British actor Leslie Phillips, who voiced the sorting hat throughout the Harry Potter franchise, died Monday at age 98.
Phillips died peacefully in his sleep after a long battle with an unspecified illness, his agent, Jonathan Lloyd, stated according to the BBC. His wife, Zara, told the Sun that he was adored by the public for his unconventional sense of humor, reminiscing on how he used to introduce her to the press as royalty. “He was quite simply a national treasure. People loved him. He was mobbed everywhere he went,” she stated. (RELATED: ‘Harry Potter’ Actor Robby Coltrane Dead At 72).
We are incredibly sad to hear of the passing of the wonderful Leslie Phillips who voiced the Sorting Hat with such inimitable wit and style in the Harry Potter films. pic.twitter.com/gcqsIT2T3j
— Harry Potter Film (@HarryPotterFilm) November 8, 2022
Aside from voicing the “Hogwarts” sorting hat, Phillips starred in four “Carry On” movies, including “Carry On Columbus,” “Carry On Constable,” “Carry On Teacher,” and “Carry On Nurse,” according to his IMDb page. These movies gave him some of his most iconic catchphrases, such as “ding dong,” I say,” and “Well, hello,” the BBC noted.
“The first time I’d uttered [ding dong] I would never have believed that I would become so inescapably linked with them in the minds of the public for the next 50 years and still counting,” he wrote in his 2012 autobiography “Hello,” the Hollywood Reporter reported.
Phillips had been starring in movies since returning home after serving as a lieutenant during World War II, Fox News noted. His first major role came alongside film legend Gene Kelley in a musical titled “Les Girls” He is survived by his wife and four children from a previous marriage, according to the outlet.