Actor Leslie Phillips, who was famous for his role in the Carry On films, has died aged 98 after a long illness. He was born on 20 April 1924 and died on 7 November 2022.
Phillips’ death was confirmed by his agent Jonathan Lloyd who said he (Phillips) died “peacefully in his sleep”.
To the younger folks, Phillips was most recognized as the voice of the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter films.
Phillips made his stage debut in 1937 as a wolf in Peter Pan alongside Anna Neagle at the London Palladium.
In the 1938-39 season, he was promoted to the role of John Napoleon Darling, alongside Jean Forbes-Robertson as Peter and Seymour Hicks as Captain Hook.
He made his movie debut in the 1938 musical comedy Lassie from Lancashire.
After that, he made further uncredited appearances in Climbing High (1938) and The Mikado (1939), among the earliest films made at Pinewood Studios.
He was renowned for his “Ding Dong”, “Well, Hello” and “I Say” catchphrases in the saucy ‘Carry On’ movies.
His death brings to an end a career in the movie industry which span over eght decades.