Leslie Phillips | |
|---|---|
 Phillips in 2007 | |
| Born | Leslie Samuel Phillips (1924-04-20)20 April 1924 |
| Died | 7 November 2022(2022-11-07) (aged 98) London, England |
| Resting place | Chingford Mount Cemetery, London, England |
| Alma mater | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1937–2015[1][2][3] |
| Known for | Carry On Gex: Enter the Gecko Harry Potter |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
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 theCarry On andDoctor in the House film series as well as the long-running BBC radio comedy seriesThe Navy Lark. On the stage, Phillips was nominated for theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in1977.[4] In his later career, Phillips took on dramatic parts including aBAFTA-nominated role alongsidePeter O'Toole inVenus (2006). He provided the voice of theSorting Hat in three of theHarry Potter films.
Leslie Samuel Phillips was born inTottenham on 20 April 1924,[5][6] the third child of Cecelia Margaret (née Newlove) and Frederick Samuel Phillips, who worked atGlover and Main, manufacturers of cookers inEdmonton.[7] Phillips described his street as "beyond the sonic reach of theBow Bells but within the general footprint ofcockneydom."[7] In 1931, the family moved toChingford, where Phillips attended Larkswood Primary School.[8] Consequently, Phillips has described himself as both acockney and an Essex boy.[9] In 1935, his father died at 44, having suffered from a weak heart andoedema brought on by the "filthy, sulphurous" air of the factory.[7]
After his father's death, Phillips was sent to theItalia Conti Academy[10] at his mother's insistence.[7] 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.[9][11][12][13] Phillips took time to refine hisReceived Pronunciation accent, and later declared that "the biggest elocution lessons came from mixing with people who sounded right, people in theatrical circles and in theofficers' mess during thewar."[14] He left school at 14 in 1938.[7]
Phillips made his stage debut in 1937 as a wolf inPeter Pan alongsideAnna Neagle at theLondon Palladium.[15][16] In the 1938–39 season, he was promoted to the role of John Napoleon Darling, alongsideJean Forbes-Robertson as Peter andSeymour Hicks asCaptain Hook.[7] Acting allowed Phillips to earn extra money for his family, who had struggled financially after his father's death.[9]
Phillips made his first film appearance in the 1938 musical comedyLassie from Lancashire.[17] He made further uncredited appearances inClimbing High (1938) andThe Mikado (1939), among the earliest films made atPinewood Studios.[7] 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.[7] A minor part inEaling Studios'The Proud Valley (1940) afforded Phillips the chance to work alongsidePaul Robeson, whom he greatly admired.[7]
In the early years of theSecond World War, Phillips worked in theWest End forBinkie Beaumont andH. M. Tennent.[9] The shows were frequently interrupted byair-raid sirens and Phillips later recalled that "audiences would evaporate and head for cellars orUnderground stations".[7] Called up to theBritish Army in 1942, Phillips rose to the rank oflance-bombardier in the Royal Artillery. Due to his acquired upper class accent, Phillips was selected for officer training atCatterick and duly commissioned as asecond lieutenant in theRoyal Artillery in 1943.[13] He was transferred to theDurham Light Infantry in 1944 but was later declared unfit for service just beforeD-Day after being diagnosed with a neurological condition that caused partial paralysis.[13] He was initially sent to apsychiatric hospital in error before moving to the correct facility for treatment.[7]
Demobbed as a lieutenant in December 1944, Phillips's acting career initially took in "the murkiest rat-infested oldplayhouses andmusic halls in thenorth of England".[7] He resumed his career as a film player, making uncredited appearances inAnna Karenina andPowell and Pressburger'sThe Red Shoes (both 1948).[6] His first lead role in a television serial was in the sitcomMy Wife Jacqueline (1952).[7]
His big break in the films was in theGene Kelly musicalLes Girls (1957).[13] 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'sDavid Niven".[9][16] He began appearing in character roles in British comedy films includingBrothers in Law andThe Smallest Show on Earth (both 1957).[5] In 1959, Phillips was cast in a minor role as Jack Bell inCarry On Nurse, the second in theCarry On film series. The character's exclamation of "Ding dong" in the film became a popular catchphrase for Phillips.[5] 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.[18] Phillips cemented his image in two furtherCarry On films,Carry On Teacher (1959) andCarry On Constable (1960) before telling producerPeter Rogers that he did not wish to appear in any more.[13][5]Carry On directorGerald Thomas 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 oppositeGeraldine McEwan inNo Kidding (1960).[19][20]
Between 1959 and 1977, Phillips became familiar on radio, as Sub-Lieutenant Phillips in the comedyThe Navy Lark alongsideJon Pertwee andRonnie Barker.[21] He also appeared in the film version ofThe Navy Lark (1959), the only cast member of the radio series to do so.[22]
In 1960, Phillips was cast inDoctor in Love, the fourth film in theDoctor comedy series and the first withoutDirk Bogarde.[5][23] The cast included James Robertson Justice with whom Phillips made a number of movies..[24] They appeared in two further installments,Doctor in Clover (1966) andDoctor in Trouble (1970).[25] Phillips appeared in several comedy films directed byKen Annakin, often cast alongside hisDoctor co-starJames Robertson Justice, includingVery Important Person (1961),Raising the Wind (1961) andCrooks Anonymous (1962).[7]
In 1962, Phillips and Justice starred withStanley Baxter in Annakin'sThe Fast Lady, one of Britain's biggest box office hits of the year.[26] A loose sequel,Father Came Too!, followed in 1964.[27]
During the 1960s, Phillips appeared on television in two plays penned by the comedy writing teamGalton and Simpson; "Impasse", broadcast as part ofComedy Playhouse in 1963, and "The Suit", a 1969 episode ofThe Galton & Simpson Comedy.[7] The latter was developed into a full series four years later,Casanova '73, starring Phillips as compulsive philanderer Henry Newhouse.[28] The programme was poorly received and attracted criticism fromMary Whitehouse of theNational Viewers' and Listeners' Association for its risque content.[7][29]
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.[5] A relatively minor part inOut of Africa (1985) facilitated a larger role inSteven Spielberg'sEmpire of the Sun (1987).[14] To play an emaciatedprisoner of war in the film, Phillips lost more than two stone.[6] He became busy as acharacter actor in both stage and television productions includingScandal (1989) andLara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). In 1992, he returned to theCarry On series in the poorly receivedCarry On Columbus.[30] Phillips also provided the voice for theSorting Hat in theHarry Potter films, appearing inHarry 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).[5][31]
Phillips appeared in British television sitcoms includingHoney for Tea withFelicity Kendal and appeared in guest roles in popular series such asThe Bill,Holby City andMidsomer Murders. In 2006, he played veteran actor Ian alongsidePeter O'Toole inHanif Kureishi's filmVenus.[5] For this role, he was nominated for aBAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in 2007.[32] Phillips's autobiography,Hello, was published by Orion in 2006.[7]
He was appointed Officer of theOrder of the British Empire (OBE) in the1998 Birthday Honours and was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2008 New Year Honours.[15]
In 2012, Phillips voiced the audiobook edition of the legal thriller Chequered Justice, by John Bartlett (ISBN 9780956910486).[33]
Phillips, in conjunction withJules Williams and Back Door Productions,[34] co-produced theSky Arts seriesLiving The Life[35] which ran for three series, ending in 2013.
He continued to act until 2012[36][37] and continued to make television appearances until 2015 when he was interviewed on theBBC One programmeVE Day: Remembering Victory.[1][2][3]
Phillips married his first wife, actress Penelope Bartley (1925–1981), on 30 May 1948.[38] The couple had four children.[15] In 1962, Phillips began a relationship with actressCaroline Mortimer, daughter of writerPenelope Mortimer and stepdaughter ofJohn 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.[38]
After his relationship with Mortimer ended, Phillips embarked on a relationship with Australian actress Vicki Luke,[39] with whom he lived for approximately three years.
Phillips moved in with actressAngela Scoular in 1977, at which time she was pregnant by another actor. He raised her son as his own.[40] 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.[38]
Phillips married Scoular in 1982. In 1992 Scoular, who suffered frombipolar disorder,attempted suicide but was notsectioned.[40] Scoular died on 11 April 2011 after drinking acorrosivedrain cleaner and suffering unsurvivable 40% burns to her throat, body and dietary tract. She had suffered frombowel cancer and although was later declared cancer-free, she became anxious that the cancer had returned.[41] Phillips was too ill to attend the inquest into Scoular's death three months later. Thecoroner ruled that Scoular's death was not suicide, but rather that she had "killed herself while the balance of her mind was disturbed".[41]
Phillips received theFreedom of the City of London on 16 November 2010.[42] Phillips was a supporter ofTottenham Hotspur, and made an appearance as part of the half-time entertainment during the team's home match againstSwansea City on 1 April 2012.[43]
On 20 December 2013, at the age of 89, Phillips married his third wife, Zara Carr.[44]
Phillips suffered twostrokes six months apart at the age of 90.[45] After a long illness, he died in his sleep at home in London on 7 November 2022, aged 98.[46][47][48]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Morning Departure | Stoker Snipe | TV film | [37] |
| 1952 | My Wife Jacqueline | Tom Bridger | All 6 episodes | [37] |
| 1955 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Sir William | Episode: "Friar Tuck" | [6] |
| 1955 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Count de Waldern | Episode: "Checkmate" | [6] |
| 1956 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Wat Longfellow | Episode: "A Village Wooing" | [6] |
| 1958 | The Invisible Man | Sparrow | Episode: "Blind Justice" | [37] |
| 1960 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Herbert | Episode: "The Reluctant Rebel" | [6] |
| 1963 | Comedy Playhouse | Mr. Ferris | Episode: "Impasse" | [7] |
| 1963 | Our Man at St. Mark's | Reverend Andrew Parker | 7 episodes | [6] |
| 1969 | The Galton & Simpson Comedy | Howard | Episode: "The Suit" | [59] |
| 1970 | The Culture Vultures | Dr. Michael Cunningham | All 5 episodes | [59] |
| 1972 | Father, Dear Father | Basil | Episode: "Unaccustomed as I Am" | [59] |
| 1973 | Casanova '73 | Henry Newhouse | All 7 episodes | [37] |
| 1979 | The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe | Mr. Tumnus | Voice; TV film | [60] |
| 1985 | Mr. Palfrey of Westminster | Rupert Styles | Episode: "Return to Sender" | [37] |
| 1987 | Super Gran | P.O.W. | Episode: "Supergran and the Birthday Dambuster" | [61] |
| 1988 | Rumpole of the Bailey | Boxey Horne | Episode: "Rumpole and Portia" | [37] |
| 1990 | The Comic Strip Presents... | Sir Horace Cutler | Episode: "GLC: The Carnage Continues..." | [59] |
| 1990 | The Comic Strip Presents... | Dean | Episode: "Oxford" | [59] |
| 1990–1991 | Chancer | James Blake | 18 episodes | [62] |
| 1990 | Life After Life | Wing Commander Boyle | TV pilot | [37] |
| 1994 | Bermuda Grace | Sir Philip Harding | TV film | [37] |
| 1994 | Honey for Tea | Sir Dickie Hobhouse | All 7 episodes | [63] |
| 1994 | The House of Windsor | Lord Montague Bermondsey | All 6 episodes | [37] |
| 1994 | Love on a Branch Line | Lord Flamborough | All 4 episodes | [37] |
| 1994 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Justin Whittaker | 3 episodes | [64] |
| 1996 | The Canterville Ghost | George, Lord Canterville | TV film | [37] |
| 1999 | Dalziel and Pascoe | James Westropp | Episode: "Recalled to Life" | [37] |
| 2000 | Take a Girl Like You | Lord Archie Edgerstone | Episode: "Part 3" | [59] |
| 2001–2004 | Revolver | The Safecracker | 7 episodes | [65] |
| 2003 | Midsomer Murders | Major Godfrey Teal | Episode: "Painted in Blood" :Episode #6.3 | [37] |
| 2006 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Sir Philip Starke | Episode: "By the Pricking of My Thumbs" :S2.E3 | [37] |
| 2006 | Heartbeat | Denzil Witty | Episode: "Risky Business" | [66] |
| 2006 | The Catherine Tate Show | Teddy Morris | Episode: "Mum, I'm Gay" | [37] |
| 2006 | Walking with Shadows | Mr. Barness | TV film | [67] |
| 2007 | The Last Detective | Alistair Robertson | Episode: "The Dead Peasants Society" | [68] |
| 2008 | Harley Street | Dudley Grainger | Episode: #1.2 | [37] |
| 2009 | Things Talk | Grandfather Clock | Voice; TV film | [37] |
| 2015 | VE Day: Remembering Victory | Himself – Interviewee | Final television appearance | [37] |
Phillips reprised his role as the Sorting Hat in 2011 for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and made his last on-screen appearance in the 2012 film After Death.
