There are now 24 actors from the Harry Potter franchise who have sadly passed away, following the death of Leslie Phillips, which was announced today.
The beloved film series kicked off back in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, bringing in an ensemble cast that featured some of the most treasured names from Britain and abroad.
Sadly, not all are with us now, from leading stars like Alan Rickman, Richard Harris and Robbie Coltrane through to supporting cast members including Elizabeth Spriggs and Verne Troyer.
Richard Harris – Albus Dumbledore (1 October 1930 - 25 October 2002)
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Harris starred as the grandfatherly headmaster in the first two Harry Potter films, before Michael Gambon took over for the remaining six.
Robert Knox – Marcus Belby (21 August 1989 - 24 May 2008)
Knox was an English actor who played Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before he was tragically stabbed to death outside a bar in London after intervening in a fight to protect his brother.
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Elizabeth Spriggs – The Fat Lady (18 September 1929 - 2 July 2008)
Spriggs was known for playing The Fat Lady, a living portrait that guards the Gryffindor common room, a role that was eventually handed over to comedian Dawn French.
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Timothy Bateson – Kreacher (3 April 1926 - 15 September 2009)
Kreacher was an ageing house elf, who was voiced by Bateson in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix before the actor passed away in 2009.
Jimmy Gardner – Ernie Prang (24 August 2014 - 3 May 2010)
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Gardner was a WWII veteran who had acted since the 1960s, playing Knight Bus driver Ernie Prang in 2004’s third Harry Potter film.
Alfred Burke – Armando Dippet (28 February 1918 - 16 February 2011)
Alfred Burke died at the age of 92 in February 2011, having been known for his portrayal of Frank Marker in Public Eye and, later, Armando Dippett – Dumbledore's predecessor at Hogwarts.
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Eric Sykes – Frank Bryce (4 May 1923 - 4 July 2012)
Comic actor Eric Sykes played Frank Bryce, a Muggle who lived in the village of Little Hangleton – yep, the place where the Riddle family also resided. Serving as their gardener, he became the prime suspect of the family’s murder, although fans will know he was not responsible.
Richard Griffiths – Vernon Dursley (31 July 1947 - 28 March 2013)
No one could have brought Harry’s Uncle Vernon to life better than Richard Griffiths, who was a respected British actor of stage and screen known for roles including The History Boys, Withnail and I and Chariots of Fire.
Peter Cartwright – Elphias Doge (30 August 1935 - 18 November 2013)
Cartwright played the version iteration of the character Elphias Doge before his death in 2013, later being replaced by actor David Ryall.
Roger Lloyd Pack – Barty Crouch Senior (8 February 1944 - 15 January 2014)
Only Fools and Horses star Roger Lloyd Pack may have risen to fame as Trigger in the long-running sitcom, but he also went on to feature in one of the biggest movie franchises of all time as was an influential Ministry of Magic official Barty Crouch Senior.
Dave Legeno – Fenrir Greyback (12 October 1963 - July 2014)
The real die-hard fans will know that Fenrir Greyback was a werewolf and Death Eater with a dark penchant for attacking unsuspecting children. Sadly, the actor who played him was found dead by hikers in Death Valley, California in July 2014 after starring in three Harry Potter films.
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Derek Deadman – Tom from The Leaky Cauldron (11 March 1940 - 22 November 2014)
Tom, the bartender from Diagon Alley boozer The Leaky Cauldron, was brought to life by Derek Deadman, a character actor with four decades of experience in the British entertainment industry. Deadman sadly died from complications of diabetes.
David Ryall – Elphias Doge (5 January 1935 – 25 December 2014)
Ryall replaced Peter Cartwright as Order of the Phoenix member Elphias Doge, starring in 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part: 1. He passed away on Christmas Day, 2014.
Alan Rickman – Severus Snape (21 February 1946 - 14 January 2016)
While the death of Severus Snape came as a huge blow to Harry Potter fans, Alan Rickman's proved to be an even greater shock. Tragically, the actor had terminal cancer – a diagnosis he chose to keep private – and died in January 2016.
Terence Bayler – The Bloody Baron (24 January 1930 - 2 August 2016)
New Zealand actor Terence Bayler starred as The Bloody Baron, a ghost at Hogwarts who was formerly a wizard also known as Phillip Strenger.
Hazel Douglas – Bathilda Bagshot (2 November 1923 - 8 September 2016)
You may remember Hazel Douglas from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, where she played magical historian Bathilda Bagshot – the well-known author of A History of Magic, among other titles.
John Hurt – Garrick Ollivander (22 January 1940 - 25 January 2017)
Hurt was a celebrated English actor whose career spanned five decades, featuring in the film series as kindly wandmaker Ollivander.
Sam Beazley – Professor Everard (29 March 1916 - 12 June 2017)
Beazley was an actor and antiques dealer who featured in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as the painting of Professor Everard. He died in 2017 at a respectable age of 101.
Robert Hardy – Cornelius Fudge (29 October 1925 - 3 August 2017)
Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was portrayed in the Harry Potter films by Robert Hardy CBE, who had acting credits in theatre, film and television before his death in 2017.
Verne Troyer – Griphook (1 January 1969 - 21 April 2018)
Verne Troyer was arguably most famous for playing Mini Me in the Austin Powers films, but he also starred as Griphook in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone before being replaced by Warwick Davies.
Paul Ritter – Eldred Worple (20 December 1966 - 5 April 2021)
Friday Night Dinner star Paul Ritter sadly died of a brain tumour in 2021, with news of his death rocking the British TV scene. He also had many credits in cinema, too, including a turn as wizard and writer Eldred Worple, who had once been the favourite student of Horace Slughorn.
Helen McCrory – Narcissa Malfoy (17 August 1968 - 16 April 2021)
With roles including Polly in Peaky Blinders and Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise, McCrory had won a legion of fans before her untimely death last year.
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Robbie Coltrane – Rubeus Hagrid (30 March 1950 - 14 October 2022)
Last month, the world mourned after learning it had lost legendary Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, who famously played friendly groundskeeper Hagrid in the Harry Potter films.
Leslie Phillips – The Sorting Hat (20 April 1924 - 7 November 2022)
As well as voicing The Sorting Hat in a number of Harry Potter movies, Phillips was well known for featuring in the Carry On films. After forging a long-running and successful acting career, he died on 7 November.
Phillips' died 'peacefully in his sleep' at the age of 98, his agent Jonathan Lloyd confirmed in a statement.
Phillips' wife Zara said: "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."
Topics: Harry Potter, Film and TV, Celebrity
Jess Hardiman