Biography

A much-loved comic actor who specialized in playing plummy, quintessentially English stereotypes, Leslie Phillips' heart was in acting from a very young age. He received elocution lessons as a child in order to lose his natural cockney accent (at that time a regional British accent was a major impediment to an aspiring actor) and he attended the Italia Conti School.

During the Second World War he served with the Durham Light Infantry (1942-45), but was invalided out, suffering from shell shock. He returned to acting, and during the 1950s established himself as a notable player in British movies. His greatest claim to fame is the "Doctor" series of movies, in which he took over the lead role from Dirk Bogarde. He also acted on radio, most notably in 'The Navy Lark' for the BBC.

In later life he returned to playing supporting roles and even appeared in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). He continued to make cameo appearances in films and television, and became a regular guest on British chat shows.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

Born in Tottenham in 1924, Leslie Phillips was a model and child actor and first trod the boards at nine years old. Two years later, he was acting with Anna Neagle on the West End stage in 'Peter Pan'. He was connected with show business for most of his life, yet came from a family with no show business connections, with neither his sister nor elder brother showing any interest.

He always preferred to go to the cinema or theatre, rather than bother with his schoolmates and school games. His mother, recognizing his aspirations, enrolled him at the Italia Conti School. His first break into films came in 1936, when his mother read an advertisement, which resulted in him having a screen test and being cast in the film 'Lassie From Lancashire'. A few other films followed before he had to do war service, after which he returned to the West End stage and created the role of Tony in the hit West End comedy 'For Better For Worse'. Supporting roles opposite Norman Wisdom in Just My Luck (1957) and Bill Travers in The Smallest Show on Earth (1957) led to Hollywood and a role in the Gene Kelly film Les Girls (1957).

Returning to England, he started a long run (1959 to 1977) in the radio series 'The Navy Lark' and in the comedy films Doctor in Love (1960), Doctor in Clover (1966) and Doctor in Trouble (1970). Through the 1970s, he directed and starred in stage farces and in the films Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! (1974) and Spanish Fly (1976). He then changed track, appearing in the title role of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of 'Falstaff' and as Chekhov in 'August'. He also performed a one-man show, 'On the Whole it's Been Jolly Good', which won plaudits at the Edinburgh Festival and Hampstead.

On television, he played the scheming James Blake in the series Chancer (1990-91) and returned to films with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), as well as providing the voice of the Sorting Hat in the 'Harry Potter' films. He much preferred light comedy and filming as his favorites, the latter because it gave him the chance to perfect something if it was wrong.

He married actress Penelope Bartley on 30th May 1948 and had four children.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5