Leslie Phillips: Last goodbye to the actor of Carry On, Lara Croft, and Harry Potter

Less than a month after the death of Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies), another prominent voice of the magician's films has passed. We are talking about Leslie Phillips, who died peacefully at the age of 98.

Phillips was a veteran actor with a long and eventful life. He was born in 1924 in Tottenham, England, and was married 3 times, his last wife being Zara Carr. Leslie Phillips had 4 children with his first wife.

The actor's voice and comic timing are known from his role as the Sorting Hat in three of the Harry Potter movies.

Phillips participated in 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' (2001) 'Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets' (2002), and finally, 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2' (2011).

As a young man, Phillips already worked as a theatre actor. When the Second World War broke out, he was called to fight. He would rise to the rank of lance-bombardier in the Royal Artillery.

Image: Leslie Phillips and Geraldine McEwan in the London Comedy Theatre play 'For Better, For Worse' in 1952.

Phillips was discharged from military service due to a neurological disease causing partial paralysis. He continued working in theatre and also made it to TV with the sitcom 'My Wife Jacqueline' (1952).

Leslie Phillips would stand out as a comic actor because of his amusing English stereotypes.

His big break in film was with the musical 'Les Girls' (1957). Although it was a success, he decided not to move to Hollywood, as he considered himself a pure theatre actor.

Theatre was not what he would become best known for, though. Here we see him in the British comedy 'Carry on Nurse,' the second out of a series of 31. The movies were about a ward of men causing havoc in a hospital while a strong matron tries to bring order.

'Doctor in Trouble' is another saga of comedy films about the medical profession. Leslie Phillips played Dr. Turner, a physician who gets into all kinds of strange situations. One of the cast members was actress Angela Scoular, who would become his second wife.

In this award-winning film, Phillips worked under the direction of Steven Spielberg and alongside actors Christian Bale (still a child then), and John Malkovich, among others.

He also participated in several TV series, such as 'Casanova '73 (1973), 'Chancer' (1990-1991), and 'The House of Windsor' (1994).

At age 76, the actor proved he was still relevant in Hollywood. When the video game 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,' was taken to the big screen, Leslie shared the set with Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight, and Daniel Craig, among others.

Over the decades he spent on screen, Leslie Phillips was nominated for several awards. One of the recent projects earning him accolades was 'Venus' in 2006. The film earned him nominations for a BAFTA and London Critics Circle Film Award, while he won the British Independent Film Award for his role.

An icon in British film, theatre, and television, Leslie Phillips mingled with royals and commoners alike. He met the Prince of Wales and the Queen several times throughout his life.

In 2008, the actor was given the title Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

Phillips is part of English culture. Some well-known catchphrases first came from his mouth: "I say, Ding Dong" (Carry On Nurse), and "Well hello!"

Phillips, a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur fan, passed away in his sleep, the BBC reported. He died of natural causes.

His wife pays homage to the classic British star: "I’ve lost a wonderful husband and the public has lost a truly great showman. He was quite simply a national treasure. People loved him. He was mobbed everywhere he went."