The Guardian – by Benjamin Lee and Hannah Ellis-Petersen
Sir Christopher Lee, known as the master of horror, has died at the age of 93 after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure.
The veteran actor, immortalised in films from Dracula to The Wicker Man, and via James Bond villainy to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, died at 8.30am on Sunday morning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.
His wife, the former Danish model Birgit Kroencke, decided to hold back the information for four days until all family members and friends were informed. The couple had been married for more than 50 years and had one daughter, Christina.
The actor was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity, and was awarded the Bafta fellowship in 2011.
News of his death prompted an outpouring of grief from actors, musicians, and even the prime minister; all paid tribute to Lee’s great talent.
Tim Burton, the director who worked with Lee on five films, described him as “a true legend”.
“Christopher has been an enormous inspiration to me my entire life. I had the honour and pleasure to work with him on five films (Sleepy Hollow, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Alice In Wonderland and Dark Shadows),” he said.
“He was the last of his kind – a true legend – who I’m fortunate to have called a friend. He will continue to inspire me and I’m sure countless others for generations to come.”
Leading the tributes online were his Lord of the Rings co-stars Dominic Monaghan and Elijah Wood, as well as Sir Roger Moore, who played 007 opposite Lee in The Man With The Golden Gun.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/11/christopher-lee-dies-at-the-age-of-93-dracula
Another great one lost but will be remember.
Say what you want about Christopher Walken (one helluva bad guy actor…his Zorg or whatever the name is in “View to a Kill” was awesome, and that “Balls of Fury” bad guy as well, among many others). NOBODY but NOBODY played evil like Christopher Lee! Some horror-vampire-whatever movie from the early 60s (can’t remember the name) I saw as a kid put Lee indelibly in my mind as a great actor, but Saruman takes the cake!
Good guy or bad guy, I will miss Christopher Lee! RIP.
And if you’ve never seen the 1974 “Wicker Man” (screw the feminist crapola 90s version!), you missed quite a great B-list movie…should be A list…
Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) was the greatest Bond villian in “Man With The Golden Gun” IMO. And don’t forget Nick Nack his small, evil sidekick!
That’s strange. I thought Christopher Lee died a few years after Star Wars: Attack of the Clones came out? ??? They even said they had to make his face computer generated in order to finish Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’m confused. How can he die twice?