Leslie Phillips: Comedy actor who made his name in Carry On films

Leslie Phillips arriving for the world premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Ian West/PA)

Leslie Phillips, famous for his leery ladies’ man, roguish, upper-class roles, was a great comedy actor who yearned to get out of what he called “that rut” and concentrate on heavier and more serious parts.

To some extent he succeeded, but even so he will always be remembered above all else for the outrageous comic characters he perfected in the Carry On films and elsewhere.