Leslie Phillips
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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 Doctor in the House may refer to: * Doctor in the House (novel), ''Doctor in the House'' (novel), a 1952 novel by Richard Gordon ** Doctor in the House (film), ''Doctor in the House'' (film), a 1954 British film adaptation of the novel *** Doctor i ...
'' 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 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
. In his later career, Phillips took on dramatic parts including a
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
-nominated role alongside Peter O'Toole in ''
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
'' (2006). He provided the voice of the Sorting Hat in three of the ''Harry Potter'' films.


Early life

Leslie Samuel Phillips was born in
Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
on 20 April 1924, the third child of Cecelia Margaret (''née'' Newlove) and Frederick Samuel Phillips, who worked at Glover and Main, manufacturers of cookers in
Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
. Phillips described his street as "beyond the sonic reach of the Bow Bells but within the general footprint of
cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...
dom." In 1931, the family moved to
Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...
, where Phillips attended Larkswood Primary School. Consequently, Phillips has described himself as both a
cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...
and an Essex boy. In 1935, his father died at 44, having suffered from a weak heart and
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brought on by the "filthy, sulphurous" air of the factory. After his father's death, Phillips was sent to the Italia Conti Academy at his mother's insistence. There, he attended drama, dance and notably elocution to lose his cockney accent; at the time, a regional accent was considered an impediment to an aspiring actor. Phillips took time to refine his
Received Pronunciation Received Pronunciation (RP) is the Accent (sociolinguistics), accent of British English regarded as the Standard language, standard one, carrying the highest Prestige (sociolinguistics), social prestige, since as late as the beginning of the 2 ...
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 The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
during the war." He left school at 14 in 1938.


Career


Early work

Phillips made his stage debut in 1937 as a wolf in ''
Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...
'' alongside
Anna Neagle Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox (''née'' Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986), known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer. She was a successful box-office draw in British cinema for 2 ...
at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...
. 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. Acting allowed Phillips to earn extra money for his family, who had struggled financially after his father's death. Phillips made his first film appearance in the 1938 musical comedy '' Lassie from Lancashire''. He made further uncredited appearances in '' Climbing High'' (1938) and ''
The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...
'' (1939), among the earliest films made at Pinewood Studios. Upon the 70th anniversary of the studios in 2006, Phillips considered himself one of the earliest actors to have worked there still alive and working. A minor part in
Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in west London, England. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on th ...
' '' The Proud Valley'' (1940) afforded Phillips the chance to work alongside
Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...
, whom he greatly admired. In the early years of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Phillips worked in the West End for Binkie Beaumont and H. M. Tennent. The shows were frequently interrupted by air-raid sirens and Phillips later recalled that "audiences would evaporate and head for cellars or Underground stations". Called up to the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in 1942, Phillips rose to the rank of lance-bombardier in the Royal Artillery. Due to his acquired upper class accent, Phillips was selected for officer training at Catterick and duly commissioned as a second lieutenant in the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
in 1943. He was transferred to the Durham Light Infantry in 1944 but was later declared unfit for service just before
D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
after being diagnosed with a neurological condition that caused partial paralysis. He was initially sent to a
psychiatric hospital A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...
in error before moving to the correct facility for treatment. Demobbed as a lieutenant in December 1944, Phillips's acting career initially took in "the murkiest rat-infested old playhouses and
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...
s in the
north of England Northern England, or the North of England, refers to the northern part of England and mainly corresponds to the historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire. Officially, it is a gr ...
". He resumed his career as a film player, making uncredited appearances in '' Anna Karenina'' and
Powell and Pressburger The British film-making partnership of Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988)—together often known as The Archers, the name of their production company—made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. T ...
's '' The Red Shoes'' (both 1948). His first lead role in a television serial was in the sitcom '' My Wife Jacqueline'' (1952). His big break in the films was in the
Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...
musical '' Les Girls'' (1957). Although the film was a critical success, he decided against a move to Hollywood, in part as he considered himself primarily a theatre actor and did not want to become "the poor man's David Niven". He began appearing in character roles in British comedy films including '' Brothers in Law'' and '' The Smallest Show on Earth'' (both 1957). 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. He became strongly associated with smooth-talking, libidinous roles, and his catchphrases "Ding dong", "I say" and "Hello" entered common usage in the United Kingdom. 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. ''Carry On'' director
Gerald Thomas Gerald Thomas (10 December 1920 – 9 November 1993) was an English film director best known for the long-running ''Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' series'' of British film comedies. Early life Born in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding ...
cast Phillips in several other comedy films; '' Please Turn Over'' (1959) features Phillips as Dr. Henry Manners, a respectable family doctor portrayed as a philanderer in a book written by 17-year-old Jo Halliday ( Julia Lockwood), while he plays father David Robinson opposite
Geraldine McEwan Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown; 9 May 1932 – 30 January 2015) was an English actress, who had a long career in film, theatre and television. Michael Coveney described her, in a tribute article, as "a great comic stylist, with ...
in '' No Kidding'' (1960). Between 1959 and 1977, Phillips became familiar on radio, as Sub-Lieutenant Phillips in the comedy '' The Navy Lark'' alongside
Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...
and
Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...
. 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 Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House (film), Doctor in the Hous ...
. He 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 A very important person (VIP or V.I.P.) or personage is a person who is accorded special privilege (legal ethics), privileges due to their high social rank, social status, status, social influence, influence, or Importance (disambiguation), impo ...
'' (1961), '' Raising the Wind'' (1961) and '' Crooks Anonymous'' (1962). In 1962, Phillips and Justice starred with
Stanley Baxter Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a retired Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows '' The Stanley ...
in Annakin's '' The Fast Lady'', one of Britain's biggest box office hits of the year. 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 latter was developed into a full series four years later, '' Casanova '73'', starring Phillips as compulsive philanderer Henry Newhouse. The programme was poorly received and attracted criticism from
Mary Whitehouse Constance Mary Whitehouse (; 13 June 1910 – 23 November 2001) was a British teacher and conservative activist. She campaigned against social liberalism and the mainstream British media, both of which she accused of encouraging a more permis ...
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. A relatively minor part in '' Out of Africa'' (1985) facilitated a larger role in
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's '' Empire of the Sun'' (1987). To play an emaciated
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
in the film, Phillips lost more than two stone. He became busy as a
character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...
in both stage and television productions including ''
Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way a ...
'' (1989) and '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' (2001). In 1992, he returned to the ''Carry On'' series in the poorly received '' Carry On Columbus''. 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 Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...
'' (2011). Phillips appeared in British television sitcoms including '' Honey for Tea'' with
Felicity Kendal Felicity Ann Kendal (born 25 September 1946) is an English actress, working principally in television and theatre. She has appeared in numerous stage and screen roles over a more than 70-year career, including as Barbara Good in the television ...
and appeared in guest roles in popular series such as ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...
'', ''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...
'' and ''
Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...
''. In 2006, he played veteran actor Ian alongside Peter O'Toole in Hanif Kureishi's film ''
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
''. For this role, he was nominated for a
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
for Best Supporting Actor in 2007. Phillips's autobiography, ''Hello'', was published by Orion in 2006. He was appointed Officer of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in the 1998 Birthday Honours and was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours. In 2012, Phillips voiced the audiobook edition of the legal thriller Chequered Justice, by John Bartlett (ISBN 9780956910486). Phillips, in conjunction with Jules Williams and Back Door Productions, co-produced the Sky Arts series '' Living The Life'' which ran for three series, ending in 2013. He continued to act until 2012 and continued to make television appearances until 2015 when he was interviewed on the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
programme ''VE Day: Remembering Victory''.


Personal life, illness and death

Phillips married his first wife, actress Penelope Bartley (1925–1981), on 30 May 1948. The couple had four children. In 1962, Phillips began a relationship with actress Caroline Mortimer, daughter of writer Penelope Mortimer and stepdaughter of John Mortimer, who was an understudy in a stage play in which Phillips starred. Phillips and Bartley separated at that point and were divorced in 1965. After his relationship with Mortimer ended, Phillips embarked on a relationship with Australian actress Vicki Luke, with whom he lived for approximately three years. Phillips moved in with actress Angela Scoular in 1977, at which time she was pregnant by another actor. He raised her son as his own. While on tour in Australia in 1981, he was notified that Bartley had died in a fire. Phillips chose to continue in the production and did not attend her funeral. He later acknowledged that his family had never forgiven him for this decision. Phillips married Scoular in 1982. In 1992 Scoular, who suffered from
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
, attempted suicide but was not
sectioned Involuntary commitment, civil commitment, or involuntary hospitalization/hospitalisation, or informally in Britain sectioning, being sectioned, commitment, or being committed, is a legal process through which an individual who is deemed by a qual ...
. Scoular died on 11 April 2011 after drinking a
corrosive Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...
drain cleaner and suffering unsurvivable 40% burns to her throat, body and dietary tract. She had suffered from
bowel cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...
and although was later declared cancer-free, she became anxious that the cancer had returned. Phillips was too ill to attend the inquest into Scoular's death three months later. The
coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
ruled that Scoular's death was not suicide, but rather that she had "killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed". 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
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
s six months apart at the age of 90. After a long illness, he died in his sleep at home in London on 7 November 2022, aged 98.


Filmography


Film


Selected television


Selected radio

*'' The Navy Lark'' (1959–1977) *''
Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous novel by English writer Jerome K. Jerome describing ...
'' (1962) *''The TV Lark'' (1963)


Other voice work

*Voice of Gex in the European release of '' Gex: Enter the Gecko'' *Voice of cat in Iams advertising *Voice of the captain of the Virgin Atlantic safety video (1996–2004) *English voice of the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey


References


External links

* *
Interview at Britmovie.co.ukLeslie Phillips
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Obituary at BFI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Leslie 1924 births 2022 deaths Actors from the London Borough of Haringey Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts British Army personnel of World War II Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Durham Light Infantry officers English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male video game actors English male voice actors English writers Royal Artillery officers 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors People from Tottenham