Veteran British actor Leslie Phillips, known for his roles in several Carry On films and the Harry Potter series, has died aged 98.
The star died “peacefully in his sleep” on Monday, his agent Jonathan Lloyd confirmed.
Phillips made his first film appearances as a boy in the 1930s and went on to have an illustrious career on stage and screen, particularly in the Carry On films – which included Carry On Teacher, Carry On Columbus, Carry On Constable and Carry On Nurse.
He became well known for his suggestive catchphrases such as “Ding Dong”, “Well, hello”, and “I Say!”.
During a long and varied career in entertainment that spanned several decades, the actor worked with a huge range of stars, from Steven Spielberg and Laurence Olivier to Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie.
Although he became known for his plummy accent and exaggerated portrayals of the English upper-class, Phillips was born in Tottenham, speaking estuary English.
He released his autobiography, Hello, in 2005, detailing how he discovered acting after growing up “in a poverty-stricken childhood in north London” and the death of his father when he was just 10 years old.
Phillips appeared in TV series such as Heartbeat, Midsomer Murders, Monarch Of The Glen and Holby City, films including Empire Of The Sun, Scandal, and Out Of Africa, and plays including Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard.
In 2007, the actor starred in Hanif Kureshi’s film Venus alongside Peter O’Toole, a performance for which he was nominated for a BAFTA for best supporting actor.
And in recent years, his voice had become instantly recognisable to younger generations as that of the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films.
He was made an OBE in the 1998 Birthday Honours and was promoted to CBE in the 2008 New Year Honours.
Following the news of his death, stars who worked with him and met him were among those paying tribute.
Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar tweeted: “A truly warm, funny and gentle man #RIPLesliePhillips.”
