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Sir
Christopher Lee, who passed away at the weekend. Photograph: Ian West/PA
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Sir Christopher Lee has
died at the age of 93 after being hospitalized for respiratory problems and
heart failure.
The
veteran actor, best known for a variety of films from Dracula to The Wicker Man
through to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, passed away on Sunday morning at
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, according to sources.
The
decision to release the news days after was based on his wife’s desire to
inform family members first. The couple had been married for over 50 years.
As
well as his career in film, Lee also released a series of heavy metal albums,
including Charlemagne: The Omens of Death. He was knighted in 2009 for services
to drama and charity and was awarded the BAFTA fellowship in 2011.
The Guardian UK report continues:
Lee's
film career started in 1947 with a role in gothic romance Corridor of Mirrors
but it wasn’t until the late 50s, when Lee worked with Hammer, that he started
gaining fame. His first role with the studio was The Curse of Frankenstein and
it was the first of 20 films that he made with Peter Cushing.
Lee’s
most famous role for Hammer was playing Dracula, a role which became one of his
most widely recognised although the actor wasn’t pleased with how the character
was treated. “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 70s, Lee continued to gain fame in the horror genre with a role in The
Wicker Man, a film which he considered to be his best.
Lee
still has one film yet to be released, the fantasy film Angels in Notting Hill.
He was also set to star in 9/11 drama The 11th opposite Uma Thurman but it’s
believed that the film hadn’t yet started production
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