Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee

CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
GenderMale
BirthdayMay 27, 1922
Death2015-06-07
BiographySir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a career spanning over 60 years, he became known as an actor with tremendous screen presence and a deep and commanding voice who often portrayed villains in horror and franchise films. Lee was knighted for services to drama and charity in June 2009 by Charles Prince of Wales, and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011 and received the BFI Fellowship in 2013.

Lee gained fame for portraying Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films. His other film roles include Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Count Dooku in two Star Wars films (2002–2005) and Saruman in both The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014). Lee frequently appeared opposite his friend Peter Cushing in horror films and had roles in five Tim Burton films late in his career, including Sleepy Hollow (1999), Corpse Bride (2005), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Dark Shadows (2012). He had other notable roles in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), A Tale of Two Cities (1958), Castle of the Living Dead (1964), The Wicker Man, (1973), The Return of Captain Invincible (1983), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Jinnah (1998), Glorious 39 (2009) and Hugo (2011).

In addition to his prolific film career, Lee was a classically trained singer with a passion for heavy metal. He recorded several albums, including the symphonic metal concept albums Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross (2010) and Charlemagne: The Omens of Death (2013), portraying the title character of Charlemagne. These projects, which included Lee's spoken word, singing, and dramatic narration, were deeply personal artistic endeavours that showcased his distinctive vocal range.

Before his acting career, Lee served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an intelligence officer, attached to the No. 260 Squadron RAF during the Second World War as a liaison officer for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). He was discharged from the RAF in 1946 with the rank of flight lieutenant.

Biography from the Wikipedia article Christopher Lee. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
MasterChef Australia
Running

MasterChef Australia

MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking game show consisting of a group of hopeful contestants that cook and present food to judges in order to win the title of MasterChef Australia.

GenreFood
Criminal Minds
Running

Criminal Minds

Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again.

G'wed
Running

G'wed

G'wed delves into the working class culture of "surviving with a sense of humour". The distinctive voice of Liverpool and the lived experience of the kids from the city will be at the heart of this comedy, tackling big issues like grief, sex, diversity and class differences with a wicked sense of humour.

From Reece, the anti-hero at the heart of the show, a superficially misbehaving, potty-mouthed lad, who constantly surprises, whether that be quoting Mother Teresa, his knowledge of the work of John Steinbeck or his incredibly mature take on grief, to Aimee - ferociously determined, go-getting and emotionally mature – G'wed showcases a part of the country, and a bunch of characters, that you rarely see on TV.

GenreComedy
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Running

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

On Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, John Oliver presents a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.

GenreComedy
Saturday Night Live
Running

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is an Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase.

Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. As The New York Times noted on the occasion of the show's Emmy-winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999, "in defiance of both time and show business convention, 'SNL' is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture." At the close of the century, "Saturday Night Live" placed seventh on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the past fifty years.