For a younger generation, Leslie Phillips was the voice of the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films - for those slightly longer in the tooth, he was the star of memorable Carry On and Doctor films, and a much-loved comic actor.
The actor's agent Jonathan Lloyd confirmed the star died peacefully in his sleep on Monday at the age of 98. One of the most well-known faces and voices of British screen and radio, Phillips starred in more than 200 films, TV and radio series over his eight-decade career.
His suggestive catchphrases such as "ding dong", "I say", and "well, hello" became well-known in a string of roles where Phillips played his trademark character of well-spoken, upper-class, smooth-talking comedy Casanova. Away from cinema, television and radio, he was one of a legion of jobbing actors who earned a living in repertory, treading the boards of Britain's provincial theatres.
