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Christopher Lee is a Actor and Producer British born on 27 may 1922 at Belgravia (United-kingdom)

Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee
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Birth name Christopher Frank Carandini Lee
Nationality United-kingdom
Birth 27 may 1922 at Belgravia (United-kingdom)
Death 7 june 2015 (at 93 years)
Awards Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award

Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor, singer, author, and World War II veteran. With a career spanning nearly 70 years, Lee initially portrayed villains and became best known for his role as Count Dracula in a sequence of Hammer Horror films. His other film roles include Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014), and Count Dooku in the final two films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (2002 and 2005).

Lee was knighted for services to drama and charity in 2009, received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011 and received the BFI Fellowship in 2013. Lee considered his best performance to be that of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the biopic Jinnah (1998), and his best film to be the British horror film The Wicker Man (1973).

Always noted as an actor for his deep strong voice, Lee was also known for his singing ability, recording various opera and musical pieces between 1986 and 1998 and the symphonic metal album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross in 2010 after having worked with several metal bands since 2005. The heavy metal follow-up titled Charlemagne: The Omens of Death was released on 27 May 2013. He was honoured with the "Spirit of Metal" award at the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden God awards ceremony.

Lee died from complications of respiratory problems and heart failure in a Chelsea hospital on the morning of 7 June 2015 at the age of 93.

Biography

The Carandinis, Lee's maternal ancestors, were given the right to bear the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Cinemareview notes: "Cardinal Consalvi was Papal Secretary of State at the time of Napoleon and is buried at the Pantheon in Rome next to the painter Raphael. His painting, by Lawrence, hangs in Windsor Castle."

Lee was a step-cousin of Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond spy novels, and a distant relative of Robert E. Lee and the astronomer John Lee.

Lee was engaged for a time in the late fifties to Henriette von Rosen, whom he met at a nightclub in Stockholm. Her father, Count Fritz von Rosen, proved demanding, getting them to delay the wedding for a year, asking his London-based friends to interview Lee, hiring private detectives to investigate him, and asking Lee to provide him with references, which Lee obtained from Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., John Boulting and Joe Jackson. Lee found the meeting of her extended family to be like something from a surrealist Luis Buñuel film and thought they were "killing me with cream". Finally, Lee had to have the permission of the King of Sweden to marry. Lee had met him some years before whilst filming Tales of Hans Anderson and received his blessing. However, shortly before the wedding, Lee ended the engagement. He was concerned that his financial insecurity in his chosen profession meant that she "deserved better" than being "pitched into the dishevelled world of an actor". She understood and they called the wedding off.

Lee was introduced to Danish painter and former model Birgit "Gitte" Krøncke by a Danish friend and his wife in 1960. They were engaged soon after and married on 17 March 1961. They had a daughter, Christina Erika Carandini Lee (b. 1963), who married Juan Francisco Aneiros Rodriguez in July 2001. Lee was also the uncle of the British actress Dame Harriet Walter. Both Lee and his daughter Christina provided spoken vocals on Rhapsody of Fire's album From Chaos to Eternity.

Known for his imposing height, Lee stood 6 ft 5 in (1.95 m) tall. Lee and his wife Birgit were listed as among the fifty best-dressed over 50 by the Guardian in March 2013.

Lee was a supporter of the British Conservative Party. He described Michael Howard as "the ideal person to lead the party" in 2003 and supported William Hague and David Cameron.

Contrary to popular belief, Lee did not have a vast library of occult books. When giving a speech at the University College Dublin on 8 November 2011, he said: "Somebody wrote I have 20,000 books. I'd have to live in a bath! I have maybe four or five [occult books]." He further admonished the students against baneful occult practices, warning them that he had met "people who claimed to be Satanists. Who claimed to be involved with black magic."; however, he himself had certainly never been involved: "I warn all of you: never, never, never. You will not only lose your mind, you'll lose your soul.

Best films

Usually with

Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
(26 films)
Jesús Franco
Jesús Franco
(9 films)
Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
(6 films)
Roy Ashton
Roy Ashton
(16 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Christopher Lee (224 films)

Display filmography as detailed form
YearNameJobRoles
2014The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesActorSaruman
2013Night Train to LisbonActorFather Bartholomeu
2013The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugActorSaruman
2013Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC ComicsActorNarrator
2013The Girl from NagasakiActorOld Officer Pinkerton
2012Dark ShadowsActorClarney
2012FrankenweenieActorMovie Dracula (archive footage)
2012The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneyActorSaruman
2011HugoActorMonsieur Labisse
2011Season of the WitchActorCardinal D'Ambroise
2011The Wicker TreeActorOld Man
2011The ResidentActorAugust
2011Grave TalesActor
2010Alice in WonderlandActorThe Jabberwocky (voice)
2010Burke & HareActorOld Joseph
2010The HeavyActorMr. Mason
2010Sherlock Holmes and the Leading LadyActorSherlock Holmes
2009Glorious 39ActorOlder Walter Page
2009Julie & JuliaActor
2009Boogie WoogieActorMr. Alfred Rhinegold
2009LEGO Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2ActorCount Dooku (grunts)
2009TriageActorJoaquín Morales
2008Star Wars: The Clone WarsActorCount Dooku (voice)
2008Hollywood ChineseActorSelf
2008Terry Pratchett's The Colour of MagicActorDeath (voice)
2007The Golden CompassActorFirst High Councilor
2005Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryActorDr. Wonka
2005Corpse BrideActorPastor Galswells (voice)
2005Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the SithActorCount Dooku
2005The Adventures of Greyfriars BobbyActorThe Lord Provost
2005Pope John Paul II (TV miniseries)ActorKardinal Stefan Wyszyński
2004Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the ApocalypseActorEmerich
2003The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingActorSaruman (Extended Edition)
2002The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersActorSaruman
2002Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesActorCount Dooku
2002Bond Girls Are ForeverActorFrancisco Scaramanga (archive footage) (uncredited)
2001The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingActorSaruman
2001R2-D2: Beneath the DomeActorSelf
2000In the BeginningActorRameses I
1999Sleepy HollowActorBurgomaster
1998JinnahActorMohammed Ali Jinnah
1998Tale of the MummyActorSir Richard Turkel
1997The Odyssey (TV miniseries)ActorTiresias
1996The StupidsActorEvil Sender
1995MosesActorPharao Ramses
1994The Rainbow ThiefActorUncle Rudolf
1994Police Academy: Mission to MoscowActorCommandant Rakov
1994A Feast At MidnightActorV. E. 'Raptor' Longfellow
1994Funny ManActorCallum Chance
1993Death TrainActorGeneral Konstanin Benin
1992Beauty and the BeastActor
1992Double VisionActorMr. Bernard
1992Cyber EdenActorCedric
1992Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria FallsActorSherlock Holmes
1990The MiserActorCardinale Spinosi
1990Gremlins 2: The New BatchActorDoctor Catheter
1990Honeymoon AcademyActorLazos
1990Treasure IslandActorBlind Pew
1989The French RevolutionActorSanson
1989The Return of the MusketeersActorRochefort
1989Night of the EaglesActorWalter Strauss
1988Dark Mission: Flowers of EvilActorLuis Morel
1987The GirlActorPeter Storm
1987Mio in the Land of FarawayActorKato
1986ValhallaActorThor
1986JocksActorPresident White
1985Fright NightActorDracula (archive footage)
1985Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf BitchActorStefan Crosscoe
1985Mask of MurderActorChief Supt. Jonathan Rich
1984The Rosebud Beach HotelActorMr. Clifford King
1983House of the Long ShadowsActorCorrigan
1983The Return of Captain InvincibleActorMr. Midnight
1982The Last UnicornActorKing Haggard (voice)
1982Safari 3000ActorCount Borgia
1981An Eye for an EyeActorMorgan Canfield
1981The SalamanderActorPrince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence
1981Goliath AwaitsActorJohn McKenzie
1980Fade to BlackActor
1980SerialActorLuckman Skull
1980Once Upon a SpyActorMarcus Valorium
19791941ActorCapt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
1979Nutcracker FantasyActorUncle Drosselmeyer
1979Arabian AdventureActorCaliph Alquazar
1979Bear IslandActorLechinski
1979Jaguar Lives!ActorAdam Caine
1979The PassageActorGypsy
1979Captain America II: Death Too SoonActorMiguel
1978Circle of IronActorZetan
1978Return from Witch MountainActorVictor Gannon
1978CaravansActorSardar Khan
1978The PirateActorSamir Al Fay
1977End of the WorldActorFather Pergado / Zindar
1977Airport '77ActorMartin Wallace
1977Starship InvasionsActorCaptain Rameses
1976AlbinoActorBill
1976Dracula and SonActorLe prince des Ténèbres
1976To the Devil a DaughterActorFather Michael
1976Killer ForceActorMajor Chilton
1976The KeeperActorThe Keeper
1975The Butcher, the Star and the OrphanActor
1974The Man with the Golden GunActorFrancisco Scaramanga
1974The Four MusketeersActorRochefort
1973The Satanic Rites of DraculaActorCount Dracula
1973The Wicker ManActorLord Summerisle
1973The Creeping FleshActorJames Hildern
1973Dark PlacesActorDr. Ian Mandeville
1973The Three MusketeersActorRochefort
1973Nothing But the NightActor, ProducerCol. Charles Bingham
1973Eugenie de SadeActor
1972Dracula A.D. 1972ActorCount Dracula
1972Death LineActorStratton-Villiers, MI5
1972Horror ExpressActorProf. Sir Alexander Saxton
1972UmbracleActorThe Man
1972Vampir CuadecucActorSelf
1971The House That Dripped BloodActorJohn Reid (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")
1971Hannie CaulderActorBailey
1971I, MonsterActorDr. Charles Marlowe / Mr. Edward Blake
1970Scars of DraculaActorDracula
1970Taste the Blood of DraculaActorDracula
1970Julius CaesarActorArtemidorus
1970Count DraculaActorDracula
1970Julius CaesarActorArtemidorus
1970One More TimeActorDracula
1970The Private Life of Sherlock HolmesActorMycroft Holmes
1970Scream and Scream AgainActorFremont
1970The Bloody JudgeActorLord George Jeffreys
1970EugenieActorDolmance
1969The Magic ChristianActorShip's Vampire
1969The Castle of Fu ManchuActorDr. Fu Man Chu
1969The Oblong BoxActorDr. J. Neuhartt
1968Dracula Has Risen from the GraveActorDracula
1968The Devil Rides OutActorDuc de Richleau
1968The Blood of Fu ManchuActorDr. Fu Man Chu
1968Curse of the Crimson AltarActorJ.D. Morley
1968The Movie OrgyActorFu Manchu/Dracula (archive footage)
1968EveActorColonel Stuart
1967Five Golden DragonsActorDragon #4
1967Night of the Big HeatActorGodfrey Hanson
1967The Vengeance of Fu ManchuActorDr. Fu Manchu
1967The Torture Chamber of Dr. SadismActorCount Frederic Regula / Graf von Andomai
1967Theatre of DeathActorPhilippe Darvas
1966The Brides of Fu ManchuActorFu Manchu
1966Dracula: Prince of DarknessActorCount Dracula
1966Rasputin: The Mad MonkActorGrigori Rasputin
1966Circus of FearActorGregor
1965SheActorBillali
1965The Face of Fu ManchuActorDr. Fu Man Chu
1965The Greatest Story Ever ToldActor
1965Dr. Terror's House of HorrorsActorFranklyn Marsh
1965The SkullActorSir Matthew Phillips
1965Ten Little IndiansActorMr. U.N. Owen (voice)
1964The Devil-Ship PiratesActorCaptain Robeles
1964The GorgonActorProf. Karl Meister
1964Crypt of the VampireActorCount Ludwig Karnstein
1964The Castle of the Living DeadActorCount Drago
1963The Whip and the BodyActorKurt Menliff
1963Horror CastleActorErich
1963Challenge the DevilActorMephistoles
1962LolitaActor
1962Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly NecklaceActorSherlock Holmes
1962The Pirates of Blood RiverActorCaptain LaRoche
1962Secret of the Red OrchidActorCapt. Allerman
1962The Devil's AgentActorBaron Ferdi von Staub
1962Im Namen des TeufelsActor
1961Taste of FearActorDoctor Pierre Gerrard
1961The Devil's DaffodilActorLing Chu
1961Hercules in the Haunted WorldActorKing Lico (Licos)
1961The Terror of the TongsActorChung King
1960The Two Faces of Dr. JekyllActorPaul Allen
1960Beat GirlActorKenny King
1960The City of the DeadActorProf. Alan Driscoll
1960The Hands of OrlacActorNero the magician
1960Too Hot to HandleActorNovak
1960The Hands of OrlacActorNero the magician
1959The Hound of the BaskervillesActorSir Henry Baskerville
1959The Stranglers of BombayActor
1959The Man Who Could Cheat DeathActorDr. Pierre Gerrard
1959The MummyActorKharis, the Mummy
1959The Treasure of San TeresaActorJaeger
1959Uncle Was A VampireActorBaron Roderico da Frankurten
1958DraculaActorCount Dracula
1958Battle of the V-1ActorBrunner
1958Corridors of BloodActorResurrection Joe
1958A Tale of Two CitiesActorMarquis St. Evremonde
1957The Curse of FrankensteinActorThe Creature
1957Bitter VictoryActorSgt. Barney
1957Fortune Is a WomanActorCharles Highbury
1957Ill Met by MoonlightActorGerman officer at The Dentist's office
1957ManuelaActorVoice (voice)
1957The TraitorActorDoctor Neumann
1957The Truth About WomenActorFrancois Thiers
1956Alexander the GreatActorNectenabus (voice)
1956The Battle of the River PlateActorManolo
1956Beyond MombasaActorGil Rossi
1956Private's ProgressActorMajor Schultz
1956Port AfriqueActorFranz Vermes
1955That LadyActorCaptain
1955The Cockleshell HeroesActorSubmarine Commander Alan Grieves
1955The Dark AvengerActorFrench Patrol Captain at Tavern (uncredited)
1955Storm Over the NileActorKaraga Pasha
1955Contraband SpainActorNarrator (voice)
1955Alias John PrestonActorJohn Preston
1955Police DogActorJohnny, a constable
1953Innocents in ParisActorLieutenant Whitlock
1952Babes in BagdadActorSlave Dealer
1952Moulin RougeActorGeorges Seurat (uncredited)
1952The Crimson PirateActorJoseph (attache)
1952Paul Temple ReturnsActorSir Felix Raybourne
1952Top SecretActorRussian Agent (uncredited)
1952Babes in BagdadActorSlave Dealer
1951Quo VadisActorChariot Driver (uncredited)
1951Captain Horatio HornblowerActorSpanish Captain
1951Valley of the EaglesActorDet. Holt
1950They Were Not DividedActorChris Lewis
1950Prelude to FameActorNewsman
1949Trottie TrueActorHon. Bongo Icklesham
1948Scott of the AntarcticActorBernard Day
1948HamletActorPalace Guard (uncredited)
1948My Brother's KeeperActorSecond Constable
1948Saraband for Dead LoversActorDuke Anthony von Wolfenbuttel
1948A Song for TomorrowActorAuguste
1948Corridor of MirrorsActorCharles
1948One Night with YouActorPirelli's Assistant
1948Penny and the Pownall CaseActorJonathan Blair