Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was a renowned actor who left an indelible mark on the film industry. Born in 1922 in London, England, Lee was raised by his parents, Contessa Estelle Marie (Carandini di Sarzano) and Geoffrey Trollope Lee, until their divorce in 1926. He then lived with his mother and her subsequent husband, Harcourt George St.-Croix, a banker.
Lee's early life was marked by his attendance at Wellington College from age 14 to 17. After leaving school, he worked as an office clerk in a couple of London shipping companies until 1941, when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Following his release from military service, Lee joined the Rank Organisation in 1947, where he trained as an actor and played a number of bit parts in films such as Corridor of Mirrors (1948).
Lee's breakthrough role came when he played the monster in the Hammer film The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). This success led to him being signed on for future roles in Hammer Film Productions, where he met his future partner-in-horror, Peter Cushing. The duo went on to appear in numerous films together, often playing contrasting roles.
Throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s, Lee continued to play the iconic role of Dracula in a number of Hammer sequels. During this time, he also co-starred in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and made numerous appearances as Fu Manchu. Lee's own production company, Charlemagne Productions, Ltd., produced several films, including Nothing But the Night (1973) and To the Devil a Daughter (1976).
By the mid-1970s, Lee was looking to expand his range and appeared in several mainstream films, such as The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970),The Three Musketeers (1973),and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). His success in these films prompted him to move to Hollywood, where he remained a busy actor but made mostly unremarkable film and television appearances.
The new millennium saw a resurgence in Lee's career, with roles in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also appeared in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
Throughout his career, Lee was recognized for his contributions to the film industry. He was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 and a Knight Bachelor in 2009. He was also made a Commander of the Order of St John in 1997.
Sir Christopher Lee passed away on June 7, 2015, at the age of 93, after being admitted to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for respiratory problems and heart failure. His wife delayed the public announcement until June 11 to break the news to their family.
