Carry On legend Leslie Phillips has sadly passed away.
The sad news of the star's death was confirmed on Wednesday. The Harry Potter actor died on Monday following a long battle with illness bat the age of 98, after he previously survived two strokes.
The TV star, who was 90 when he suffered the strokes which were only six months apart, is most famous for his role in Carry On, however, he has starred in various other films, including Harry Potter - where he played the infamous sorting hat. Phillips also fought in World War 2 from 1943 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal artillery. He was just 14 when he appeared on the West End stage.
His last acting appearance came eight decades later when he voiced the sorting hat in Harry Potter. Phillips' glittering career spans over eight decades and he has starred in over 200 movies, TV and radio series.
Despite his incredible film and TV accolades, Phillips was best known for his role in the 'Carry On' and ‘Doctor’ comedy films in the 1950s and 60s. While he only starred in four of the 31 ‘Carry On’ movies, Phillips confessed that his famous catchphrases including 'Well hello', and 'I say', followed him for the rest of his career.
Earlier this year, Phillips opened up about surviving two strokes in the last few years. At the time, he told The Mirror: “I’m too young to pop off just yet. I’ve got everything to live for."
The actor suffered the stroke on a bus near his home in north London on the way back from shopping on Oxford Street and it was his wife, Zara Carr, who ultimately ended up saving his life. Phillips survived the ordeal because his wife, who is 36-years his junior, raised the alarm early.
Doctors said he wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for his wife's quick thinking. Talking about the ordeal, Zara previously said: “Thank God I was there to save his life.” She told the Daily Mail: “Leslie suddenly started leaning on me and was unable to put a ticket in his coat pocket. He had terrible pains in his left arm so I stopped the bus and called an ambulance which took him to University College Hospital in Euston.”
After making a recovery, six months later, Leslie and Zara found themselves in a similar position once again. Phillips suffered a second minor stroke, but he was resuscitated by his wife this time.
The second time around, his symptom was a minor seizure, which made him turn 'black and blue'. He was given tests at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington but spent the night at home.
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