Christopher Lee

Born: 1922-05-27 in Westminster, London, England, UK

Died: 2015-06-07

Known For: Acting

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.

Filmography

2024

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim as Saruman (voice)
Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Self (archive footage)
The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee as Self / Various (Archive)
Children of the Wicker Man as Self (archive footage)
Constel·lació Portabella as (archive footage)

2023

Faces of Death as (archive footage)
The Wicker Man at 50 as Lord Summerisle

2015

Fifty Shades of Erotica as (archive footage)
Extraordinary Tales as Narrator (voice) (segment 'The Fall of the House of Usher')
Angels in Notting Hill as The Boss / Mr. President (voice)

2014

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies as Saruman the White
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films as Corrigan (archive footage) (uncredited)
Face of Unity as Self
How to Be Sherlock Holmes: The Many Faces of a Master Detective as Self

2013

Night Train to Lisbon as Father Bartholomeu
Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics as Narrator
The Trail of Dracula as Self (Archival Footage)
The Girl from Nagasaki as Old Officer Pinkerton
The Gillian Hills Trilogy

2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Saruman the White
Dark Shadows as Clarney
Everything or Nothing as Self
Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars as Self
Shoot the Moon: The Making of 'Hugo' as Self
Dracula vs. Vampir
Back to Black: The Making of Dracula Prince of Darkness as Dracula (archive footage)
Enzo Ferrari 1898 - 1988 as Narrator
Christopher Lee: A Legacy of Horror and Terror as Self
The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features
The Fall of the House Of Usher as The Narrator

2011

Hugo as Monsieur Labisse
Season of the Witch as Cardinal D'Ambroise
The Resident as August
The Wicker Tree as Old Man

2010

Alice in Wonderland as Jabberwocky (voice)
Burke & Hare as Old Joseph
Boogie Woogie as Mr. Alfred Rhinegold
The Heavy as Mr. Mason
Christopher Lee: Gentleman of Horror as Self

2009

Glorious 39 as Older Walter Page
Triage as Joaquín Morales

2008

The Colour of Magic as Death
Star Wars: The Clone Wars as Count Dooku (voice)
The Color of Magic - Die Reise des Zauberers Teil 2 as Death (synchro)
The Color of Magic - Die Reise des Zauberers Teil 1 as Death (synchro)
Fanex Files: Hammer Films as Self
The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Original Poem as Narrator (voice)

2007

The Alan Titchmarsh Show as Self
The Golden Compass as First High Councilor
Beloved Count as Self
Hollywood Chinese as Self
Bloody Jess as Self
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman as Self (archive footage)
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn as Narrator (voice)
Ein Leben wie im Flug as Self
Amazon Trek: In Search of Vanishing Secrets as Narrator
Rhapsody of Fire: Visions from the Enchanted Lands as Self

2006

Semperopernball as Self
Witch's Dungeon: 40 Years of Chills as Self

2005

Corpse Bride as Pastor Galswells (voice)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as Dr. Wonka
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith as Count Dooku
Pope John Paul II as Kardinal Stefan Wyszyński
The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby as The Lord Provost
Pope John Paul II

2004

Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel as Self
Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse as Emerich
The Story of Star Wars as Count Dooku (archive footage)
A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' as Self

2003

The Making of 'The Two Towers'
J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle-Earth as Self
Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King as Self
Whales of Atlantis: In Search of Moby Dick as Self - Narrator (voice)
Drácula en la Hammer as Christopher Lee

2002

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Saruman
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones as Count Dooku
From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II' as Self / Count Dooku
The Fellowship of the Ring: Designing and Building Middle-earth + Weta Workshop + Costume Design as Self
The Fellowship of the Ring: From Book to Script as Self
The Making of 'The Fellowship of the Ring' as Self
Best Ever Bond as Self / Scaramanga
The Fellowship of the Ring: Cameras in Middle-earth as Self
The Fellowship of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Cast as Self
To the Devil... The Death of Hammer
Perversion Stories as Self

2001

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as Saruman
Aeschbacher as Self
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome as Self
Passage to Middle-Earth: The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' as Self
Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring as Self
Quest for the Ring as Self
Burnt Offering: The Cult of The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man Enigma as Himself
The Devil's Island: Journey Into Jungle Alcatraz as Narrator

2000

Gormenghast as Flay
In the Beginning as Rameses I
Ghost Stories for Christmas as Narrator
Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend as Self
Inside 'The Man with the Golden Gun'
The Many Faces of Dracula as Narrator
Ian Fleming: 007's Creator as Self

1999

Sleepy Hollow as Burgomaster
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Adventures in the Secret Service as Count Ottokar Graf Czernin

1998

Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummy as Sir Richard Turkel
Jinnah as Muhammad Ali Jinnah
The Mummy as Self - Host
Ex-S: The Wicker Man as Self
100 Years of Horror as Presenter
Dare To Dream: The Making of Jinnah as Self

1997

The Odyssey as Tiresias
Ivanhoe as Lucas de Beaumanoir
Wyrd Sisters as Death (voice)
Soul Music as Death (voice)
Soul Music as Death (voice)

1996

Moses as Pharaoh
The Stupids as Evil Sender
100 Years of Horror as Self - Host
Alisea and the Dream Prince as Azaret
A Century of Science Fiction as Narrator (voice)
Vem Var Dracula as Self
Welcome to the Discworld as Death
In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
The Man Who Ruined the British Film Industry as Self
The Many Faces of Christopher Lee

1995

Tales of Mystery and Imagination as Narrator
In Search of James Bond with Jonathan Ross as Self
A Pleasant Terror: The Life and Ghosts of M.R. James as Self

1994

Brisant as Self
The World of Hammer as Self (archive footage)
Police Academy: Mission to Moscow as Commandant Rakov
Funny Man as Callum Chance
Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror as Narrator (voice) / Self
A Feast at Midnight as V. E. 'Raptor' Longfellow
The Rainbow Thief as Uncle Rudolf

1993

Blue Heelers as Scott James
Death Train as General Konstanin Benin

1992

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles as Count Ottokar Graf Czerin
Innocent Blood as Count Dracula (archive footage)
Double Vision as Mr. Bernard
Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls as Sherlock Holmes
Dracula in the Movies as (archive footage)
Beauty and the Beast as Monsieur Renard (voice)
Cyber Eden as Cedric

1991

Journey of Honor as King Philip
Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady as Sherlock Holmes
Fear in the Dark as Narrator
Curse III: Blood Sacrifice as Dr. Pearson
Halloween Monster Bash as Professor Alexander Saxton (archive footage)
Ghosts: A Journey Into the Paranormal as Self - Narrator

1990

Stern TV as Self
Gremlins 2: The New Batch as Doctor Catheter
Treasure Island as Blind Pew
The Miser as Cardinale Spinosi
The Care of Time as Karlis Zander

1989

Around the World in 80 Days as Stuart
The French Revolution as Sanson (« Les Années terribles »)
The Return of the Musketeers as Rochefort
The French Revolution as Sanson
For Better or for Worse as Lazos
Murder Story as Willard Hope
Night of the Eagles as Walter Strauss

1988

Olympus Force: The Key as Filly
Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil as Luis Morel

1987

Seitenblicke as self
The Girl as Peter Storm
Mio in the Land of Faraway as Kato
Casanova as Branicki
Creepy Classics as Franklyn Marsh - (archive footage)
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood as Self

1986

Shaka Zulu as Lord Bathurst
Wedden, dat..? as Self
Jocks as President White
The Disputation as King James of Aragon
Un métier de seigneur as Fog

1985

Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf Bitch as Stefan Crosscoe
Mask of Murder as Chief Supt. Jonathan Rich
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes as Himself - Presenter
The Best of All Time Horror Classics

1984

The Far Pavilions as Rao-Sahib
The Bengal Lancers! as Sir James Hunter
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers as King Vladimir V
The Rosebud Beach Hotel as King

1983

New Magic as Mr. Kellar
House of the Long Shadows as Corrigan
The Return of Captain Invincible as Mr. Midnight
Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler as Narrator

1982

Champs-Elysées as Self
Faerie Tale Theatre as King Vladimir V
The Last Unicorn as King Haggard (voice)
Safari 3000 as Count Borgia
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! as Self (archive footage)
Massarati and the Brain as Victor Leopold
Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story as Prince Philip
The Rank Charm School as Self

1981

Wetten, dass..? as Self
Goliath Awaits as John McKenzie
An Eye for an Eye as Morgan Canfield
The Salamander as Prince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence
Evil Stalks This House as Host

1980

Serial as Luckman Skull
Once Upon a Spy as Marcus Valorium
Desperate Moves as Dr. Carl Boxer

1979

1941 as Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
Bear Island as Lechinski
Arabian Adventure as Caliph Alquazar
The Passage as Gypsy
Jaguar Lives! as Adam Caine
The Horror Show as (archive footage)
Captain America II: Death Too Soon as Miguel

1978

The Pirate as Samir Al Fay
Return from Witch Mountain as Victor Gannon
Mickey's 50 as Self
Caravans as Sardar Khan
Circle of Iron as Zetan

1977

How the West Was Won as The Grand Duke
Auf los geht's los as Self
Airport '77 as Martin Wallace
The Pirate as Samir Al Fay
End of the World as Father Pergado / Zindar
Starship Invasions as Captain Rameses
Playboy's Playmate Party
Meatcleaver Massacre as On-Screen Narrator
The Occult: Mysteries Of The Supernatural as Narrator

1976

Charlie's Angels as Dale Woodman
To the Devil a Daughter as Father Michael
Albino as Bill
Killer Force as Major Chilton
The Keeper as The Keeper
Dracula and Son as Le prince des Ténèbres

1975

Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
Space: 1999 as Captain Zandor
The Butcher, the Star and the Orphan as Satanus / Van Krig
In Search of Dracula as Self – Host / Vlad Tepes / Count Dracula

1974

The Man with the Golden Gun as Francisco Scaramanga
The Four Musketeers as Rochefort
Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Stephen Hayward

1973

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries as Arnaud
The Wicker Man as Lord Summerisle
The Three Musketeers as Rochefort
Poor Devil as Lucifer
Dark Places as Dr. Ian Mandeville
The Satanic Rites of Dracula as Count Dracula
The Creeping Flesh as James Hildern
Nothing But the Night as Col. Charles Bingham

1972

Horror Express as Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton
Dracula A.D. 1972 as Count Dracula
Vampir Cuadecuc as Self
Death Line as Stratton-Villiers, MI5
Umbracle as The Man

1971

Film '72 as Self
Theatre Macabre as Self – Host
Hannie Caulder as Bailey
I, Monster as Dr. Charles Marlowe / Mr. Edward Blake
The House That Dripped Blood as John Reid (segment 3 "Sweets to the Sweet")

1970

Eugenie as Dolmance
Treffpunkte as Self
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes as Mycroft Holmes
Taste the Blood of Dracula as Dracula
Scars of Dracula as Dracula
Julius Caesar as Artemidorus
The Bloody Judge as Lord George Jeffreys
Count Dracula as Dracula
Scream and Scream Again as Fremont
One More Time as Dracula

1969

The Magic Christian as Ship's Vampire
The Oblong Box as Dr. J. Neuhartt
The Castle of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Man Chu
Quelle horreur mon saigneur Dracula as Self

1968

The Movie Orgy as Fu Manchu/Dracula (archive footage)
The Blood of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Man Chu
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave as Dracula
Curse of the Crimson Altar as J.D. Morley
The Devil Rides Out as Duc de Richleau
The Face of Eve as Colonel Stuart

1967

Night of the Big Heat as Godfrey Hanson
The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism as Count Frederic Regula / Graf von Andomai
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Manchu
Five Golden Dragons as Dragon #4
Theatre of Death as Philippe Darvas

1966

Dracula: Prince of Darkness as Count Dracula
Circus of Fear as Gregor
Rasputin: The Mad Monk as Grigori Rasputin
The Brides of Fu Manchu as Fu Manchu

1965

The Face of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Man Chu
Ten Little Indians as Mr. U.N. Owen (voice)
She as Billali
The Skull as Sir Matthew Phillips
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors as Franklyn Marsh

1964

The Gorgon as Prof. Karl Meister
Horror!!! as Self
The Castle of the Living Dead as Count Drago
Crypt of the Vampire as Count Ludwig Karnstein
The Devil-Ship Pirates as Captain Robeles

1963

The Whip and the Body as Kurt Menliff
Horror Castle as Erich
Challenge the Devil as Mephistoles

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Karl Jorla
The Pirates of Blood River as Captain LaRoche
The Devil's Agent as Baron Ferdi von Staub
Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace as Sherlock Holmes
The Secret of the Red Orchid as Capt. Allerman

1961

The Mike Douglas Show as Self
The Avengers as Professor Stone
Taste of Fear as Doctor Pierre Gerrard
Hercules in the Haunted World as King Lico (Licos)
The Terror of the Tongs as Chung King
The Devil's Daffodil as Ling Chu

1960

The City of the Dead as Prof. Alan Driscoll
Beat Girl as Kenny King
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll as Paul Allen
The Hands of Orlac as Nero the magician
Too Hot to Handle as Novak

1959

One Step Beyond as Wilhelm Reitlinger
Stars in the Ring as Self
Whicker's World
The Mummy as Kharis, the Mummy
The Hound of the Baskervilles as Sir Henry Baskerville
The Man Who Could Cheat Death as Dr. Pierre Gerrard
The Treasure of San Teresa as Jaeger
Uncle Was a Vampire as Baron Roderico da Frankurten

1958

Ivanhoe as Sir Otto from the Rhine
The Adventures of William Tell as Prince Erik
Dracula as Count Dracula
A Tale of Two Cities as Marquis St. Evremonde
Corridors of Blood as Resurrection Joe
Battle of the V-1 as Brunner

1957

The Curse of Frankenstein as The Creature
Sailor of Fortune as Yusif Carnot
Manuela as Voice (voice)
Ill Met by Moonlight as German officer at The Dentist's office
Bitter Victory as Sgt. Barney
The Traitor as Doctor Neumann
Fortune Is a Woman as Charles Highbury
The Truth About Women as Francois Thiers

1956

Colonel March of Scotland Yard as Jeanpierre
Alexander the Great as Nectenabus (voice)
The Errol Flynn Theatre as The Visitant
The Battle of the River Plate as Manolo
Port Afrique as Franz Vermes
Beyond Mombasa as Gil Rossi
Private's Progress as Major Schultz

1955

The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel as Louis (uncredited)
The Cockleshell Heroes as Submarine Commander Alan Grieves
The Dark Avenger as French Patrol Captain at Tavern (uncredited)
That Lady as Capitán
Storm Over the Nile as Karaga Pasha
Police Dog as Johnny, a constable
Alias John Preston as John Preston
Moby Dick—Rehearsed as A Stage Manager /Flask
Cross-Roads as Harry Cooper
Contraband Spain as Narrador (voz)

1954

Mark Saber as Larry Spence
The Awakening as Factory proprietor (uncredited)
The Mirror and Markheim as Visitant

1953

Innocents in Paris as Lieutenant Whitlock
The Top and the Ball as Father

1952

The Crimson Pirate as Joseph (attache)
Moulin Rouge as Georges Seurat (uncredited)
Top Secret as Russian Agent (uncredited)
Babes in Bagdad as Slave Dealer
Paul Temple Returns as Sir Felix Raybourne

1951

Quo Vadis as Chariot Driver (uncredited)
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. as Spanish Captain
Valley of the Eagles as Det. Holt

1950

They Were Not Divided as Chris Lewis
Prelude to Fame as Newsman

1949

Trottie True as Hon. Bongo Icklesham

1948

Hamlet as Palace Guard (uncredited)
Scott of the Antarctic as Bernard Day
Saraband for Dead Lovers as Herzog Anthony von Wolfenbüttel
Corridor of Mirrors as Charles
Penny and the Pownall Case as Jonathan Blair
One Night with You as Pirelli's Assistant
A Song for Tomorrow as Auguste

1939

Eugen Weidmann Execution Film as Himself