Christopher Lee(1922-2015)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was perhaps the only actor of his
generation to have starred in so many films and cult saga. Although most notable for
personifying bloodsucking vampire, Dracula, on screen, he portrayed
other varied characters on screen, most of which were villains, whether
it be Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film,
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974),
or Count Dooku in
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002),
or as the title monster in the Hammer Horror film,
The Mummy (1959).
Lee was born in 1922 in London, England, where he and his older sister
Xandra were raised by their parents, Contessa Estelle Marie (Carandini
di Sarzano) and Geoffrey Trollope Lee, a professional soldier, until
their divorce in 1926. Later, while Lee was still a child, his mother
married (and later divorced) Harcourt George St.-Croix (nicknamed
Ingle), who was a banker. Lee's maternal great-grandfather was an
Italian political refugee, while Lee's great-grandmother was English
opera singer Marie (Burgess) Carandini.
After attending Wellington College from age 14 to 17, Lee worked as an
office clerk in a couple of London shipping companies until 1941 when
he enlisted in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Following his
release from military service, Lee joined the Rank Organisation in
1947, training as an actor in their "Charm School" and playing a number
of bit parts in such films as
Corridor of Mirrors (1948).
He made a brief appearance in
Laurence Olivier's
Hamlet (1948), in which his future
partner-in-horror Peter Cushing also
appeared. Both actors also appeared later in
Moulin Rouge (1952) but did not meet
until their horror films together.
Lee had numerous parts in film and television throughout the 1950s. He
struggled initially in his new career because he was discriminated as
being taller than the leading male actors of his time and being too
foreign-looking. However, playing the monster in the Hammer film
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
proved to be a blessing in disguise, since the was successful, leading
to him being signed on for future roles in Hammer Film Productions.
Lee's association with Hammer Film Productions brought him into contact
with Peter Cushing, and they became good friends. Lee and Cushing often
than not played contrasting roles in Hammer films, where Cushing was
the protagonist and Lee the villain, whether it be Van Helsing and
Dracula respectively in Horror of Dracula (1958),
or John Banning and Kharis the Mummy respectively in
The Mummy (1959).
Lee continued his role as "Dracula" in a number of Hammer sequels
throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s. During this time, he
co-starred in
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959),
and made numerous appearances as Fu Manchu, most notably in the first
of the series
The Face of Fu Manchu (1965),
and also appeared in a number of films in Europe. With his own
production company, Charlemagne Productions, Ltd., Lee made
Nothing But the Night (1973)
and
To the Devil a Daughter (1976).
By the mid-1970s, Lee was tiring of his horror image and tried to widen
his appeal by participating in several mainstream films, such as
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970),
The Three Musketeers (1973),
The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974),
and the James Bond film
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
The success of these films prompted him in the late 1970s to move to
Hollywood, where he remained a busy actor but made mostly unremarkable
film and television appearances, and eventually moved back to England.
The beginning of the new millennium relaunched his career to some
degree, during which he has played Count Dooku in
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
and as Saruman the White in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lee played
Count Dooku again in
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005),
and portrayed the father of Willy Wonka, played by Johnny Depp, in
the Tim Burton film,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
On 16 June 2001, he was created a Commander of the Order of the British
Empire in recognition of his services to drama. He was created a Knight
Bachelor on 13 June 2009 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his
services to drama and charity. In addition he was made a Commander of
the Order of St John on 16 January 1997.
Lee died at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 7 June 2015 at 8:30 am after being admitted for respiratory problems and heart failure, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday there. His wife delayed the public announcement until 11 June, in order to break the news to their family
generation to have starred in so many films and cult saga. Although most notable for
personifying bloodsucking vampire, Dracula, on screen, he portrayed
other varied characters on screen, most of which were villains, whether
it be Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film,
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974),
or Count Dooku in
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002),
or as the title monster in the Hammer Horror film,
The Mummy (1959).
Lee was born in 1922 in London, England, where he and his older sister
Xandra were raised by their parents, Contessa Estelle Marie (Carandini
di Sarzano) and Geoffrey Trollope Lee, a professional soldier, until
their divorce in 1926. Later, while Lee was still a child, his mother
married (and later divorced) Harcourt George St.-Croix (nicknamed
Ingle), who was a banker. Lee's maternal great-grandfather was an
Italian political refugee, while Lee's great-grandmother was English
opera singer Marie (Burgess) Carandini.
After attending Wellington College from age 14 to 17, Lee worked as an
office clerk in a couple of London shipping companies until 1941 when
he enlisted in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Following his
release from military service, Lee joined the Rank Organisation in
1947, training as an actor in their "Charm School" and playing a number
of bit parts in such films as
Corridor of Mirrors (1948).
He made a brief appearance in
Laurence Olivier's
Hamlet (1948), in which his future
partner-in-horror Peter Cushing also
appeared. Both actors also appeared later in
Moulin Rouge (1952) but did not meet
until their horror films together.
Lee had numerous parts in film and television throughout the 1950s. He
struggled initially in his new career because he was discriminated as
being taller than the leading male actors of his time and being too
foreign-looking. However, playing the monster in the Hammer film
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
proved to be a blessing in disguise, since the was successful, leading
to him being signed on for future roles in Hammer Film Productions.
Lee's association with Hammer Film Productions brought him into contact
with Peter Cushing, and they became good friends. Lee and Cushing often
than not played contrasting roles in Hammer films, where Cushing was
the protagonist and Lee the villain, whether it be Van Helsing and
Dracula respectively in Horror of Dracula (1958),
or John Banning and Kharis the Mummy respectively in
The Mummy (1959).
Lee continued his role as "Dracula" in a number of Hammer sequels
throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s. During this time, he
co-starred in
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959),
and made numerous appearances as Fu Manchu, most notably in the first
of the series
The Face of Fu Manchu (1965),
and also appeared in a number of films in Europe. With his own
production company, Charlemagne Productions, Ltd., Lee made
Nothing But the Night (1973)
and
To the Devil a Daughter (1976).
By the mid-1970s, Lee was tiring of his horror image and tried to widen
his appeal by participating in several mainstream films, such as
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970),
The Three Musketeers (1973),
The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974),
and the James Bond film
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
The success of these films prompted him in the late 1970s to move to
Hollywood, where he remained a busy actor but made mostly unremarkable
film and television appearances, and eventually moved back to England.
The beginning of the new millennium relaunched his career to some
degree, during which he has played Count Dooku in
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
and as Saruman the White in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lee played
Count Dooku again in
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005),
and portrayed the father of Willy Wonka, played by Johnny Depp, in
the Tim Burton film,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
On 16 June 2001, he was created a Commander of the Order of the British
Empire in recognition of his services to drama. He was created a Knight
Bachelor on 13 June 2009 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his
services to drama and charity. In addition he was made a Commander of
the Order of St John on 16 January 1997.
Lee died at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 7 June 2015 at 8:30 am after being admitted for respiratory problems and heart failure, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday there. His wife delayed the public announcement until 11 June, in order to break the news to their family