Christopher Lee real name: Christopher Frank Carandini Lee Height: 6'4''(in feet & inches) 1.9304(m) 193.04(cm) , Birthdate(Birthday): May 27, 1922 , Age on June 7, 2015 (Death date): 93 Years 0 Months 11 Days Profession: Movies (Actor), Also working as: Singer, Author, Features: Light brown eyes and grey hair, Father: Geoffrey Trollope Lee, Mother: Estelle Marie Carandini di Sarzano, School . It's terribly when you lose an old friend, and Christopher Lee was one of my oldest. "[16] Lee applied for a scholarship to Eton, where his interview was in the presence of the ghost story author M.R. [187] In 2010, he was identified as the IMDb member with the greatest closeness centrality, implying he was the best-connected person in the business. Burton went on to award him with a Bafta fellowship. Wikipedia Wikiquote. [113] He provided the voice for the role of Ansem the Wise/DiZ in video games including Kingdom Hearts II. Born in Belgravia, London, in 1922 to a military father and an aristocratic mother, Lees film career started in 1947 with a role in the gothic romance Corridor of Mirrors. Christopher Lee's weight was around 80 kg (176 lbs). [44], After "killing time" at RAF Kasfareet near the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal Zone in 1942, he resumed intelligence work in the city of Ismalia. Some film books incorrectly credit him with a role in the film, something he had to correct for the rest of his life. [18] Aside from a "tiny part" in a school play, he did not act while at Wellington. The actor was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity, and was awarded the Bafta fellowship in 2011. [101], Lee considered his best performance to be in this period, when he played Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the biopic Jinnah (1998). [64], Lee mentioned that during the war he was attached to special forces, but declined to give details. Making films has never just been a job to me, it's my life. [147], With the song "Jingle Hell," Lee entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. [4] His step-father had gone bankrupt, owing 25,000 (equivalent to US$1,648,985 in 2021). His 2013 single Jingle Hell entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 22, which made him the oldest living artist ever to enter the charts. [26] It was arranged that he should remain in Menton after his sister had returned home, but with Europe on the brink of war, he returned to London instead. Lee considers this film to be the reason he stopped being typecast: "I've never been typecast since. And I loved him for it. [65] Lee had an interest in the occult, to which he was introduced by Dennis Wheatley. [76][113] Lee respected Depp as "a fellow survivor",[114] describing him as "inventive and [having] enormous versatility". "[72], Because of his filming schedule in Bangkok, film director Ken Russell was unable to sign Lee to play the Specialist in Tommy (1975). After dabbling with music throughout much of his career, including a song on The Wicker Man soundtrack, Lee released his first full-length album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross in 2010. We'll miss you. In 2011, he returned to Hammer with a role in the Hilary Swank thriller The Resident, although he generally tried to avoid the horror genre in later years. There were lots of people behind me. Lee, 48, had committed suicide in December 2012, and Scott-Chung was still reeling from the death of the friend who had served as best man in his wedding. But it worked.. [117][118] While filming scenes for the film in New Mexico in early 2009, Lee injured his back when he tripped over power cables on set. [94] Shaffer read the David Pinner novel Ritual, in which a devout Christian policeman is called to investigate what appears to be the ritual murder of a young girl in a rural village, and decided that it would serve well as the source material for the project. The couple had been married for more than 50 years and had one daughter, Christina. [30] He and other British volunteers were kept away from the actual fighting, but they were issued with winter gear and were posted on guard duty a safe distance from the border. And when Id say no hed say, Think of all the people youre putting out of work! Now that was truly disgraceful emotional blackmail, really. [27] He worked as an office clerk for United States Lines, taking care of the mail and running errands. [164], Lee was known for his imposing height:[165] he was 6ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall. In his career, he also turned down a role in Airplane!, something he also regretted. [138] In 2007, he voiced the transcript of The Children of Hrin by J. R. R. Tolkien for the audiobook version of the novel. Lee reprised his role as Count Dooku in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008). However, it wasnt until the late 50s, when Lee worked with Hammer, that he started gaining fame. That was the single most important thing I ever did in my career, he said in the 2000 Star-Ledger interview. With his eyes ablaze and eyeteeth bared, his aristocratic nostrils flaring, and his cloak clutched tight about him like the wings of a giant bat trapped in midflight, Lee made Dracula his own as no actor had before him, Denis Meikle wrote in his book A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer., Lee once credited three films for bringing me to the fore as an actor, all of them remakes of classic films: A Tale of Two Cities (1958), in which he played the villainous marquis; The Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula., But Horror of Dracula, titled Dracula in Britain, was the one that made the difference.. He became known for playing Count Dooku in Star Wars and Saruman in Lord of the Rings. Christopher Lee English actor (1922-2015) . He conceded that he was now too old, and that his physical limitations prevented him from being considered. A few years later, he appeared in Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. 8:45 AM. He did most of the swordplay himself, though a stunt double was required for the long shots with more vigorous footwork. He just looks at you with his eyes, and you are compelled., Sleepy Hollow star Johnny Depp said: Christopher is truly a force to be reckoned with. Christopher was 55 years old. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? He was a fascinating person. I have some interests outside of acting I sing and Ive written books, for instance but acting is what keeps me going, its what I do, it gives life purpose., Christopher Lee: an actor of muscular intelligence with a staggering career | Peter Bradshaw, The blossoming career of Christopher Lee: from the archive, 11 March 1972, Merry metal Christmas: Christopher Lee's 2014 festive musical offering, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. [64] Here, he was tasked with helping to track down Nazi war criminals. All of this money was evidently put toward his outstanding expenses and probate (a legal process whereby a will is accepted as a legal document and the executor is given . [103] He made a habit of reading the novels at least once a year. Lees most famous role for Hammer was playing Dracula, a role which became one of his most widely recognised, although the actor wasnt pleased with how the character was treated. [47] As the North African Campaign progressed, the squadron "leapfrogged" between Egyptian airstrips, from RAF El Daba to Maaten Bagush and on to Mersa Matruh; they lent air support to the ground forces and bombed strategic targets. [120], Christopher is truly a force to be reckoned with. [155], 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. 260 Squadron RAF as an intelligence officer. [136] He was the original voice of Thor in the German dubs of the Danish 1986 animated film Valhalla, and of King Haggard in both the English and German dubs of the 1982 animated adaptation of The Last Unicorn. Spike Lee 's new year is off to a tough start. Think of all the people you know so well, that you will put out of work!" The man who'd foiled mutinies as a member of RAF intelligence. [72][93], Lee had many television roles. [36] In the winter, his father fell ill with bilateral pneumonia and died on 12 March 1941. Status Incarcerated at Dodge Correctional Institution Spouse Shanann Rzucek (m. 2012; murdered 2018) Details Victims Shanann Watts Bella Marie Watts Celeste "CeCe" Watts Nico Watts (unborn) Date apprehended August 15, 2018 In an interview in 2013, Lee spoke about his love of acting. They featured, too, in separate instalments of the Star Wars films: Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in the original film, and Lee decades later as Count Dooku. [17] His poor maths skills meant that he was placed eleventh, and thus missed out on being a King's Scholar by one place. Lee's wife inherited his wealth. It's not a comedy, but it's got a comic title. [11] They then returned to London, where Lee attended Wagner's private school in Queen's Gate, and his mother married Harcourt George St-Croix Rose, a banker and uncle of Ian Fleming. Born in Los Angeles in 1952, Christopher was the only son of actor Lee Marvin. A statement e-mailed to the Reuters news agency from Mr. Lee's agent . He had moved to England and lived with his family in Cadogan Square, London until his death. [130] He appeared in a web exclusive, reading an excerpt from the Sherlock Holmes short story The Final Problem. The son of a lieutenant colonel in the 60th Kings Royal Rifle Corps and an Italian countess, he was born Christopher Frank Carandini Lee in London on May 27, 1922. [169] Politically, Lee supported the Conservative Party. [72] Steven Spielberg, who was in the audience for that show, cast him in 1941 (1979). [107] Lee's appearance in the final film in the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, was cut from the theatrical release, but the scene was reinstated in the extended edition. Eliot's period as a parishioner there. 1 for 4 weeks, Aging beloved YA author Judy Blumes inevitable foil isnt so bad after all, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points. [89], Lee appeared as the Comte de Rochefort in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers (1973). Known as an actor with a deep, strong voice, Lee also sang, recorded 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. In the 70s, Lee continued to gain fame in the horror genre with a role in The Wicker Man, a film which he considered to be his best. "[151] His fourth EP and third annual Christmas release came in December 2014, as he put out "Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing," a playful take on "Hark! [186], Lee was named 2005's 'most marketable star in the world' in a USA Today newspaper poll, after three of the films he appeared in grossed US$640million. A friend said: 'Do you know you are in a film in Old Compton Street?' Quotes By Christopher Lee Actors Height: 6'5" (196 cm ), 6'5" Males Died on: June 7, 2015 place of death: Chelsea, London, England City: London, England Cause of Death: Respiratory Problems Recommended Lists: British Celebrities British Men Tall Celebrities Tall Male Celebrities Gemini Actors Childhood & Early Life Lee was a producer of the horror film Nothing But the Night (1972), in which he starred. Farewell. As a Grammy Award winning drummer, he collaborated with over 14 bands before moving to Santa Barbara in 2005. [100], Lee and Peter Cushing appeared together in more than a dozen feature films together for Hammer Films, Amicus Productions, and other companies, as well as in Hamlet (1948) and Moulin Rouge (1952), albeit in separate scenes. I don't see the point. Lee's Dracula is a rampant sex fiend, using that stare to make buxom ladies everywhere come over a little faint. It was the first and last film he produced, as he did not enjoy the process. That immediately gave me a name and a face to go with it. [136] Both Lee and his daughter Christina provided spoken vocals on Rhapsody of Fire's album From Chaos to Eternity. "[73], In this early period, he made an uncredited appearance in Laurence Olivier's film version of Hamlet (1948), as a spear carrier (his later co-star and close friend Peter Cushing played Osric). Occasionally, I sneaked one in. [72] After the mid-1970s, Lee eschewed horror roles almost entirely. 260 Squadron RAF as a liaison officer for the Special Operations Executive. His mother later married a banker, who went bankrupt when Lee was a teenager. He died after being admitted for respiratory problems and heart failure, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday. They all had their clothes on. ', Johnny Depp who worked with Lee in five Tim Burton films, from Sleepy Hollow in 1999 to Dark Shadows in 2012. I was an actor. But they can do what Hannibal Lecter does, if theyre so inclined, people like Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Nilsen, and for that reason, I think such films are dangerous.. His younger brother Christopher Lee died on December 30, the filmmaker confirmed on Instagram. Lee was knighted for services to drama and charity in 2009, received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011, and received the BFI Fellowship in 2013. [12] Fleming, author of the James Bond novels, thus became Lee's step-cousin. He described Michael Howard as "the ideal person to lead the party" in 2003,[170] and also supported William Hague and David Cameron. A Titan of Cinema and a huge part of my youth. Christopher Lee Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Lee. [94][95] Lee was so keen to get the film made, and the budget was so small, that he gave his services for free. The medical officer hesitantly diagnosed a failure of his optic nerve, and he was told he would never be allowed to fly again. Who worked for the "Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" rounding up war criminals in the war's aftermath. [15] He continued acting in school plays, though "the laurels deservedly went to Patrick Macnee. [90] The company made two films from Wheatley's novels, both starring Lee. [113][135] He spoke fluent English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German, and was moderately proficient in Swedish, Russian, and Greek. There was a huge row. Lee began to feel sick in the days that followed, and tested positive for COVID-19. Leading the tributes online were his Lord of the Rings co-stars Dominic Monaghan and Elijah Wood, as well as Sir Roger Moore, who played 007 opposite Lee in The Man With The Golden Gun. [108] The Lord of the Rings marked the beginning of a major career revival that continued in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005), in which he played the villainous Count Dooku. His wife, the former Danish model Birgit Kroencke, decided to hold back the information for four days until all family members and friends were informed. Film director Robin Hardy and British Lion head Peter Snell became involved in the project. The Armed Forces were sending veterans with an education in the Classics to teach at universities, but Lee felt his Latin was too rusty and didn't care for the strict curfews. [93] In 2010, he marked his fourth collaboration with Tim Burton by voicing the Jabberwock in Burton's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic book Alice in Wonderland, alongside Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway. He was 93. I was furious! [113], Lee reprised his role as Saruman in the video game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth. His death was publicly announced by his wife on 11 June. [67] His first American appearance was in the disaster film Airport '77 (1977). Unrest spread and threatened to turn into mutiny. In an AMC documentary on Halloween (1978), John Carpenter states that he offered the role of Samuel Loomis to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, before Donald Pleasence took the role. [88], In all, Lee played Dracula ten times: seven films for Hammer Productions, once for Jess Franco's Count Dracula (1970), uncredited in Jerry Lewis's One More Time (1970) and douard Molinaro's Dracula and Son (1976). [58] During the final assault on Monte Cassino, the squadron was based in San Angelo, and Lee was nearly killed when one of the planes crashed on takeoff, and he tripped over one of its live bombs. Years later, Lee told Carpenter that the biggest regret of his career was not taking the role of Dr. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? That role was eventually given to Jack Nicholson. Christopher Lee Sanders . Lee appeared as the on-screen narrator in Jess Franco's Eugenie (1970) as a favour to producer Harry Alan Towers, unaware that it was softcore pornography, as the sex scenes were shot separately. Following his World War II service he retired from the RAF in 1946 with the rank of flight lieutenant. His parents separated when he was 4 and divorced two years later. [24] On his way there he stopped briefly in Paris, where he stayed with the journalist Webb Miller, a friend of Rose, and witnessed Eugen Weidmann's execution by guillotine the last public execution performed in France. The Associated Press cited a London official saying a death certificate was issued the day after Mr. Lee died. He was cast when the director asked him if he could speak Spanish and fence, which he was able to do. To my generation, he was Dracula and all of them.. "Jim, I don't want to do it, and I don't have to do it." [171], Lee died at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 7 June 2015 after being admitted for respiratory problems and heart failure, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday. [150], Lee released a third EP of covers in May 2014, called Metal Knight, to celebrate his 92nd birthday; in addition to a cover of "My Way," it contains "The Toreador March," inspired by the opera Carmen, and the songs "The Impossible Dream" and "I, Don Quixote" from the Don Quixote musical Man of La Mancha. Lee enthusiastically accepted, but by the time Fleming told the producers, they had already chosen Joseph Wiseman for the role. A selection of independent international reviews is given at, Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, Symphony of Enchanted Lands II The Dark Secret, The Cold Embrace of Fear A Dark Romantic Symphony, Christopher Lee filmography Awards and nominations, Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement, Commander of the Venerable Order of Saint John, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Commander of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, "Christopher Lee's memorable movie roles: 'I dreamed of being a character actor', "Biography Christopher Lee Official Website", "Christopher Lee honoured by UCD Law Society", "Sir Christopher Lee: 'Crown Prince of Terror' whose work with Hammer Horror led the postwar revival of Gothic fantasy", "Christopher Leen tavannut elokuvapomo: Hnell oli erityinen suhde Suomeen", "Sotakuvien seasta paljastui yllttv lyt: Keskell talvisodan koettelemaa Helsinki seisoo mies, joka saattaa olla nyttelijsuuruus Christopher Lee", "Fangs for the memories: The A-Z of vampires", "Why Christopher Lee's Dracula didn't suck", "The Screening Room's Top 10 British Villains", "The good, the bad and the Christopher Lee", "Sir Christopher Lee interview: 'I'm softer than people think', "Christopher Lee on the making of legends", "Burnt Offerings: The Cult of the Wicker Man 1/4", "The author who inspired The Wicker Man", "Sir Christopher Lee: Vampire, wizard, jedi and heavy metal musician", "All 24 Movies Featuring Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing", "Stuck on you. [25] Arriving in Menton, he stayed with the Russian Mazirov family, living among exiled princely families. [49] As the advance continued into Tunisia, with the Axis forces digging themselves in at the Mareth Line, Lee was almost killed when the squadron's airfield was bombed. Emotional blackmail. I always ask myself, "Well, what else could I do?" He replied, "Because I've already sold it to the American distributor with you playing the part. [112], In 2004, Lee lamented that Hollywood scripts were mainly spin-offs, as people were afraid of taking financial risks, commenting that he was mostly being offered spin-offs of Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. The last project which united them in person was a documentary, Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror (1994), which they jointly narrated, two months before Cushing's death. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Albert B. Lee, John Begthel; grandmother They gave me nothing to do! he told Total Film in 2005. [180] In 1994, for his influence on the horror genre, he received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement. Christopher Lee Watts (1985-05-16) May 16, 1985(age 37) Spring Lake, North Carolina, U.S. Hosting Saturday Night Live in 1978 was a professional turning point.