British actor Leslie Phillips, star of the Harry Potter and Carry On movies, has died at the age of 98. Deadline confirmed with Phillips’ agent Jonathan Lloyd that the actor passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday after struggling with an undisclosed illness. Phillips voiced the magical Sorting Hat that helped place students in one of the four school houses at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. As for the Carry On British comedy franchise, he appeared in 1959’s Carry On Nurse as Jack Bell and Carry On Teacher as Alistair Grigg, 1960’s Carry On Constable as PC Tom Potter, and 1992’s Carry On Columbus as King Ferdinand.
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Born April 20, 1924, Leslie Phillips started his stage career in the 1930s, first playing a wolf in Peter Pan before being promoted to the role of John Napoleon Darling. His first film credit came in the musical comedy Lassie from Lancashire, with his big acting break occurring in Les Girls alongside Gene Kelly. Along with voicing the iconic Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter movies, Phillips also provided voice work in 1998’s The Orgasm Raygun. He’s also known for catchphrases “Ding Dong,” “Heee-llo,” and “I Say” from the Carry On franchise.
“Venus came at a time when I was feeling a little bit unsure about what was coming next. And the phone rang! Just like that! Wasn’t my agent. Wasn’t any friend. But the producer, the director and the writer of Venus decided I was worth looking at,” Phillips told Decider in 2007 about acting in Venus.
“Peter O’Toole, who is terrific to work with, terrific actor, an absolute bloody nutter as well, great sense of humour,” he added. “And I was starred with him and Vanessa Redgrave, it was a super cast, a lovely director, a marvelous cameraman. Everything was right.”
He also gave his opinion on if actors actually do retire. “No. I don’t think actors do retire,” he said. “They’re like old soldiers, they fade away. Something happens, the phone doesn’t ring, or they become ill. Something like that. But I’ve only heard of about two actors who actually retired. And they both came back again, and then retired again!”
Photo credit John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images
