Peg Phillips
Encyclopedia
Peg Phillips was an American actress best known for playing storekeeper Ruth-Anne Miller on the television series Northern Exposure
.
Phillips was born Margaret Linton in Everett, Washington
, to Charles and Myrtle Linton.
She wanted to be an actress from the age of four and performed in dinner theater
as a hobby. She was the wife of Daniel Greene, a Navy
man stationed in the Territory of Hawaii
when the attack on Pearl Harbor
occurred. She was married to Chester Phillips in the 1950s, during which time she suffered a near-fatal bout of "polio and a serious abdominal infection". Both marriages ended in divorce. She had three daughters, Elizabeth, Kathy, and Virginia, and a son, Arthur.
She lived with Kathy, Virginia and Arthur in Santa Cruz, California
, in the early to mid-1960s. Her oldest daughter, Elisabeth, had left the household. She worked as an accountant
at Sweet Service in Santa Cruz during that time. She was involved with local theatrical groups; her favorite play was Bell, Book and Candle. After retiring from accounting, Phillips moved back to Washington to enroll in drama school at the University of Washington
, but never completed her degree "because I started getting so much work."
She started acting professionally in her late 60s. Her first film performance was in the TV movie Case in 1985. In 1990, she originated the role of Ruth-Anne Miller on Northern Exposure. The character had been intended to be intermittent, but gradually appeared more frequently until she became a regular. After the fifth season of the show was wrapped up in 1995, she was undergoing heart surgery when an aortic aneurysm
ruptured. Had she not already been on the operating table, it probably would have been fatal.
After Northern Exposure, Phillips played several guest roles, especially on 7th Heaven
. She played the dude ranch
-owning godmother of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
's characters in How the West Was Fun
. Her last role was a guest spot on ER
in 2000. She also founded the Woodinville Repertory Theater in 1998 and served as its artistic director in Woodinville, Washington
, until her death.
She died in 2002 from pulmonary disease in Seattle, aged 84, although some sources erroneously indicated lung cancer
. (Like her Northern Exposure character, she was a smoker from an early age, having started at age thirteen.) Her son Arthur died in 1970 and her second daughter, Kathy, also preceded Phillips in death.
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
.
Phillips was born Margaret Linton in Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
, to Charles and Myrtle Linton.
She wanted to be an actress from the age of four and performed in dinner theater
Dinner theater
Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...
as a hobby. She was the wife of Daniel Greene, a Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
man stationed in the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
when the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
occurred. She was married to Chester Phillips in the 1950s, during which time she suffered a near-fatal bout of "polio and a serious abdominal infection". Both marriages ended in divorce. She had three daughters, Elizabeth, Kathy, and Virginia, and a son, Arthur.
She lived with Kathy, Virginia and Arthur in Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, in the early to mid-1960s. Her oldest daughter, Elisabeth, had left the household. She worked as an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
at Sweet Service in Santa Cruz during that time. She was involved with local theatrical groups; her favorite play was Bell, Book and Candle. After retiring from accounting, Phillips moved back to Washington to enroll in drama school at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, but never completed her degree "because I started getting so much work."
She started acting professionally in her late 60s. Her first film performance was in the TV movie Case in 1985. In 1990, she originated the role of Ruth-Anne Miller on Northern Exposure. The character had been intended to be intermittent, but gradually appeared more frequently until she became a regular. After the fifth season of the show was wrapped up in 1995, she was undergoing heart surgery when an aortic aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
ruptured. Had she not already been on the operating table, it probably would have been fatal.
After Northern Exposure, Phillips played several guest roles, especially on 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
. She played the dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
-owning godmother of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen are American actresses and entrepreneurs.Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements...
's characters in How the West Was Fun
How the West Was Fun
-Synopsis:Twin girls Jessica and Susie live with their father, Steven in the city. They have a dream about somebody saying "This town ain't big enough for the 3 of us" and having a shootout but argue who makes their move first. One day, they receive a letter from their godmother Natty inviting...
. Her last role was a guest spot on ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
in 2000. She also founded the Woodinville Repertory Theater in 1998 and served as its artistic director in Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish counties...
, until her death.
She died in 2002 from pulmonary disease in Seattle, aged 84, although some sources erroneously indicated lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. (Like her Northern Exposure character, she was a smoker from an early age, having started at age thirteen.) Her son Arthur died in 1970 and her second daughter, Kathy, also preceded Phillips in death.