Carry On and Harry Potter star Leslie Phillips dies aged 98 after long battle with illness

Carry On and Harry Potter star Leslie Phillips has died at the age of 98 after battling a long illness.

The popular veteran actor died “peacefully in his sleep” on Monday (7 November), his agent Jonathan Lloyd confirmed. He previously survived two strokes six months apart at the age of 90.

Phillips is famed for starring in the Carry On Films and became well known for his suggestive catchphrases, including “Ding dong”, “Well, hello” and “I say!”.

After his Carry On success he went on to star in Doctor in the House, Tomb Raider and Midsommer Murders. He has also starred in many films, including Harry Potter in which he played the role of the Sorting Hat.

Although he became known for his plummy accent and exaggerated portrayals of the English upper-class, Phillips was born in Tottenham, north London, speaking estuary English.

He attended the respected Italia Conti Stage School, where he studied drama, dance and elocution, and this led to him losing his accent, which was viewed as an impediment in the acting industry at the time. He later served as a lieutenant in the Durham Light Infantry between 1942 and 1945, when he was invalided out.

The 1930s marked his first film appearances but his big break came in 1957 when he appeared in the Gene Kelly musical Les Girls as Sir Gerald Wren. Despite considering a move to Hollywood, he stayed in the UK as he considered himself a theatre actor.

Phillips’ successful career spans over eight decades and he has starred in more than 200 movies, TV and radio series. He starred alongside Ronnie Barker and Jon Pertwee on BBC radio show ‘The Navy Lark’ for 17 years and was also an accomplished Shakespearian actor.

Despite his incredible film and TV accolades, Phillips was best known for his role in the ‘Carry On’ and ‘Doctor’ comedy films in the 1950s and 60s. In 1959 and 1960 he starred in three Carry On films – Carry On Nurse, Carry On Teacher and Carry On Constable – which cemented his reputation for playing incompetent albeit smooth toffs.

It was during this time that he developed his well-known catchphrases, which he delivered with suggestive intonation. He later hinted these were partly based on the work of fellow actor and comic Terry-Thomas.

Phillips later moved into more dramatic roles, including a Bafta-nominated turn opposite Peter O’Toole in 2006’s Venus and voiced the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films.

In 2014, he suffered a stroke 2014 while on a shopping trip on London’s Oxford Street but made a strong recovery and returned home following a hospital stay. However, six months later he suffered a second minor stroke and was resuscitated by his wife.

After surviving the strokes, he was later made an OBE in the 1998 Birthday Honours and a CBE in the 2008 New Year Honours.

‘A national treasure’

Leslie’s wife Zara Carr, 63, paid tribute to Phillops following his death and said the public has lost a “great showman”.

She said: “I’ve lost a wonderful husband and the public has lost a truly great showman.

“He was quite simply a national treasure. People loved him. He was mobbed everywhere he went.

“When we married he cheekily introduced me to the Press as royalty, insisting I was the new Zara Phillips and that I was related to the Queen."

Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar was also among those paying tribute, sharing a video of Phillips on his BBC show, The Kumars at No 42.

In the clip, Phillips recalled how he once found himself stuck in the London Underground surrounded by members of the public demanding he do his catchphrases.

Bhaskar tweeted: “One of the wonderful elements of doing #TheKumars42 was combining guests like here, Madness and the wonderful #LesliePhillips, who couldn’t have been more of a gent. A truly warm, funny and gentle man #RIPLesliePhillips.”

Coronation Street actor Tony Maudsley, who worked with Phillips, tweeted: “RIP Leslie Phillips. Working with him was a joy. And yes he did say DING DONG (because I asked him to).