11/06/2015 - British actor with tremendous range dies at 93

Sir Christopher Lee, one of the greatest actors Britain has ever produced, is no more. He was 93. Born Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, he had small roles in films such as Hamlet (1948), Scott of the Antarctic (1948) and The Crimson Pirate (1952), after serving in World War II. It was the series of horror films produced by Hammer that shot Lee to global fame. These include The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), and a series of Count Dracula films beginning in 1958 where he became synonymous with the character.

Other memorable roles include Lord Summerisle in cult film The Wicker Man (1973), James Bond villain Scaramanga in Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and Pakistani leader Mohammed Ali Jinnah in Jinnah (1998). Lee’s later roles include the Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings franchises. His last completed film was Angels in Notting Hill (2014). 

He was made a CBE in 2001 and a BFI Fellow in 2013.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “Saddened to hear of Sir Christopher Lee's death, a titan of Golden Age of Cinema & distinguished WW2 veteran who’ll be greatly missed.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said, “Really sad to hear about the death of Christopher Lee, one of the greatest British actors and a master of the macabre.”