Lee brought to life characters including the titular star of "Dracula" (1958) and Saruman in the "Lord of the Rings" films (and later, the "Hobbit" trilogy), iconic performances that bookended a storied career. He was a titan of the horror industry, starring in the original "The Wicker Man," and making a household name out of the London-based Hammer Horror production company, for which he made more than 20 movies, including "The Curse of Frankenstein," many of which co-starred Peter Cushing.
But Lee was much more than that genre, and in an effort to avoid typecasting, took roles such as Roger Moore's Bond nemesis Scaramanga in 1974's "The Man with the Golden Gun," and also appeared in "Airport '77" and Stephen Spielberg's "1941." He later went on to play the evil Count Dooku in "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" and "Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," and also enjoyed several latter career collaborations with Tim Burton, starring in flicks including "Sleepy Hollow," "Corpse Bride," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Alice in Wonderland," and "Dark Shadows."
The late actor was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2009. But Lee wasn't content to let that honor cap his varied career -- he went on to become a popular heavy metal musician, too, releasing a full-length album, "Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross," in 2010. In 2013, he released a single, "Jingle Hell," that charted at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning him a distinction as one of the oldest living artists to ever enter the chart.
After news of his passing was made public, British Prime Minister David Cameron called Lee a "titan of the golden age of cinema," while Burton said the actor was "an enormous inspiration."
"He was the last of his kind - a true legend - who I'm fortunate to have called a friend," Burton said. "He will continue to inspire me and I'm sure countless others for generations to come."
Lee passed away at near his home in London on Sunday morning, after being hospitalized for respiratory problems and heart failure. He is survived by his wife and daughter.
[via: The Guardian]
Photo credit: Getty Images
Thank you for reading the article about Christopher Lee, 'Dracula' & 'Lord of the Rings' Star, Dies at 93 in blog amazing movies If this article was helpful please bookmark this page in your web browser by pressing Ctrl + D on your keyboard keys.