Leslie Phillips

Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. He appeared in the Carry On and Doctor in the House film series as well as the long-running BBC radio comedy series The Navy Lark. On the stage, Phillips was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in 1977. In his later career, Phillips took on dramatic parts including a BAFTA-nominated role alongside Peter O'Toole in Venus. He provided the voice of the Sorting Hat in three of the Harry Potter films.

Early life Leslie Samuel Phillips was born in Tottenham on 20 April 1924, Phillips described his street as "beyond the sonic reach of the Bow Bells but within the general footprint of cockneydom." Consequently, Phillips has described himself as both a cockney and an Essex boy. In 1935, his father died at 44, having suffered from a weak heart and oedema brought on by the "filthy, sulphurous" air of the factory. at his mother's insistence. Phillips took time to refine his Received Pronunciation accent, and later declared that "the biggest elocution lessons came from mixing with people who sounded right, people in theatrical circles and in the officers' mess during the war." He left school at 14 in 1938. 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 further uncredited appearances in Climbing High (1938) and The Mikado (1939), among the earliest films made at Pinewood Studios. His first lead role in a television serial was in the sitcom My Wife Jacqueline (1952). In 1959, Phillips was cast in a minor role as Jack Bell in Carry On Nurse, the second in the Carry On film series. The character's exclamation of "Ding dong" in the film became a popular catchphrase for Phillips. Phillips cemented his image in two further Carry On films, Carry On Teacher (1959) and Carry On Constable (1960) before telling producer Peter Rogers that he did not wish to appear in any more.

Between 1959 and 1977, Phillips became familiar on radio, as Sub-Lieutenant Phillips in the comedy The Navy Lark alongside Jon Pertwee and Ronnie Barker. He also appeared in the film version of The Navy Lark (1959), the only cast member of the radio series to do so.

In 1960, Phillips was cast in Doctor in Love, the fourth film in the Doctor comedy series and the first without Dirk Bogarde. The cast included James Robertson Justice with whom Phillips made a number of movies. They appeared in two further installments, Doctor in Clover (1966) and Doctor in Trouble (1970). Phillips appeared in several comedy films directed by Ken Annakin, often cast alongside his Doctor co-star James Robertson Justice, including Very Important Person (1961), Raising the Wind (1961) and Crooks Anonymous (1962). A loose sequel, Father Came Too!, followed in 1964.

During the 1960s, Phillips appeared on television in two plays penned by the comedy writing team Galton and Simpson; "Impasse", broadcast as part of Comedy Playhouse in 1963, and "The Suit", a 1969 episode of The Galton & Simpson Comedy. The programme was poorly received and attracted criticism from Mary Whitehouse of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association for its risque content.

Later work By the early 1980s, Phillips considered his suave and lecherous roles to be "a bit of a rut" and looked to branch out into dramatic roles. Phillips also provided the voice for the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films, appearing in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).

Phillips appeared in British television sitcoms including Honey for Tea with Felicity Kendal and appeared in guest roles in popular series such as The Bill, Holby City and Midsomer Murders. In 2006, he played veteran actor Ian alongside Peter O'Toole in Hanif Kureishi's film Venus. Phillips's autobiography, Hello, was published by Orion in 2006. co-produced the Sky Arts series Living The Life which ran for three series, ending in 2013.

He continued to act until 2012 The couple had four children. Scoular died on 11 April 2011 after drinking a corrosive drain cleaner and suffering unsurvivable 40% burns to her throat, body and dietary tract. She had suffered from bowel cancer and although was later declared cancer-free, she became anxious that the cancer had returned.

Phillips received the Freedom of the City of London on 16 November 2010. Phillips was a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur, and made an appearance as part of the half-time entertainment during the team's home match against Swansea City on 1 April 2012.

On 20 December 2013, at the age of 89, Phillips married his third wife, Zara Carr.

Phillips suffered two strokes six months apart at the age of 90. After a long illness, he died from bronchopneumonia in his sleep at his home in Maida Vale, London, on 7 November 2022, aged 98.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes Ref.1938 Lassie from Lancashire Small role Uncredited 1938 The Citadel Small role Uncredited 1955 Value for Money Robjohns 1959 Please Turn Over Dr. Henry Manners 1959 This Other Eden Crispin Brown 1960 No Kidding David Robinson 2004 Millions Leslie Phillips 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Sorting Hat Voice 2022 Darkheart Manor Jeremiah Jones Archive footage only

Selected television Year Title Role