In Memoriam: Christopher Lee's Best Roles
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Christopher Lee
Born May 27, 1922 in London, England, Christopher Lee didn't always know he wanted to become an actor. It was after serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II that Lee's friend suggested he take up a career in acting. The decision turned out to be a wise one, and Christopher Lee's acting career would span seven decades!
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Christopher Lee's Career Beginnings
After struggling to find work due to his height, Christopher Lee would finally make his film debut in 1947 with Gothic romance film Corridor of Mirrors. For the next ten years Lee would spend time taking on smaller roles and perfecting his craft, also learning how to appear shorter on camera.
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'The Curse of Frankenstein'
Christopher Lee's first big role would come in 1957 when he was cast to play "Frankenstein's Monster" in a Hammer film production of The Curse of Frankenstein. The film would partner Lee with acting legend Peter Cushing and would mark the beginning of a long-lasting friendship between the two actors.
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'Dracula'
After the success of Frankenstein, Christopher Lee drew the attention of Hollywood producers and it didn't take long for him to land his most memorable role to date, that of "Count Dracula" in 1958's Dracula. Lee would go on to star in six of the film's seven sequels, and truly cement his career in playing villainous characters.
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'The Wicker Man'
1973's The Wicker Man was one of Christopher Lee's favorite films to produce, and critics would label it one of the best horror films of the 1970s. With an ending that will leave you in chills, fans of the horror genre must see this classic!
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'The Man with the Golden Gun'
Growing tired of only landing horror films, Christopher Lee was ecstatic when he was cast to play deadly assasin "Francisco Scaramanga" in 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. Lee absolutely nailed the part and proved himself to be a well-rounded actor!
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'Jinnah'
Desperate to continue to break free from the horror genre, Christopher Lee would make the move to Hollywood in 1977. It didn't take long for Lee to make himself a name in Hollywood, and one of his favorite Hollywood roles would come in 1998 with biographical film Jinnah. Following the true story of Pakistan's founder, Lee believed his performance as lead "Muhammad Ali Jinnah" was his best by far!
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'The Lord of the Rings'
One of Christopher Lee's biggest roles would come in 2001 when he was cast as "Saruman" in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. A long-time fan of the book series, Lee's dream role would have been "Gandalf", but Lee himself felt he was too old to do all of the physical stunts required of the character.
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'Star Wars'
Christopher Lee continued to make huge career moves in the 2000s, and while working on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies was also cast to star as "Count Dooka" in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).
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'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'
In his later years, Christopher Lee continued to stay active and became known for his collaborations with director Tim Burton. Lee and Burton would make six films together, including 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!