Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee CBE CStJ was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimately playing the role nine times.
Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was born on May 27, 1922, in Belgravia, London, England. He was the son of Contessa Estelle Marie (Carandini di Sarzano) and Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Trollope Lee of the 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps. His father served in the Boer War and World War I. Lee studied at Wellington College and later attended the University of London from where he graduated with a degree in foreign languages.
Lee began his acting career while in his teens and went on to appear in over 250 films during his lifetime. His first major role was that of Count Dracula in 1958's "Horror of Dracula." He went on to star in several other horror movies such as "The Mummy," "The Curse of Frankenstein" and "Dracula Has Risen From The Grave." In addition to his horror roles, Lee also appeared in numerous war movies such as "The Charge of the Light Brigade," "Where Eagles Dare" and "Battle of Britain." He also had roles in several fantasy films such as "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Lee's accomplishments were recognized with many awards throughout his life. In 2001, he was made a Commander of the Order Of The British Empire for services to drama and charities. In 2009 he was awarded a star on Hollywood Walk Of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures. In 2011, he received a BAFTA Fellowship award for outstanding achievement in film, television or video games.
Lee passed away on June 7th 2015 after suffering from respiratory problems due to heart failure at age 93. Throughout his life he inspired many aspiring filmmakers, actors and writers with his performances and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest movie actors ever.
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1922</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Christopher Lee is Born</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">On 27 May 1922, Christopher Lee was born in Belgravia, London.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1948</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Started Acting Career</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lee began his acting career with a small role in the 1948 film "Corridor of Mirrors".</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1957</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Starring Role in Curse of Frankenstein</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lee became an international star after playing the monster in Hammer Film's "The Curse of Frankenstein".</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1973</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">First Starring Role in a Bond Film</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lee played the villain Scaramanga in the Bond film "The Man With the Golden Gun".</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1979</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Starred as Dracula in Horror of Dracula</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lee starred as Count Dracula in the 1979 British horror film “Horror of Dracula”.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2001</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Starred as Saruman in Lord of the Rings</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lee starred as Saruman in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2015</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lee was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama and charity.</p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">A.</span> He's a Legendary Actor</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Christopher Lee was a legendary actor who had an impressive career. His roles in classic films such as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars made him an iconic figure. He was also known for his wide range of film roles, which included villains, heroes and everything in between.</p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">B.</span> He Had a Long Career</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Christopher Lee had an amazing career that spanned over 70 years. During this time, he appeared in over 200 films and tv shows and won countless awards for his acting ability. His long career is a testament to his skill as an actor.</p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">C.</span> He Was a Hugely Charismatic Person</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Christopher Lee was a hugely charismatic person whose personality shone through whatever role he played. He also had a great sense of humor and enjoyed engaging with his fans. This made him one of the most beloved actors in history.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">1.</span> Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Christopher Lee was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2009 for his services to drama and charity.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">2.</span> Star Wars Superfan</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Christopher Lee was a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise, and even asked George Lucas if he could be in any of the films. He eventually got his wish and appeared as Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">3.</span> Recorded Heavy Metal Albums</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">At age 88, Christopher Lee recorded several heavy metal albums which featured him singing classic heavy metal songs. He even wrote the lyrics for some of the songs.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">4.</span> Appeared in Over 250 Films</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Christopher Lee has appeared in over 250 films during his career, making him one of the most prolific actors in history.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">5.</span> Multi-Lingual Actor</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Christopher Lee spoke five languages fluently - English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish - and could understand some Swedish and Russian as well.</p></div>