"I have always tried to be unconventional." The great Christopher Lee has passed away. The legendary English actor was 93 years old, and had been appearing in movies & television for over 70 years, taking on iconic roles like Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Frankenstein, and eventually Scaramanga, Count Dooku, and Saruman. He was probably best known for his height, standing at 6' 5" tall, towering over most other actors on set. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force during World War II and took up trying to work in acting after the war. His big breakout was playing the monster in the Hammer film The Curse of Frankenstein from 1957.
While he earned the most notoriety for his work on the Hammer Films in the 50s and 60s, Christopher Lee had his career revived in the last decade thanks to filmmakers who loved his early work. Peter Jackson cast him as Saurman in the Lord of the Rings series, which then lead to his role as Count Dooku in George Lucas' Star Wars prequel trilogy. Of course, Tim Burton, also a fan of his work, cast him in everything from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Sweeney Todd, plus Alice in Wonderland. Aside from appearing in The Hobbit trilogy, Lee was also in a few more small films at the end of his career, including The Girl from Nagasaki. In 2009, he was knighted by the Queen for his services to drama and charity. We've lost a legend.
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