After two years of college, he moved to Hollywood, to pursue a career in acting and resumed his original last name of Phipps.

Phipps' big break came when he and Johnson were double-cast, sharing the same role in a play at the Actors Lab.

[citation needed] In 1949, Phipps auditioned for the speaking voice of Prince Charming in the upcoming Disney film Cinderella.

After nearly thirty years in the business, performing in film and television in a wide variety of roles, Phipps took a break from Hollywood and moved to Hawaii.

[4][better source needed] After a little more than five years in Hawaii, he returned to Hollywood to portray President Theodore Roosevelt in the 1976 miniseries Eleanor and Franklin.