Leslie Phillips facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leslie Phillips CBE
Phillips at the 60th British Academy Film Awards in 2007
Born	Leslie Samuel Phillips (1924-04-20)20 April 1924 Tottenham, Middlesex, England
Died	7 November 2022(2022-11-07) (aged 98) London, England
Occupation	Actor author director producer
Years active	1937–2022
Known for	Carry On Harry Potter
Spouse(s)	Penelope Bartley ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1965)​ Angela Scoular ​ ​ (m. 1982; died 2011)​ Zara Carr ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4

Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor, director, producer, and author. He became famous in the 1950s for playing charming, upper-class funny characters. He was known for his catchphrases like "Ding dong" and "Hello." He starred in the Carry On and Doctor in the House film series. He was also a regular voice on the BBC radio comedy The Navy Lark.

Later in his career, Phillips took on more serious roles. He was even nominated for a BAFTA award for his part in the movie Venus (2006). Many people know him as the voice of the Sorting Hat in several of the Harry Potter films.

Early Life and Training

Leslie Samuel Phillips was born in Tottenham, England, on 20 April 1924. He was the third child of Cecelia and Frederick Phillips. His father worked in a factory that made cookers.

When Leslie was 11, his father passed away. After this, his mother sent him to the Italia Conti Academy, a famous drama school. There, he learned acting, dancing, and how to speak with a clearer accent. At the time, actors with regional accents found it harder to get roles. Leslie worked hard to refine his speech. He left school when he was 14 in 1938.

Acting Career Highlights

Leslie Phillips started his acting career on stage in 1937. His first role was as a wolf in Peter Pan at the London Palladium. The next year, he played John Napoleon Darling in the same play. Acting helped his family financially after his father's death.

His first film appearance was in the musical comedy Lassie from Lancashire in 1938. He also had small, uncredited parts in early films made at Pinewood Studios. During the early years of World War II, Phillips worked in London's West End. Shows were often stopped by air-raid sirens, and audiences would go to shelters.

In 1942, Phillips joined the British Army. He became an officer in the Royal Artillery. However, he was later declared unfit for service due to a health condition. He left the army in December 1944 and continued his acting career.

Becoming a Star

Phillips got his big break in films with the musical Les Girls (1957). He decided not to move to Hollywood, preferring to stay in Britain and work in theatre. He started appearing in British comedy films.

In 1959, he was cast as Jack Bell in Carry On Nurse, part of the popular Carry On series. His character's line "Ding dong" became a famous catchphrase for him. He became known for playing smooth, charming characters. His other catchphrases, "I say" and "Hello," also became well-known in the UK. He appeared in two more Carry On films, Carry On Teacher (1959) and Carry On Constable (1960), before deciding to move on.

From 1959 to 1977, Phillips was a familiar voice on radio. He played Sub-Lieutenant Phillips in the comedy The Navy Lark. He also appeared in the film version of The Navy Lark (1959).

In 1960, Phillips joined the Doctor comedy film series, starring in Doctor in Love. He appeared in two more films in this series. He also worked with director Ken Annakin on several other comedies, often alongside his Doctor co-star James Robertson Justice. These included Very Important Person (1961) and The Fast Lady (1962), which was a big hit.

Later Career and Famous Roles

By the early 1980s, Phillips wanted to try more serious acting roles. He had a small part in Out of Africa (1985) and a larger role in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). For Empire of the Sun, he lost a lot of weight to play a prisoner of war.

He became a busy character actor in both theatre and television. He appeared in films like Scandal (1989) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). In 1992, he returned to the Carry On series for Carry On Columbus.

One of his most famous later roles was providing the voice for the wise Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films. He voiced the Sorting Hat 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).

In 2006, he played an older actor named Ian in the film Venus, alongside Peter O'Toole. For this role, he was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor in 2007. His autobiography, called Hello, was published in 2006.

Leslie Phillips was recognized for his contributions to acting. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and later promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2008. He continued acting until 2022.

Personal Life and Later Years

Leslie Phillips married his first wife, Penelope Bartley, in 1948. They had four children together. They divorced in 1965.

He later married actress Angela Scoular in 1982. She passed away in 2011.

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

Phillips suffered two strokes when he was 90 years old. After a long illness, he passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in London on 7 November 2022, at the age of 98.

Filmography

Selected Television Roles

Other Voice Work

• Voice of Gex in the European release of Gex: Enter the Gecko (a video game)
• Voice of the captain for the Virgin Atlantic safety video (1996–2004)

See also

In Spanish: Leslie Phillips para niños