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Born: May 27, 1922 – Died: June 7, 2015
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was an iconic figure in the world of cinema, known for his remarkable versatility and powerful screen presence. Born into a distinguished family in Belgravia, London, Lee was the son of Geoffrey Trollope Lee, a professional soldier, and Contessa Estelle Marie Carandini di Sarzano. His early life was marked by his parents' divorce and his mother's remarriage to Harcourt George St.-Croix, a banker.
Early Life and Career
Christopher Lee's journey to stardom began after his service in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Post-war, he joined the Rank Organisation, honing his acting skills and eventually making a name for himself in cinema.
Lee's breakthrough role was as the terrifying Count Dracula in the Hammer Horror films, starting in 1958. This role not only made him a household name but also typecast him as a horror icon. However, he broke free from this mold with varied roles, including Francisco Scaramanga in "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974) and Saruman in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
His career was adorned with numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and his knighthood in 2009 for his services to drama and charity. Lee's personal life was as full as his professional one. He was married to Gitte Lee from 1961 until his death, and they had a daughter, Christina.
Lee's impact on the film industry was profound. Known for his deep, melodic voice and towering presence, he brought depth and intensity to every role, making him a true icon of cinema.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Hunting of the Snark (Short) | Narrator (voice) |
| 2016 | Angels in Notting Hill | The Boss | Mr. President (voice) |
| 2015 | Deus ex Machina 2 (Video Game) | The Programmer (voice) |
| 2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Saruman |
| 2014 | Lego the Hobbit (Video Game) | Narrator | Saruman the White (voice) |
| 2013 | The Girl from Nagasaki | Old Officer Pinkerton |
| 2013 | Neverwhere | Podcast Series |
| 2013 | Extraordinary Tales | Narrator (segment "The Fall of the House of Usher") (voice, as Sir Christopher Lee) |
| 2013 | Night Train to Lisbon | Father Bartolomeu |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Saruman |
| 2012 | Christopher Lee: The Bloody Verdict of Verden (Music Video) | Charlemagne (Ghost) |
| 2012 | Dark Shadows | Clarney |
| 2011 | Hugo | Monsieur Labisse |
| 2011 | The Wicker Tree | Old Gentleman |
| 2011 | The Resident | August |
| 2011 | *Season of the Witch* | Cardinal D'Ambroise |
| 2010 | Burke and Hare | Old Joseph |
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Jabberwocky (voice) |
| 2009 | Glorious 39 | Walter |
| 2009 | Triage | Joaquín Morales |
| 2009 | The Heavy | Mr. Mason |
| 2009 | Boogie Woogie | Mr. Alfred Rhinegold |
| 2009 | Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (Video Game) | DiZ (English version, voice) |
| 2008 | The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Original Poem (Video) | Narrator (voice) |
| 2008 | *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* | Count Dooku (voice) |
| 2008 | The Color of Magic (TV Mini Series) | Death (voice) |
| 2007 | The Golden Compass | First High Councilor |
| 2007 | Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (Short) | Narrator |
| 2007 | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ (Video Game) | DiZ | Ansem the Wise (English version, voice) |
| 2006 | The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king (Video Game) | Saruman the White (voice) |
| 2005 | Kingdom Hearts II (Video Game) | DiZ | Ansem the Wise (English version, voice) |
| 2005 | Faith: Pope John Paul II (TV Mini Series) | Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski |
| 2005 | Corpse Bride | Pastor Galswells (voice) |
| 2005 | The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby | The Lord Provost |
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Dr. Wonka |
| 2005 | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith | Count Dooku |
| 2004 | The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth (Video Game) | Saruman (voice) |
| 2004 | GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (Video Game) | Francisco Scaramanga (voice) |
| 2004 | EverQuest II (Video Game) | Lucan D'Lere (voice) |
| 2004 | The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Video Game) | Saruman the White (voice) |
| 2004 | Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse | Heinrich von Garten |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Saruman (extended edition) |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Video Game) | Saruman (voice) |
| 2003 | Freelancer (Video Game) | (voice) |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Saruman |
| 2002 | Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones | Count Dooku | Darth Tyranus |
| 2001 | Gary Curtis: She'll Fall for Me (Music Video) | Unknown |
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Saruman |
| 2001 | Conquest: Frontier Wars (Video Game) | Anvil | Headquarters (voice) |
| 2001 | Les redoutables (TV Series) | La mort |
| 2000 | Ghost Stories for Christmas (TV Mini Series) | M R James | M. R. James |
| 2000 | In the Beginning (TV Mini Series) | Rameses I |
| 2000 | Gormenghast (TV Mini Series) | Flay |
| 1999 | Gary Curtis: O Sole Mio - It's Now or Never (Music Video) | Unknown |
| 1999 | The Rocky Interactive Horror Show (Video Game) | Narrator (voice) |
| 1999 | Sleepy Hollow | Burgomaster |
| 1997–1998 | The New Adventures of Robin Hood (TV Series) | Olwyn |
| 1998 | Jinnah | Mohammed Ali Jinnah |
| 1998 | Tale of the Mummy | Sir Richard Turkel |
| 1997 | Wyrd Sisters (TV Mini Series) | Death (voice) |
| 1997 | Soul Music (TV Mini Series) | Death (voice) |
| 1997 | The Odyssey (TV Mini Series) | Tiresias |
| 1997 | Ivanhoe (TV Mini Series) | Lucas de Beaumanoir |
| 1996 | Welcome to the Discworld (Short) | Death |
| 1996 | The Stupids | Evil Sender |
| 1996 | Alisea and the Dream Prince (TV Series) | Azaret |
| 1995 | Moses (TV Mini Series) | Ramses |
| 1995 | Tales of Mystery and Imagination (TV Series) | Host | Prince Prospero |
| 1995 | Street Gear (TV Series) | Nick Dupont |
| 1995 | The Tomorrow People (TV Series) | Sam Rees |
| 1994 | Ghosts (Video Game) | Dr. Marcus Grimalkin | Self |
| 1994 | A Feast at Midnight | Raptor |
| 1994 | Police Academy: Mission to Moscow | Commandant Rakov |
| 1994 | Funny Man | Callum Chance |
| 1993 | Detonator (TV Movie) | General Benin |
| 1992 | Beauty and the Beast (Video) | Monsieur Renard (voice) |
| 1992 | Cyber Eden | Cedric |
| 1992 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (TV Series) | Count Ottokar Graf Czerin |
| 1992 | Double Vision (TV Movie) | Mr. Bernard |
| 1992 | Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls (TV Movie) | Sherlock Holmes |
| 1991 | Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady (TV Movie) | Sherlock Holmes |
| 1991 | Curse III: Blood Sacrifice | Dr. Pearson |
| 1991 | Journey of Honor | King Philip III |
| 1990 | The Rainbow Thief | Uncle Rudolf |
| 1990 | The Care of Time (TV Movie) | Karlis Zander |
| 1990 | Gremlins 2: The New Batch | Doctor Catheter |
| 1990 | L'avaro | Cardinale Spinosi |
| 1990 | Treasure Island (TV Movie) | Blind Pew |
| 1989 | For Better or for Worse (Video) | Lazos |
| 1989 | Night of the Eagles | Walter Strauss |
| 1989 | The French Revolution | Sanson (segment "Années Terribles, Les") |
| 1989 | The Return of the Musketeers | Rochefort |
| 1989 | Around the World in 80 Days (TV Mini Series) | Stuart |
| 1989 | Murder Story | Willard Hope |
| 1988 | Olympus Force: The Key | Filly |
| 1988 | Mask of Murder | Chief Supt. Jonathan Rich |
| 1988 | Dark Mission: Evil Flowers | Luis Morel |
| 1987 | The Girl | Peter Storm |
| 1987 | Mio in the Land of Faraway | Kato |
| 1986 | The Disputation (TV Movie) | King James of Aragon |
| 1986 | Shaka Zulu (TV Mini Series) | Lord Bathurst |
| 1986 | Un métier de seigneur (TV Series) | Fog |
| 1986 | Jocks | President White |
| 1985 | Howling II: ... Your Sister Is a Werewolf | Stefan |
| 1984 | The Bengal Lancers! | Sir James Hunter |
| 1984 | The Rosebud Beach Hotel | King |
| 1984 | Faerie Tale Theatre (TV Series) | King Vladimir V |
| 1984 | The Far Pavilions (TV Mini Series) | Kaka-ji Rao |
| 1983 | Sadat (TV Mini Series) | The Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi |
| 1983 | *House of the Long Shadows* | Corrigan |
| 1983 | The Return of Captain Invincible | Mr. Midnight |
| 1982 | Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story (TV Movie) | Prince Philip |
| 1982 | The Last Unicorn | King Haggard (English, German version, voice) |
| 1982 | Massarati and the Brain (TV Movie) | Victor Leopold |
| 1982 | Safari 3000 | Count Borgia |
| 1981 | The Salamander | Prince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence |
| 1981 | Goliath Awaits (TV Mini Series) | John McKenzie |
| 1981 | An Eye for an Eye | Morgan Canfield |
| 1981 | Tales of the Haunted (TV Movie) | Host |
| 1980 | Steigler and Steigler | Dr. Carl Boxer |
| 1980 | Charlie's Angels (TV Series) | Dale Woodman |
| 1980 | Once Upon a Spy (TV Movie) | Marcus Valorium |
| 1980 | Serial | Stewart Luckman | Skull |
| 1941 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1979 | Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt | Unknown |
| 1979 | Captain America II: Death Too Soon (TV Movie) | Miguel |
| 1979 | Bear Island | Lechinski |
| 1979 | Jaguar Lives! | Adam Caine |
| 1979 | Arabian Adventure | Alquazar |
| 1979 | Nutcracker Fantasy | Uncle Drosselmeyer | Street Singer | The Puppeteer (voice) ... |
| 1979 | The Passage | The Gypsy |
| 1978 | The Pirate (TV Movie) | Samir Al Fay |
| 1978 | Caravans | Sardar Khan |
| 1978 | Circle of Iron | Zetan |
| 1978 | Return from Witch Mountain | Victor |
| 1978 | How the West Was Won (TV Series) | The Grand Duke |
| 1977 | Starship Invasions | Capt. Rameses |
| 1977 | End of the World | Father Pergado | Zindar |
| 1977 | Airport '77 | Martin Wallace |
| 1976 | The Keeper | The Keeper |
| 1976 | Meatcleaver Massacre | On-Screen Narrator |
| 1976 | Dracula and Son | Dracula |
| 1976 | The Night of the Askari | Bill |
| 1976 | To the Devil a Daughter | Father Michael Raynor |
| 1976 | Killer Force | Maj. Chilton |
| 1975 | Space: 1999 (TV Series) | Captain Zantor |
| 1975 | Le boucher, la star et l'orpheline | Satanus | Van Krig |
| 1974 | Diagnosis: Murder | Dr. Stephen Hayward |
| 1974 | The Man with the Golden Gun | Scaramanga |
| 1974 | The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge | Rochefort |
| 1974 | Dark Places | Dr. Ian Mandeville |
| 1973 | The Three Musketeers | Rochefort |
| 1973 | The Wicker Man | Lord Summerisle |
| 1973 | The Satanic Rites of Dracula | Count Dracula |
| 1973 | Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (TV Series) | Arnaud |
| 1973 | Poor Devil (TV Movie) | Lucifer |
| 1973 | Nothing But the Night | Colonel Bingham |
| 1973 | The Creeping Flesh | James Hildern |
| 1972 | Death Line | Stratton-Villiers, MI5 |
| 1972 | Horror Express | Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton (as Cristopher Lee) |
| 1972 | Dracula A.D. 1972 | Count Dracula |
| 1972 | Umbracle | The Man |
| 1971 | Hannie Caulder | Bailey |
| 1971 | I, Monster | Dr. Charles Marlowe | Edward Blake |
| 1971 | The House That Dripped Blood | Reid (segment "Sweets to the Sweet") |
| 1970 | Scars of Dracula | Dracula |
| 1970 | *The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes* | Mycroft Holmes |
| 1970 | One More Time | Dracula (uncredited) |
| 1970 | Taste the Blood of Dracula | Dracula |
| 1970 | Count Dracula | Count Dracula |
| 1970 | Julius Caesar | Artemidorus |
| 1970 | The Bloody Judge | Judge Jeffries |
| 1970 | Scream and Scream Again | Fremont |
| 1970 | Eugenie | Dolmance |
| 1969 | The Magic Christian | Ship's Vampire |
| 1969 | The Oblong Box | Dr. J. Neuhartt |
| 1969 | The Castle of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu |
| 1967–1969 | The Avengers (TV Series) | Colonel Mannering | Professor Stone |
| 1968 | The Crimson Cult | Morley |
| 1968 | Dracula Has Risen from the Grave | Dracula |
| 1968 | The Blood of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu |
| 1968 | The Devil Rides Out | Duc de Richleau |
| 1968 | Eve | Colonel Stuart |
| 1967 | The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism | Count Frederic Regula | Graf von Andomai |
| 1967 | Theatre of Death | Philippe Darvas |
| 1967 | Night of the Big Heat | Godfrey Hanson |
| 1967 | The Vengeance of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu |
| 1967 | Five Golden Dragons | Dragon #4 |
| 1966 | The Brides of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu |
| 1966 | Psycho-Circus | Gregor |
| 1966 | Rasputin: The Mad Monk | Grigori Rasputin |
| 1966 | Dracula: Prince of Darkness | Dracula |
| 1965 | Ten Little Indians | Mr. U. N. Owen (voice, uncredited) |
| 1965 | The Skull | Sir Matthew Phillips |
| 1965 | The Face of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu |
| 1965 | She | Billali |
| 1965 | Dr. Terror's House of Horrors | Franklyn Marsh (segment "Disembodied Hand") |
| 1964 | The Gorgon | Prof. Karl Meister |
| 1964 | The Castle of the Living Dead | Count Drago |
| 1964 | Crypt of the Vampire | Count Ludwig Karnstein |
| 1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) | Karl Jorla |
| 1964 | The Devil-Ship Pirates | Captain Robeles |
| 1963 | The Whip and the Body | Kurt Menliff |
| 1963 | Horror Castle | Erich (as Cristopher Lee) |
| 1963 | Challenge the Devil | Mephistoles (as Cristopher Lee) |
| 1963 | Stranglehold | Unknown |
| 1962 | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | Sherlock Holmes |
| 1962 | The Devil's Agent | Baron Ferdi von Staub |
| 1962 | The Pirates of Blood River | Capt. LaRoche |
| 1962 | Secret of the Red Orchid | Capt. Allerman |
| 1961 | Hercules in the Haunted World | Lico |
| 1961 | The Devil's Daffodil | Ling Chu |
| 1961 | One Step Beyond (TV Series) | Wilhelm Reitlinger |
| 1961 | Scream of Fear | Dr. Pierre Gerrard |
| 1961 | The Terror of the Tongs | Chung King |
| 1960 | The Hands of Orlac | Nero the Magician |
| 1960 | The City of the Dead | Alan Driscoll |
| 1960 | Wild for Kicks | Kenny King |
| 1960 | The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll | Paul Allen |
| 1960 | Playgirl After Dark | Novak |
| 1959 | Uncle Was a Vampire | Baron Roderico da Frankurten |
| 1959 | Tales of the Vikings (TV Series) | Lord Roderick |
| 1959 | The Mummy | The Mummy | Kharis |
| 1959 | Hot Money Girl | Jaeger |
| 1959 | The Man Who Could Cheat Death | Dr. Pierre Gerrard |
| 1959 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Sir Henry |
| 1959 | William Tell (TV Series) | Prince Erik |
| 1958 | Corridors of Blood | Resurrection Joe |
| 1958 | Missiles from Hell | Brunner |
| 1958 | Horror of Dracula | Count Dracula |
| 1958 | White Hunter (TV Series) | Mark Caldwell |
| 1958 | Ivanhoe (TV Series) | Sir Otto from the Rhine |
| 1958 | A Tale of Two Cities | Marquis St. Evremonde |
| 1958 | O.S.S. (TV Series) | Dessinger |
| 1956–1957 | The Errol Flynn Theatre (TV Series) | The Visitant | Compte de Merret | Maurice Gabet ... |
| 1957 | The Truth About Women | Francois Thiers |
| 1957 | Bitter Victory | Sergeant Barney |
| 1957 | The Gay Cavalier (TV Series) | Colonel Jeffries |
| 1957 | Stowaway Girl | Voice (voice, uncredited) |
| 1957 | The Curse of Frankenstein | The Creature |
| 1957 | The Accursed | Doctor Neumann |
| 1957 | She Played with Fire | Charles Highbury |
| 1956–1957 | Assignment Foreign Legion (TV Series) | Rodin the Gardener | El Abba |
| 1957 | Night Ambush | German officer at dentist' |
| 1956 | Chevron Hall of Stars (TV Series) | Governor |
| 1956 | Sailor of Fortune (TV Series) | Yusif | Carnot |
| 1956 | Aggie (TV Series) | Inspector John Hollis |
| 1953–1956 | Rheingold Theatre (TV Series) | Felipe Nagy | Luis | Makarenko ... |
| 1956 | Beyond Mombasa | Gil Rossi |
| 1956 | Pursuit of the Graf Spee | Manolo |
| 1956 | Port Afrique | Franz Vermes |
| 1956 | Alexander the Great | Nectenabus (voice, uncredited) |
| 1956 | Private's Progress | Major Schultz (uncredited) |
| 1955 | Moby Dick Rehearsed (TV Movie) | A Stage Manager | Flask |
| 1955 | Storm Over the Nile | Karaga Pasha |
| 1955 | Alias John Preston | John Preston |
| 1955 | The Cockleshell Heroes | Lieutenant-Commander Greaves |
| 1955 | The Scarlet Pimpernel (TV Series) | Louis (uncredited) |
| 1953–1955 | Tales of Hans Anderson (TV Series) | Olle | Student | Old man ... |
| 1955 | The Vise (TV Series) | Edgar Brookes | Richard Martell | Larry Spence |
| 1955 | Police Dog | Johnny, a constable |
| 1955 | The Warriors | French Patrol Captain at Tavern (uncredited) |
| 1955 | Contraband Spain | Narrator (uncredited) |
| 1955 | That Lady | Captain |
| 1955 | Cross-Roads (Short) | Harry Cooper |
| 1954 | Destination Milan | Svenson |
| 1954 | Colonel March of Scotland Yard (TV Series) | Jeanpierre |
| 1954 | The Mirror and Markheim (Short) | Visitant |
| 1953 | Innocents in Paris | Lieutenant Whitlock (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales (Short) | Unknown |
| 1952 | Moulin Rouge | Georges Seurat (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Babes in Bagdad | Slave dealer |
| 1952 | Bombay Waterfront | Sir Felix Raybourne |
| 1952 | Mr. Potts Goes to Moscow | Russian Agent (uncredited) |
| 1952 | The Crimson Pirate | Joseph - Military Attaché |
| 1951 | Valley of the Eagles | Det. Holt |
| 1951 | Captain Horatio Hornblower | Spanish Captain |
| 1950 | Prelude to Fame | Newsman |
| 1950 | They Were Not Divided | Chris Lewis |
| 1949 | The Gay Lady | Hon. Bongo Icklesham |
| 1948 | Scott of the Antarctic | Bernard Day |
| 1948 | Saraband | Herzog Anthony von Wolfenbüttel (rehearsed only) (uncredited) |
| 1948 | My Brother's Keeper | Constable in patrol car at garage (rehearsed only) (uncredited) |
| 1948 | Penny and the Pownall Case | Jonathan Blair |
| 1948 | A Song for Tomorrow | Auguste |
| 1948 | Hamlet | Palace Guard (uncredited) |
| 1948 | One Night with You | Pirelli's Assistant |
| 1948 | Corridor of Mirrors | Charles |
| 1946–1947 | Kaleidoscope (TV Series) | Unknown |