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
2025
- Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
2024
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim as Saruman (voice)
- Constel·lació Portabella as (archive footage)
- Children of the Wicker Man as Self (archive footage)
- Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Self (archive footage)
- The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee as Self / Various (Archive)
2023
- Faces of Death as (archive footage)
2020
- Peter Cushing: In His Own Words as Himself
2017
- Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions as Self - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage)
- Drácula Barcelona as Himself
2015
- Fifty Shades of Erotica as (archive footage)
- 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)
- How to Be Sherlock Holmes: The Many Faces of a Master Detective as Self
- Face of Unity as Self
2013
- Extraordinary Tales as Narrator (voice) (segment 'The Fall of the House of Usher')
- Night Train to Lisbon as Father Bartholomeu
- The Trail of Dracula as Self (Archival Footage)
- Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics as Narrator
- The Girl from Nagasaki as Old Officer Pinkerton
2012
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Saruman the White
- Dark Shadows as Clarney
- Enzo Ferrari 1898 - 1988 as Narrator
- Everything or Nothing as Self
- The Fall of the House Of Usher as The Narrator
- Back to Black: The Making of Dracula Prince of Darkness as Dracula (archive footage)
- Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars as Self
- Shoot the Moon: The Making of 'Hugo' as Self
- The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features
- Dracula vs. Vampir
- Christopher Lee: A Legacy of Horror and Terror as Self
2011
- Season of the Witch as Cardinal D'Ambroise
- Hugo as Monsieur Labisse
- The Resident as August
- The Wicker Tree as Old Man
2010
- Alice in Wonderland as Jabberwocky (voice)
- The Heavy as Mr. Mason
- Boogie Woogie as Mr. Alfred Rhinegold
- Burke & Hare as Old Joseph
- Christopher Lee: Gentleman of Horror as Self
2009
- Glorious 39 as Older Walter Page
- Triage as Joaquín Morales
2008
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars as Count Dooku (voice)
- The Colour of Magic as Death
- Fanex Files: Hammer Films as Self
- The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Original Poem as Narrator (voice)
2007
- The Golden Compass as First High Councilor
- The Alan Titchmarsh Show as Self
- Hollywood Chinese as Self
- Bloody Jess as Self
- Beloved Count 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
- Rhapsody of Fire: Visions from the Enchanted Lands as Self
- Amazon Trek: In Search of Vanishing Secrets as Narrator
2006
- Witch's Dungeon: 40 Years of Chills as Self
- Semperopernball 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
- The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby as The Lord Provost
- Pope John Paul II as Kardinal Stefan Wyszyński
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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Saruman (Extended Cut)
- Beyond the Movie: The Return of the King as Self
- Drácula en la Hammer as Christopher Lee
- The Making of 'The Two Towers'
- Whales of Atlantis: In Search of Moby Dick as Self - Narrator (voice)
2002
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Saruman
- Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones as Count Dooku
- The Making of 'The Fellowship of the Ring' as Self
- Best Ever Bond as Self / Scaramanga
- To the Devil... The Death of Hammer
- From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II' as Self / Count Dooku
- 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
- Beyond the Movie: The Fellowship of the Ring as Self
- Burnt Offering: The Cult of The Wicker Man
- The Wicker Man Enigma as Himself
- Quest for the Ring as Self
- Passage to Middle-Earth: The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' as Self
- The Devil's Island: Journey Into Jungle Alcatraz as Narrator
2000
- In the Beginning as Rameses I
- Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend as Self
- The Many Faces of Dracula as Narrator
- Ian Fleming: 007's Creator as Self
- Inside 'The Man with the Golden Gun'
- Gormenghast as Flay
- Ghost Stories for Christmas as Narrator
1999
- Sleepy Hollow as Burgomaster
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Adventures in the Secret Service as Count Ottokar Graf Czernin
1998
- Jinnah as Muhammad Ali Jinnah
- Tale of the Mummy as Sir Richard Turkel
- Ex-S: The Wicker Man as Self
- Dare To Dream: The Making of Jinnah as Self
- 100 Years of Horror as Presenter
- The Mummy as Self - Host
1997
- The Odyssey as Tiresias
- Soul Music as Death (voice)
- Ivanhoe as Lucas de Beaumanoir
- Wyrd Sisters as Death (voice)
- Soul Music as Death (voice)
1996
- The Stupids as Evil Sender
- Moïse as Pharaoh
- A Century of Science Fiction as Narrator (voice)
- Vem Var Dracula as Self
- In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
- The Man Who Ruined the British Film Industry as Self
- Moses as Pharaoh
- Alisea and the Dream Prince as Azaret
- 100 Years of Horror as Self - Host
- Welcome to the Discworld as Death
- The Many Faces of Christopher Lee
1995
- Moses as Ramses
- 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
- Funny Man as Callum Chance
- Brisant as Self
- 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
- Police Academy: Mission to Moscow as Commandant Rakov
- The World of Hammer as Self (archive footage)
1993
- Blue Heelers as Scott James
- Death Train as General Konstanin Benin
1992
- Double Vision as Mr. Bernard
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles as Count Ottokar Graf Czerin
- Innocent Blood as Count Dracula (archive footage)
- Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls as Sherlock Holmes
- Cyber Eden as Cedric
- Beauty and the Beast as Monsieur Renard (voice)
1991
- Journey of Honor as King Philip
- Curse III: Blood Sacrifice as Dr. Pearson
- Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady as Sherlock Holmes
- Fear in the Dark as Narrator
1990
- Stern TV as Self
- Treasure Island as Blind Pew
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch as Doctor Catheter
- The Miser as Cardinale Spinosi
- The Care of Time as Karlis Zander
1989
- Murder Story as Willard Hope
- Honeymoon Academy as Lazos
- The Return of the Musketeers as Rochefort
- Around the World in 80 Days as Stuart
- Night of the Eagles as Walter Strauss
- The French Revolution as Sanson
- The French Revolution as Sanson (segment "Années Terribles, Les")
1988
- Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil as Luis Morel
- Olympus Force: The Key as Filly
1987
- Creepy Classics as Franklyn Marsh - (archive footage)
- The Girl as Peter Storm
- Seitenblicke as self
- Mio in the Land of Faraway as Kato
- Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood as Self
1986
- The Disputation as King James of Aragon
- Shaka Zulu as Lord Bathurst
- Jocks as President White
- Un métier de seigneur as Fog
- Wedden, dat..? as Self
1985
- Mask of Murder as Chief Supt. Jonathan Rich
- Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf Bitch as Stefan Crosscoe
- The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes as Himself - Presenter
- The Best of All Time Horror Classics
1984
- The Far Pavilions as Rao-Sahib
- The Rosebud Beach Hotel as King
- The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers as King Vladimir V
- The Bengal Lancers! as Sir James Hunter
1983
- House of the Long Shadows as Corrigan
- The Return of Captain Invincible as Mr. Midnight
- New Magic as Mr. Kellar
- 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
- The Rank Charm School as Self
- Massarati and the Brain as Victor Leopold
- Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! as Self (archive footage)
- Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story as Prince Philip
1981
- Wetten, dass..? as Self
- The Salamander as Prince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence
- An Eye for an Eye as Morgan Canfield
- Evil Stalks This House as Host
- Goliath Awaits as John McKenzie
1980
- Serial as Luckman Skull
- Once Upon a Spy as Marcus Valorium
- Desperate Moves as Dr. Carl Boxer
1979
- Bear Island as Lechinski
- Jaguar Lives! as Adam Caine
- Arabian Adventure as Caliph Alquazar
- The Passage as Gypsy
- 1941 as Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
- Captain America II: Death Too Soon as Miguel
- The Horror Show as (archive footage)
1978
- Caravans as Sardar Khan
- Circle of Iron as Zetan
- Mickey's 50 as Self
- The Pirate as Samir Al Fay
- Return from Witch Mountain as Victor Gannon
1977
- Meatcleaver Massacre as On-Screen Narrator
- Airport '77 as Martin Wallace
- How the West Was Won as The Grand Duke
- Starship Invasions as Captain Rameses
- Auf los geht's los as Self
- End of the World as Father Pergado / Zindar
- The Occult: Mysteries Of The Supernatural as Narrator
1976
- Charlie's Angels as Dale Woodman
- The Keeper as The Keeper
- Dracula and Son as Le prince des Ténèbres
- To the Devil a Daughter as Father Michael
- Death in the Sun as Bill
- Killer Force as Major Chilton
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- Space: 1999 as Captain Zandor
- In Search of Dracula as Self – Host / Vlad Tepes / Count Dracula
- The Butcher, the Star and the Orphan as Satanus / Van Krig
1974
- The Man with the Golden Gun as Francisco Scaramanga
- Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Stephen Hayward
- The Four Musketeers as Rochefort
1973
- The Wicker Man as Lord Summerisle
- Dark Places as Dr. Ian Mandeville
- The Three Musketeers as Rochefort
- The Satanic Rites of Dracula as Count Dracula
- The Creeping Flesh as James Hildern
- Nothing But the Night as Col. Charles Bingham
- Poor Devil as Lucifer
- Orson Welles' Great Mysteries as Arnaud
1972
- Vampir Cuadecuc as Self
- Umbracle as The Man
- Death Line as Stratton-Villiers, MI5
- Dracula A.D. 1972 as Count Dracula
- Horror Express as Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton
1971
- 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")
- Theatre Macabre as Self - Host
1970
- Julius Caesar as Artemidorus
- Eugenie as Dolmance
- Taste the Blood of Dracula as Dracula
- Scream and Scream Again as Fremont
- One More Time as Dracula
- Scars of Dracula as Dracula
- The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes as Mycroft Holmes
- The Bloody Judge as Lord George Jeffreys
- Treffpunkte as Self
- Count Dracula as Dracula
1969
- The Castle of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Man Chu
- The Magic Christian as Ship's Vampire
- The Oblong Box as Dr. J. Neuhartt
- Quelle horreur mon saigneur Dracula as Self
1968
- Dracula Has Risen from the Grave as Dracula
- The Devil Rides Out as Duc de Richleau
- The Blood of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Man Chu
- Curse of the Crimson Altar as J.D. Morley
- The Movie Orgy as Fu Manchu/Dracula (archive footage)
- Eve as Colonel Stuart
1967
- The Vengeance of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Manchu
- Theatre of Death as Philippe Darvas
- Night of the Big Heat as Godfrey Hanson
- The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism as Count Frederic Regula / Graf von Andomai
- Five Golden Dragons as Dragon #4
1966
- Rasputin: The Mad Monk as Grigori Rasputin
- The Brides of Fu Manchu as Fu Manchu
- Dracula: Prince of Darkness as Count Dracula
- Circus of Fear as Gregor
1965
- The Skull as Sir Matthew Phillips
- She as Billali
- Ten Little Indians as Mr. U.N. Owen (voice)
- The Face of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Man Chu
- Dr. Terror's House of Horrors as Franklyn Marsh
1964
- The Gorgon as Prof. Karl Meister
- Crypt of the Vampire as Count Ludwig Karnstein
- The Devil-Ship Pirates as Captain Robeles
- The Castle of the Living Dead as Count Drago
- Horror!!! as Self
1963
- The Whip and the Body as Kurt Menliff
- Corridors of Blood as Resurrection Joe
- Challenge the Devil as Mephistoles
- Horror Castle as Erich
1962
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Karl Jorla
- Lolita as Kharis, the Mummy (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace as Sherlock Holmes
- The Pirates of Blood River as Captain LaRoche
- The Devil's Agent as Baron Ferdi von Staub
- Secret of the Red Orchid as Capt. Allerman
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- The Avengers as Professor Stone
- Hercules in the Haunted World as King Lico (Licos)
- The Devil's Daffodil as Ling Chu
- Taste of Fear as Doctor Pierre Gerrard
- The Terror of the Tongs as Chung King
1960
- The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll as Paul Allen
- The Hands of Orlac as Nero the magician
- Beat Girl as Kenny King
- The City of the Dead as Prof. Alan Driscoll
- Too Hot to Handle as Novak
1959
- One Step Beyond as Wilhelm Reitlinger
- The Mummy as Kharis, the Mummy
- Stars in the Ring as Self
- 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
- Dracula as Count Dracula
- The Adventures of William Tell as Prince Erik
- Ivanhoe as Sir Otto from the Rhine
- A Tale of Two Cities as Marquis St. Evremonde
- Battle of the V-1 as Brunner
1957
- Bitter Victory as Sgt. Barney
- The Traitor as Doctor Neumann
- Manuela as Voice (voice)
- Ill Met by Moonlight as German officer at The Dentist's office
- Fortune Is a Woman as Charles Highbury
- The Truth About Women as Francois Thiers
- The Curse of Frankenstein as The Creature
- Sailor of Fortune as Yusif Carnot
1956
- Beyond Mombasa as Gil Rossi
- Port Afrique as Franz Vermes
- Alexander the Great as Nectenabus (voice)
- The Battle of the River Plate as Manolo
- Private's Progress as Major Schultz
- Colonel March of Scotland Yard as Jeanpierre
- The Errol Flynn Theatre as Maurice Gabet
1955
- Contraband Spain as Narrador (voz)
- That Lady as Capitán
- The Cockleshell Heroes as Submarine Commander Alan Grieves
- Storm Over the Nile as Karaga Pasha
- The Dark Avenger as French Patrol Captain at Tavern (uncredited)
- The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel as Louis (uncredited)
- Alias John Preston as John Preston
- Police Dog as Johnny, a constable
- Cross-Roads as Harry Cooper
- Moby Dick Rehearsed as A Stage Manager /Flask
1954
- Mark Saber as Larry Spence
- The Mirror and Markheim as Visitant
- The Awakening as Factory proprietor (uncredited)
1953
- Innocents in Paris as Lieutenant Whitlock
- The Top and the Ball as Father
1952
- Moulin Rouge as Georges Seurat (uncredited)
- The Crimson Pirate as Joseph (attache)
- Paul Temple Returns as Sir Felix Raybourne
- Top Secret as Russian Agent (uncredited)
- Babes in Bagdad as Slave Dealer
1951
- Quo Vadis as Chariot Driver (uncredited)
- Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. as Spanish Captain
- Valley of the Eagles as Det. Holt
1950
- Prelude to Fame as Newsman
- They Were Not Divided as Chris Lewis
1949
- Trottie True as Hon. Bongo Icklesham
1948
- Hamlet as Palace Guard (uncredited)
- Corridor of Mirrors as Charles
- Scott of the Antarctic as Bernard Day
- Saraband for Dead Lovers as Herzog Anthony von Wolfenbüttel
- One Night with You as Pirelli's Assistant
- Penny and the Pownall Case as Jonathan Blair
- A Song for Tomorrow as Auguste