Who was Leslie Phillips? Carry On and Harry Potter star dies at 98

Actor Leslie Phillips CBE has died at the age of 98.

The Londoner is most frequently associated with the Carry On films, of which he appeared in five, including Carry On Nurse, Carry on Teachers, and Carry on Constable.

He also appeared in Harry Potter, as the voice of the Sorting Hat, as well as appearing in more than 200 films and TV shows.

In a tribute to the late actor, his wife Zara, 63, 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.”

But who was Leslie Philips? Here’s everything you need to know.

Who was Leslie Philips?

Leslie Phillips

Despite his upper-class image, Leslie Philips was born on April 20, 1924, in Tottenham, London, to a relatively poor family - but his mother insisted he went to the famous Italia Conti stage school, where he was taught elocution.

Over his career, he starred in more than 200 films, TV shows, and radio series.

For more than 17 years, he starred alongside Ronnie Barker and Jon Pertwee on the hit BBC radio show The Navy Lark, and is best-known for his role as a smooth-talking rogue with an eye for the ladies in the Carry On films in the 1950s and 1960s. He also became well known for his roles in the Doctor series of films.

From both franchises, he’s best known for his catchphrases, which include “Ding Dong!”, “Well, Hello!”, and “I Say!”.

Phillips first began to land leading roles on stage and screen from the early 1950s, and he had success with his charm in Brothers in Law, The Smallest Show on Earth, and The Man Who Liked Funerals. He worked in fast-moving comedies, that saw him teamed with Scottish comedian and impressionist Stanley Baxter.

In 1948, he married actress Penelope Bartley and they had two sons and two daughters, before divorcing in 1965, but thye remained frineds. In 1981, Bartley was tragically killed in a house fire.

The following year, Phillips married Bond girl Angela Scoular, who died in April 2011.

In 2013, he married social worker Zara Carr, who had consoled him over Angela’s death.

How did Leslie Phillips die?

Phillips died “peacefully in his sleep” on Monday, November 7, according to his agent, Jonathan Lloyd.

He was made an OBE in the 1998 Birthday Honours and gained the CBE in the 2008 New Year Honours.

In December 2013, Phillips, aged 89, married Carr, his third wife. He suffered a stroke while on a shopping trip with his wife in London in August 2014.

A few months later, Phillips was again admitted to hospital after suffering a seizure.

Since his death, tributes have flowed in for the actor, including from Morris Bright MBE, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Tony Maudsley, and Stuart Antony, among others.