Actor Leslie Phillips, Best Known As The Voice Of The Sorting Hat, Dies At Age 98

TV & Film

Nov 10

“Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind either. There’s talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where shall I put you?”

British actor Leslie Samuel Phillips, known by Potterheads young and old as the voice of the Sorting Hat, passed away at the age of 98. According to News Network, Phillip’s agent Johnathan Lloyd states the actor died peacefully in his sleep. With a long history of portraying upper and higher-class characters in British media, Leslie Phillips was born with a “more pronounced” working-class English accent. It wasn’t until he started studying drama and dance at the well-renowned Italia Conti Stage School that Phillips lost his regional accent.

As the 1930s carried along, Phillips continued serving as a Durham Light Infantry lieutenant. After his service, Phillips received his first film appearances. His big break by staring alongside Gene Kelly on a stage production titled Les Girls. According to the BBC, Phillips starred in more than 200 films, TV and radio series over his eight-decade career. He was known for catchphrases such as “Ding dong” - a reference to the name of his character Jack Bell in 1959’s Carry on Nurse - “I say” and “Well, hello “…While he only starred in four of the 31 Carry On films, the actor said his famous catchphrases followed him for the rest of his career.

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Throughout Phillip’s life, many of his co-stars and loved ones described the former comedic actor as a wonderful man, “a truly warm, funny, and gentle man,” and a legend in his own right. Truly a legend, Phillips suffered a stroke eight years before his November 8 death and made a strong recovery. Unfortunately, Phillips suffered two more strokes six months apart at the age of ninety.

While many younger fans may not know Phillips from his Carry On films and older films, he gained a new fanbase as the one who sorted witches and wizards in either the Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw houses.

Leslie Phillips receiving his OBE — Image Source: Mayapuri

According to BBC, Phillips was made an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the 1998 Birthday Honours list and was promoted to CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2008 New Year Honours. After lending his voice in the Harry Potter franchise, Phillips took on dramatic roles. This included a Bafta-nominated appearance opposite veteran actor Peter O’Toole in 2006’s Venus.

Funeral arrangements have not been made public. Phillips is survived by his wife Zara, who describes him as “a wonderful husband” and laments his loss to the Sun, “…the public has lost a truly great showman. [Phillips] was quite simply a national treasure. People loved him. He was mobbed everywhere he went.”

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