Person

Christopher Lee

Acting · 1922–2015 · Westminster, London, England, UK

Biography

Christopher Lee (May 5, 1922 – June 7, 2015) was an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films. Other notable roles include Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man (1973), Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Count Dooku in Star Wars episodes II and III (2002, 2005) and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003). Lee considers his most important role to have been his portrayal of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the biopic Jinnah (1998). He is well known for his deep, commanding voice. Lee has performed roles in 266 films since 1948 making him the Guinness book world record holder for most film acting roles ever. He was knighted in 2009 and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011.

Known for

Filmography

2024The Lord of the Rings: The War of the RohirrimSaruman (voice)
2024Hammer: Heroes, Legends and MonstersSelf (archive footage)
2024Constel·lació Portabella(archive footage)
2024Children of the Wicker ManSelf (archive footage)
2024The Life and Deaths of Christopher LeeSelf / Various (Archive)
2023The Wicker Man at 50Lord Summerisle
2023Faces of Death(archive footage)
2020Peter Cushing: In His Own WordsHimself
2019La gran il·lusió, relat intermitent del cinema catalàSelf (archive footage)
2017Drácula BarcelonaHimself
2017Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer ProductionsSelf - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage)
2015Angels in Notting HillThe Boss / Mr. President (voice)
2015Extraordinary TalesNarrator (voice) (segment 'The Fall of the House of Usher')
2015Fifty Shades of Erotica(archive footage)
2014The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesSaruman the White
2014Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon FilmsCorrigan (archive footage) (uncredited)
2014How to Be Sherlock Holmes: The Many Faces of a Master DetectiveSelf
2014Face of UnitySelf
2013The Trail of DraculaSelf (Archival Footage)
2013The Girl from NagasakiOld Officer Pinkerton
2013Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC ComicsNarrator
2013The Gillian Hills Trilogy
2013Night Train to LisbonFather Bartholomeu
2012Christopher Lee: A Legacy of Horror and TerrorSelf
2012The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneySaruman the White
2012The Fall of the House Of UsherThe Narrator
2012Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond CarsSelf
2012Dracula vs. Vampir
2012Everything or NothingSelf
2012The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features
2012Dark ShadowsClarney
2012Back to Black: The Making of Dracula Prince of DarknessDracula (archive footage)
2012Enzo Ferrari 1898 - 1988Narrator
2012Shoot the Moon: The Making of 'Hugo'Self
2011HugoMonsieur Labisse
2011The Wicker TreeOld Man
2011The ResidentAugust
2011Season of the WitchCardinal D'Ambroise
2010Christopher Lee: Gentleman of HorrorSelf
2010Burke & HareOld Joseph
2010Boogie WoogieMr. Alfred Rhinegold
2010The HeavyMr. Mason
2010Alice in WonderlandJabberwocky (voice)
2009Glorious 39Older Walter Page
2009TriageJoaquín Morales
2008The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Original PoemNarrator (voice)
2008Star Wars: The Clone WarsCount Dooku (voice)
2008The Colour of MagicDeath
2008Fanex Files: Hammer FilmsSelf
2008The Color of Magic - Die Reise des Zauberers Teil 1Death (synchro)
2008The Color of Magic - Die Reise des Zauberers Teil 2Death (synchro)
2007The Golden CompassFirst High Councilor
2007Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol FlynnNarrator (voice)
2007The Alan Titchmarsh ShowSelf
2007Amazon Trek: In Search of Vanishing SecretsNarrator
2007Rhapsody of Fire: Visions from the Enchanted LandsSelf
2007Famous Monster: Forrest J AckermanSelf (archive footage)
2007Hollywood ChineseSelf
2007Ein Leben wie im FlugSelf
2007Beloved CountSelf
2007Bloody JessSelf
2006SemperopernballSelf
2006Witch's Dungeon: 40 Years of ChillsSelf
2005Pope John Paul II
2005Pope John Paul IIKardinal Stefan Wyszyński
2005The Adventures of Greyfriars BobbyThe Lord Provost
2005Corpse BridePastor Galswells (voice)
2005Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryDr. Wonka
2005Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the SithCount Dooku
2004A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King'Self
2004The Story of Star WarsCount Dooku (archive footage)
2004Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the ApocalypseEmerich
2004Willkommen bei Carmen NebelSelf
2003Beyond the Movie: The Return of the KingSelf
2003J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle-EarthSelf
2003Drácula en la HammerChristopher Lee
2003The Making of 'The Two Towers'
2003Whales of Atlantis: In Search of Moby DickSelf - Narrator (voice)
2002The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersSaruman
2002Best Ever BondSelf / Scaramanga
2002From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II'Self / Count Dooku
2002The Fellowship of the Ring: From Book to ScriptSelf
2002The Fellowship of the Ring: Designing and Building Middle-earth + Weta Workshop + Costume DesignSelf
2002The Fellowship of the Ring: The Fellowship of the CastSelf
2002The Fellowship of the Ring: Cameras in Middle-earthSelf
2002Perversion StoriesSelf
2002To the Devil... The Death of Hammer
2002Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesCount Dooku
2002The Making of 'The Fellowship of the Ring'Self
2001Burnt Offering: The Cult of The Wicker Man
2001Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the RingSelf
2001The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingSaruman
2001Passage to Middle-Earth: The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings'Self
2001Quest for the RingSelf
2001R2-D2: Beneath the DomeSelf
2001The Wicker Man EnigmaHimself
2001The Devil's Island: Journey Into Jungle AlcatrazNarrator
2001AeschbacherSelf
2000Ghost Stories for ChristmasNarrator
2000In the BeginningRameses I
2000Sleepy Hollow: Behind the LegendSelf
2000Inside 'The Man with the Golden Gun'
2000GormenghastFlay
2000Ian Fleming: 007's CreatorSelf
2000The Many Faces of DraculaNarrator
1999Sleepy HollowBurgomaster
1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Adventures in the Secret ServiceCount Ottokar Graf Czernin
1998Ex-S: The Wicker ManSelf
1998JinnahMuhammad Ali Jinnah
1998Dare To Dream: The Making of JinnahSelf
1998Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the MummySir Richard Turkel
1998100 Years of HorrorPresenter
1998The MummySelf - Host
1997Soul MusicDeath (voice)
1997The OdysseyTiresias
1997Wyrd SistersDeath (voice)
1997Soul MusicDeath (voice)
1997IvanhoeLucas de Beaumanoir
1996Welcome to the DiscworldDeath
1996100 Years of HorrorSelf - Host
1996Vem Var DraculaSelf
1996The StupidsEvil Sender
1996In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
1996MosesPharaoh
1996The Man Who Ruined the British Film IndustrySelf
1996Alisea and the Dream PrinceAzaret
1996The Many Faces of Christopher Lee
1996A Century of Science FictionNarrator (voice)
1995A Pleasant Terror: The Life and Ghosts of M.R. JamesSelf
1995In Search of James Bond with Jonathan RossSelf
1995Tales of Mystery and ImaginationNarrator
1994A Feast at MidnightV. E. 'Raptor' Longfellow
1994The World of HammerSelf (archive footage)
1994Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of HorrorNarrator (voice) / Self
1994Funny ManCallum Chance
1994Police Academy: Mission to MoscowCommandant Rakov
1994The Rainbow ThiefUncle Rudolf
1994BrisantSelf
1993Blue HeelersScott James
1993Death TrainGeneral Konstanin Benin
1992Cyber EdenCedric
1992Double VisionMr. Bernard
1992Innocent BloodCount Dracula (archive footage)
1992The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesCount Ottokar Graf Czerin
1992Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria FallsSherlock Holmes
1992Beauty and the BeastMonsieur Renard (voice)
1992Dracula in the Movies(archive footage)
1991Sherlock Holmes and the Leading LadySherlock Holmes
1991Fear in the DarkNarrator
1991Halloween Monster BashProfessor Alexander Saxton (archive footage)
1991Curse III: Blood SacrificeDr. Pearson
1991Journey of HonorKing Philip
1991Ghosts: A Journey Into the ParanormalSelf - Narrator
1990The Care of TimeKarlis Zander
1990Gremlins 2: The New BatchDoctor Catheter
1990Treasure IslandBlind Pew
1990The MiserCardinale Spinosi
1990Stern TVSelf
1989For Better or for WorseLazos
1989The French RevolutionSanson (« Les Années terribles »)
1989Murder StoryWillard Hope
1989Night of the EaglesWalter Strauss
1989The French RevolutionSanson
1989Around the World in 80 DaysStuart
1989The Return of the MusketeersRochefort
1988Dark Mission: Flowers of EvilLuis Morel
1988Olympus Force: The KeyFilly
1987Seitenblickeself
1987Creepy ClassicsFranklyn Marsh - (archive footage)
1987Mio in the Land of FarawayKato
1987The GirlPeter Storm
1987Hammer: The Studio That Dripped BloodSelf
1987CasanovaBranicki
1986The DisputationKing James of Aragon
1986Un métier de seigneurFog
1986JocksPresident White
1986Shaka ZuluLord Bathurst
1986Wedden, dat..?Self
1985Mask of MurderChief Supt. Jonathan Rich
1985Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf BitchStefan Crosscoe
1985The Many Faces of Sherlock HolmesHimself - Presenter
1985The Best of All Time Horror Classics
1984The Rosebud Beach HotelKing
1984The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the ShiversKing Vladimir V
1984The Bengal Lancers!Sir James Hunter
1984The Far PavilionsRao-Sahib
1983House of the Long ShadowsCorrigan
1983The Return of Captain InvincibleMr. Midnight
1983New MagicMr. Kellar
1983Errol Flynn: Portrait of a SwashbucklerNarrator
1982The Last UnicornKing Haggard (voice)
1982The Rank Charm SchoolSelf
1982Charles & Diana: A Royal Love StoryPrince Philip
1982Faerie Tale TheatreKing Vladimir V
1982Massarati and the BrainVictor Leopold
1982Safari 3000Count Borgia
1982Champs-ElyséesSelf
1982Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!Self (archive footage)
1981Goliath AwaitsJohn McKenzie
1981An Eye for an EyeMorgan Canfield
1981Evil Stalks This HouseHost
1981The SalamanderPrince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence
1981Wetten, dass..?Self
1980Once Upon a SpyMarcus Valorium
1980SerialLuckman Skull
1980Desperate MovesDr. Carl Boxer
19791941Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
1979Bear IslandLechinski
1979Captain America II: Death Too SoonMiguel
1979Jaguar Lives!Adam Caine
1979Arabian AdventureCaliph Alquazar
1979The PassageGypsy
1979The Horror Show(archive footage)
1978The PirateSamir Al Fay
1978Mickey's 50Self
1978CaravansSardar Khan
1978Circle of IronZetan
1978Return from Witch MountainVictor Gannon
1977The PirateSamir Al Fay
1977Starship InvasionsCaptain Rameses
1977The Occult: Mysteries Of The SupernaturalNarrator
1977Playboy's Playmate Party
1977End of the WorldFather Pergado / Zindar
1977Airport '77Martin Wallace
1977Meatcleaver MassacreOn-Screen Narrator
1977How the West Was WonThe Grand Duke
1977Auf los geht's losSelf
1976Charlie's AngelsDale Woodman
1976Dracula and SonLe prince des Ténèbres
1976AlbinoBill
1976To the Devil a DaughterFather Michael
1976Killer ForceMajor Chilton
1976The KeeperThe Keeper
1975Saturday Night LiveSelf - Host
1975Space: 1999Captain Zandor
1975In Search of DraculaSelf – Host / Vlad Tepes / Count Dracula
1975The Butcher, the Star and the OrphanSatanus / Van Krig
1974The Man with the Golden GunFrancisco Scaramanga
1974The Four MusketeersRochefort
1974Diagnosis: MurderDr. Stephen Hayward
1973The Three MusketeersRochefort
1973The Wicker ManLord Summerisle
1973Orson Welles' Great MysteriesArnaud
1973Dark PlacesDr. Ian Mandeville
1973The Satanic Rites of DraculaCount Dracula
1973Nothing But the NightCol. Charles Bingham
1973Poor DevilLucifer
1973The Creeping FleshJames Hildern
1972Death LineStratton-Villiers, MI5
1972Horror ExpressProf. Sir Alexander Saxton
1972Dracula A.D. 1972Count Dracula
1972Vampir CuadecucSelf
1972UmbracleThe Man
1971Film '72Self
1971Hannie CaulderBailey
1971I, MonsterDr. Charles Marlowe / Mr. Edward Blake
1971Theatre MacabreSelf – Host
1971The House That Dripped BloodJohn Reid (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")
1970Scars of DraculaDracula
1970The Private Life of Sherlock HolmesMycroft Holmes
1970Julius CaesarArtemidorus
1970One More TimeDracula
1970TreffpunkteSelf
1970Taste the Blood of DraculaDracula
1970Count DraculaDracula
1970EugenieDolmance
1970The Bloody JudgeLord George Jeffreys
1970Scream and Scream AgainFremont
1969The Magic ChristianShip's Vampire
1969The Oblong BoxDr. J. Neuhartt
1969The Castle of Fu ManchuDr. Fu Man Chu
1969Quelle horreur mon saigneur DraculaSelf
1968Curse of the Crimson AltarJ.D. Morley
1968Dracula Has Risen from the GraveDracula
1968The Blood of Fu ManchuDr. Fu Man Chu
1968The Devil Rides OutDuc de Richleau
1968The Face of EveColonel Stuart
1968The Movie OrgyFu Manchu/Dracula (archive footage)
1967The Torture Chamber of Dr. SadismCount Frederic Regula / Graf von Andomai
1967Five Golden DragonsDragon #4
1967Theatre of DeathPhilippe Darvas
1967The Vengeance of Fu ManchuDr. Fu Manchu
1967Night of the Big HeatGodfrey Hanson
1966The Brides of Fu ManchuFu Manchu
1966Circus of FearGregor
1966Rasputin: The Mad MonkGrigori Rasputin
1966Dracula: Prince of DarknessCount Dracula
1965The SkullSir Matthew Phillips
1965The Face of Fu ManchuDr. Fu Man Chu
1965Ten Little IndiansMr. U.N. Owen (voice)
1965SheBillali
1965Dr. Terror's House of HorrorsFranklyn Marsh
1964The GorgonProf. Karl Meister
1964The Castle of the Living DeadCount Drago
1964The Devil-Ship PiratesCaptain Robeles
1964Crypt of the VampireCount Ludwig Karnstein
1964Horror!!!Self
1963The Whip and the BodyKurt Menliff
1963Horror CastleErich
1963Challenge the DevilMephistoles
1962Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly NecklaceSherlock Holmes
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf
1962The Alfred Hitchcock HourKarl Jorla
1962The Devil's AgentBaron Ferdi von Staub
1962The Pirates of Blood RiverCaptain LaRoche
1962The Secret of the Red OrchidCapt. Allerman
1961The Mike Douglas ShowSelf
1961Hercules in the Haunted WorldKing Lico (Licos)
1961The Devil's DaffodilLing Chu
1961Taste of FearDoctor Pierre Gerrard
1961The Terror of the TongsChung King
1961The AvengersProfessor Stone
1960The Hands of OrlacNero the magician
1960Too Hot to HandleNovak
1960The Two Faces of Dr. JekyllPaul Allen
1960The City of the DeadProf. Alan Driscoll
1960Beat GirlKenny King
1959Uncle Was a VampireBaron Roderico da Frankurten
1959The MummyKharis, the Mummy
1959The Treasure of San TeresaJaeger
1959The Man Who Could Cheat DeathDr. Pierre Gerrard
1959The Hound of the BaskervillesSir Henry Baskerville
1959Stars in the RingSelf
1959Whicker's World
1959One Step BeyondWilhelm Reitlinger
1958Corridors of BloodResurrection Joe
1958The Adventures of William TellPrince Erik
1958DraculaCount Dracula
1958A Tale of Two CitiesMarquis St. Evremonde
1958IvanhoeSir Otto from the Rhine
1958Battle of the V-1Brunner
1957The Truth About WomenFrancois Thiers
1957Bitter VictorySgt. Barney
1957ManuelaVoice (voice)
1957Sailor of FortuneYusif Carnot
1957The Curse of FrankensteinThe Creature
1957Fortune Is a WomanCharles Highbury
1957The TraitorDoctor Neumann
1957Ill Met by MoonlightGerman officer at The Dentist's office
1956The Battle of the River PlateManolo
1956Beyond MombasaGil Rossi
1956The Errol Flynn TheatreMaurice Gabet
1956Port AfriqueFranz Vermes
1956Alexander the GreatNectenabus (voice)
1956Colonel March of Scotland YardJeanpierre
1956Private's ProgressMajor Schultz
1955Storm Over the NileKaraga Pasha
1955Alias John PrestonJohn Preston
1955The Cockleshell HeroesSubmarine Commander Alan Grieves
1955The Adventures of the Scarlet PimpernelLouis (uncredited)
1955Moby Dick—RehearsedA Stage Manager /Flask
1955Police DogJohnny, a constable
1955The Dark AvengerFrench Patrol Captain at Tavern (uncredited)
1955Contraband SpainNarrador (voz)
1955That LadyCapitán
1955Cross-RoadsHarry Cooper
1955Final Column
1954Mark SaberLarry Spence
1954The AwakeningFactory proprietor (uncredited)
1954The Mirror and MarkheimVisitant
1953Innocents in ParisLieutenant Whitlock
1953The Top and the BallFather
1952Babes in BagdadSlave Dealer
1952Paul Temple ReturnsSir Felix Raybourne
1952Top SecretRussian Agent (uncredited)
1952Moulin RougeGeorges Seurat (uncredited)
1952The Crimson PirateJoseph (attache)
1951Quo VadisChariot Driver (uncredited)
1951Valley of the EaglesDet. Holt
1951Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.Spanish Captain
1950Prelude to FameNewsman
1950They Were Not DividedChris Lewis
1949Trottie TrueHon. Bongo Icklesham
1948HamletPalace Guard (uncredited)
1948Scott of the AntarcticBernard Day
1948Saraband for Dead LoversHerzog Anthony von Wolfenbüttel
1948Penny and the Pownall CaseJonathan Blair
1948A Song for TomorrowAuguste
1948One Night with YouPirelli's Assistant
1948Corridor of MirrorsCharles
1939Eugen Weidmann Execution FilmHimself
—Robin Hardy's Script - The Lost EndingLord Summerisle
—Science Fiction Film AwardsHimself

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