Robert R. Phillips was frequently hired by studios as a 'tough guy'. He had roles in The Killers (1964), Cat Ballou, The Gun Runners (1958) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). Phillips also guest-starred in numerous television programs including Star Trek: The Original Series (in the episode "The Cage"), Gunsmoke, The Rockford Files, Bonanza, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Wild Wild West, Rawhide, Mission: Impossible, The High Chaparral, Mannix and The Fall Guy.