His acting career started on Broadway, and peaked with a starring role as Michael Rossi in the film adaptation of Peyton Place opposite Lana Turner.

[3][4] He appeared in the Paddy Chayefsky motion picture, Middle of the Night (1959) as Kim Novak's character's ex-husband, George.

The following year, Philips was cast as the compassionate Lieutenant Wood in the episode, "The White Healer", on the syndicated television anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews.

Later in the 1960s, his career shifted towards directing, with credits ranging from the television series of Peyton Place to The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Also in 1963, he played a lead role in "Passage on the Lady Anne", an hour-long episode of The Twilight Zone; he returned to the show the following year in the episode "Queen of the Nile", where he played a reporter named Jordan "Jordy" Herrick.