Leslie Phillips, known for both his small and big screen work, has died at the age of 98, his agent has confirmed. The actor rose to prominence in the 50s and enjoyed success in the Carry On and Harry Potter franchises, as well as work in TV and on stage. Phillips died “peacefully in his sleep” on Monday, his agent, Jonathan Lloyd, confirmed to PA Media.
Despite perfecting a persona of an upper-class gent, Phillips came from a working-class background. His mother sent him to elocution lessons and by the age of 14, his new accent made him the main breadwinner, with roles on stage helping to provide for his family.
After a stint in the army and a string of small- and big-screen roles, he then starred in three Carry On films. It was the creation of a persona that he would become synonymous with, along with his Carry On Nurse character’s catchphrase “I say, ding dong”. He returned to the franchise in 1992 with Carry On Columbus.
“In the old days most of the Carry On films would have died a natural death after doing the rounds at the cinemas,” he said in an interview from 1999. “But then television came along and they were absolutely flogged to death, all over the world. Someone’s made quite a lot of money out of them. But not those of us who acted in them.”
He also starred in the Doctor franchise, taking over from Dirk Bogarde, in both Doctor in Clover and Doctor in Trouble and was known for the long-running radio sitcom The Navy Lark.
But he was keen not to be purely associated with comedy and was seen in more dramatic work including Out of Africa, Scandal and Empire of the Sun throughout the 80s. There were also blockbuster roles for him, starring alongside Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and providing his voice for three Harry Potter films.
Phillips remained frustrated with people’s limited view of him. “I know there’s a large audience out there who have no idea what I’ve done, and they probably think I’m still in that rut,” he said. “There are the ones who say, ‘Oh gosh, Leslie, I saw you in this really serious drama the other night and I was very surprised.’ And I think to myself, ‘why? I’m an actor’.”
In the last decade he took on fewer roles but impressed opposite Peter O’Toole in Venus and earned a Bafta nomination for his performance. He also starred with Michael Caine in Is There Anybody There? and in a number of radio dramas based on Doctor Who adventures. His small-screen work also included Rumpole of the Bailey, Chancer, Midsomer Murders and The Catherine Tate Show.
He was appointed an OBE in 1998 and then this was upgraded to a CBE in 2008. He is survived by his third wife, Zara Carr, and four children.
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