hit by the bus. It’s a brutal moment, but Phillips made you care about a character who only existed for three episodes. Fun fact: Venetia Scott was actually a fictional character created for the show to give Churchill a personal wake-up call about the smog.
Downton Abbey: The Movie
She also popped up in the 2019 Downton Abbey film as Princess Mary. It was a smaller role, but again, she played a real-life royal with this quiet, shy dignity that felt very authentic to the era. She’s become the go-to person for "British Royalty or Aristocracy" because she just has that face.
Kate Phillips: Movies and TV Shows at a Glance
| Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Wolf Hall | Jane Seymour | 2015 / 2024 |
| War & Peace | Lise Bolkonskaya | 2016 |
| The Crown | Venetia Scott | 2016 |
| Peaky Blinders | Linda Shelby | 2016–2022 |
| Downton Abbey | Princess Mary | 2019 |
| The English Game | Laura Lyttelton | 2020 |
| Miss Scarlet and the Duke | Eliza Scarlet | 2020–Present |
| Hijack | Collette Fisher | 2023 |
| The Yellow Tie | Ioana | 2025 |
Why She’s Different From Other "Period Drama" Actors
A lot of actors get stuck in the "costume" trap. They become stiff. They talk like they’re reciting a poem. Phillips doesn't do that. Even when she’s wearing a bustle and a corset, she feels like a person you could meet at a pub today.
She’s also started branching out into contemporary stuff. Her role in the Apple TV+ thriller Hijack was a nice departure from the 1800s. She played Collette, a character caught in the middle of a high-stakes hijacking, and it proved she doesn't need a historical backdrop to be compelling.
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What’s Next for Kate Phillips?
She isn't just acting anymore. In 2024, she co-launched a production company called Just John Films with fellow actors Rosie Day and Amber Anderson. This is a huge move. It suggests she’s looking to create the kind of roles she wants to see—likely female-led stories that move away from the "damsel in distress" tropes.
If you’re looking to catch her latest work, keep an eye out for The Yellow Tie, where she stars alongside John Malkovich. It’s a biopic about the conductor Sergiu Celibidache, and it looks like another heavy-hitter for her filmography.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch: If you haven't seen Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, start there. It’s her most "expert" performance to date.
- Binge: Miss Scarlet is currently the best way to see her full range as a lead actress.
- Track: Follow the projects coming out of Just John Films—she’s clearly moving into a producer era, which usually means more daring, unconventional projects.
The reality is that Kate Phillips is no longer just "the girl from Peaky Blinders." She’s become a pillar of British television. Whether she's playing a queen or a detective, she’s usually the best thing on screen.