Leslie Phillips, the lauded British performer whose work over eight decades saw him transform from a comic character actor known for his suave and lecherous roles to the voice of the sentient Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter film series, died Monday. His agent, Jonathan Lloyd, confirmed Phillips died in his sleep. He was 98. Phillips appeared in more than 170 film, television, and radio projects over the course of his career. Though he preferred to think of himself as a serious dramatic actor, he drew acclaim and recognition primarily from his comedic work, particularly as a smooth-talking, blazer-wearing cad in four movies associated with Britain’s beloved Carry On franchise. The catchphrases he uttered while playing these posh ladies’ men—“Hello,” “I say,” and “Ding dong!”—became so popular as to enter the common British lexicon of the era. Distancing himself from the franchise in later years, Phillips settled comfortably into being an elder statesman of the screen, and provided the voice of the all-knowing Hat in the first, second, and eighth Potter films. “I've lost a wonderful husband and the public has lost a truly great showman,” the actor’s wife, Zara Carr, told The Sun on Tuesday. “He was quite simply a national treasure. People loved him.”
