On Sunday morning, the world lost one of its most prolific men. Christopher Lee, the iconic Brit known for his method acting and villainous roles, passed away at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. He was 93.
The decision to wait and release the story days after was made by his wife, Birgit Kroncke. She wanted to notify family before the press. Lee and Kroncke had been married for over 50 years.
Lee, who studied method acting at Rank Organisation’s Company of Youth, rose to fame portraying monsters for British production company Hammer Films from the 1950s to the 1970s. He acted in 20 films with prominent British actor Peter Cushing. Lee’s most famous role with Hammer Films was Dracula, despite Lee’s dissatisfaction with the role. From USA Today:
“‘They gave me nothing to do!’ he told Total Film?in 2005. ‘I pleaded with Hammer to let me use some of the lines that Bram Stoker had written. Occasionally, I sneaked one in. Eventually I told them that I wasn’t going to play Dracula any more. All hell broke loose.'”
In the 1973, Lee portrayed Lord Summerisle in?The Wicker Man?and in 1974, Lee was Francisco Scaramanga in the ninth James Bond film,?The Man with the Golden Gun.
In 2001, method acting icon Christopher Lee would make his first of five appearances as Saruman in?The Lord of the Rings?franchise. Lee would also portray Count Dooku in 2002’s?Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones?and 2005’s?Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.?Incidentally, Lee and longtime friend Peter Cushing both delivered brilliant method acting performances to the Star Wars franchise. Cushing played?Grand Moff Tarkin in?Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Christopher Lee also did several first-rate method acting performances for Tim Burton, appearing in 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, and 2012’s Dark Shadows, as well as lending his voice to Pastor Gallswells, an ill-tempered priest in 2005’s Corpse Bride.
Lee was knighted in 2009 and was awarded a BAFTA fellowship in 2011.
Aside from acting, Christopher Lee has also performed music. He appeared on several albums by Italian power-metal band Rhapsody of Fire and compiled his own body of work as well. Lee released four studio albums and three extended plays, consisting of some of the most metal music ever produced.
Christopher Lee is survived by his wife, Birgit Kroncke Lee, and their daughter, Christina Erika Lee.
