Holder, Phillip
Born in Northern Ireland, he came with his family as a youngster to live on the West Coast, eventually moving to Christchurch. He studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Canterbury when he became involved in drama production. He later became involved in the Court Theatre then turned professional.
With a career spanning over 40 years, Philip Holder has worked continuously as an actor, tutor, coach, and writer in New Zealand and Australia as a leading actor with the Melbourne Theatre Company, the South Australian State Theatre Company, the Sydney Theatre Company, and the Ensemble Theatre.
Theatre credits include Waiting for Godot; Death of a Salesman; Duet for One; Private Lives; School for Scandal; Flexitime; Market Forces; The Shaughraun; Cafe Latte Kid; Cosi; What the Butler Saw; Tis Pity She's a Whore; Hay Fever; The Crucible; Racing Demon; Bali Adat; Our Country's Good; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Burn This; Dreams in an Empty City; The Recruiting Officer; The Cherry Orchard; The Respecable Wedding; God's Best Country; A Common Pursuit; A Lie of the Mind; and Wild Honey.
Shakespearean productions include A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Taming of the Shrew; The Tempest; Macbeth; Hamlet; Othello; Julius Caesar; As you Like it; and The Merchant of Venice.
Amongst his many musical theatre credits are High Society; The Rink; The King of Hearts; The King and I; Man of La Mancha; Dracula; Cole; Lost in the Stars; Oliver; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
His television, film and radio career includes key roles in over twenty feature films, numerous leading roles in television, and hundreds of hours of radio.
His film credits include Under the Lighthouse Dancing, Kick, Came a Hot Friday, Scarecrow, Mesmerised, Backstage, Powder Burn, Monster, Restraint, and Backstage.
Television credits include All Saints, Water Rats, Marriage Acts, Simone de Beauvoir’s Babies, Halifax FP, Big Sky, Good Guys Bad Guys, Home & Away; Cover Story, Mercury, Echo Point, Law of the Land, GP, Chances, Good Vibrations, Flying Doctors, Inside Running, All the Way, The Heffernan Affair, Prime Time, Sun on the Stubble, and New Zealand shows.
