Christopher Lee
Highest Rated: 100% Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
Lowest Rated: 0% Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994)
Birthday: May 27, 1922
Birthplace: Belgravia, London, England, UK
Self-described with typical good humor as "tall, dark and gruesome," Christopher Lee was a remarkably prolific leading man and character actor whose six decades-long film career made him among the world's most popular and recognizable performers. He languished in bit roles for almost a decade before achieving instant fame as an elegant and sexually charged Count Dracula in "Horror of Dracula" (1958) for England's legendary Hammer Studios. Its success led to almost two decades of fright fare, during which he brought elegance and devilish charm to some of the most memorable figures in horror, including the Frankenstein Monster, the Mummy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Fu Manchu. In the 1970s, he grew weary of the typecasting and successfully distanced himself from the genre with roles in Richard Lester's "Three Musketeers" (1973), "Airport '77" (1977), "1941" (1979) and even a deftly comic appearance on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ). He remained exceptionally active into the 1980s and 1990s in American and international productions and television, and enjoyed a spectacular third act with significant parts in Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" (1998), Episodes II and III of the "Star Wars" saga, and Peter Jackson's epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (2001-03). An icon to several generations of fans and filmmakers, Lee's acting career continued into his ninth decade. His death from heart failure at the age of 93 on June 7, 2015, provoked outpourings of warm remembrances from generations of fans and fellow actors.
Photos
Christopher Lee
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Trail of Dracula | Self | - | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Hunting of the Snark | Narrator (Character) | - | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Angels in Notting Hill | Unknown (Character) | - | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Face of Unity | Unknown (Character) | - | 2014 |
59% |
|
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Saruman (Character) | $255.1M | 2014 |
58% |
|
Extraordinary Tales | Narrator: The Fall of the House of Usher (Voice) | - | 2013 |
43% |
|
Night Train to Lisbon | Father Bartolomeu (Character) | - | 2013 |
74% |
|
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Saruman (Character) | $258.4M | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics | Narrator | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Girl From Nagasaki | Old Officer Pinkerton (Character) | - | 2013 |
64% |
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Saruman (Character) | $303.0M | 2012 |
35% |
|
Dark Shadows | Clarney (Character) | $79.7M | 2012 |
93% |
|
Hugo | Monsieur Labisse (Character) | $73.8M | 2011 |
31% |
|
The Resident | August (Character) | - | 2011 |
11% |
|
Season of the Witch | Cardinal D'Ambroise (Character) | $24.8M | 2011 |
20% |
|
The Wicker Tree | Old Man (Character) | - | 2010 |
32% |
|
Burke & Hare | Old Joseph (Character) | $947 | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Heavy | Mr. Mason (Character) | - | 2010 |
51% |
|
Alice in Wonderland | Jabberwocky (Voice) | $334.2M | 2010 |
44% |
|
Glorious 39 | Walter (Character) | - | 2009 |
32% |
|
Boogie Woogie | Alfred Rhinegold (Character) | $1.8K | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
Triage | Joaquín Morales (Character) | - | 2009 |
19% |
|
Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Count Dooku (Voice) | $456.8K | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fanex Files: Hammer Films | Unknown (Character) | - | 2008 |
42% |
|
The Golden Compass | First High Councillor (Character) | $70.1M | 2007 |
80% |
|
Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs | Narrator | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
Greyfriars Bobby | Unknown (Character) | - | 2005 |
84% |
|
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride | Pastor Galswells (Voice) | $53.4M | 2005 |
83% |
|
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Willy Wonka's Father (Character) | $206.5M | 2005 |
79% |
|
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith |
Count Dooku/ |
$380.3M | 2005 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Crimson Rivers II: The Angels of the Apocalypse | Heinrich von Garten (Character) | - | 2004 |
94% |
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Saruman (Character) | $377.8M | 2003 |
95% |
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Saruman (Character) | $342.6M | 2002 |
65% |
|
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones | Count Dooku (Character) | $310.7M | 2002 |
92% |
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Saruman (Character) | $315.5M | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Do or Die | Writer | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rubicon | Writer | - | 2001 |
40% |
|
Gormenghast | Unknown (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Secret Men's Business | Writer | - | 1999 |
70% |
|
Sleepy Hollow | Magistrate (Character) | $101.1M | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: The Adventures in the Secret Service | Count Ottokar Graf Czernin (Character) | - | 1999 |
17% |
|
Tale of the Mummy | Sir Richard Turkel (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Jinnah | Mohammed Ali Jinnah (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 100 Years of Horror | Host | - | 1998 |
21% |
|
The Stupids | Evil Sender (Character) | $2.4M | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
Discworld: Soul Music | Unknown (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alisea and the Dream Prince | Azaret (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Feast at Midnight | V. E. "Raptor" Longfellow (Character) | - | 1995 |
0% |
|
Police Academy: Mission to Moscow | Commandant Rakov (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Funny Man | Callum Chance (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror | Unknown (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Death Train | General Konstantin Benin (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Double Vision | Mr. Bernard (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shogun Mayeda | King Philip (Character) | - | 1991 |
No Score Yet |
|
Honeymoon Academy | Lazos (Character) | $45.3K | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
|
Curse III: Blood Sacrifice | Doctor Pearson (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
|
Treasure Island | Blind Pew (Character) | - | 1990 |
71% |
|
Gremlins 2: The New Batch | Doctor Catheter (Character) | $40.5M | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Rainbow Thief | Uncle Rudolf (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Care of Time | Karlis Zander (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The French Revolution: The Terrible Years | Sanson (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The French Revolution | Sanson (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Night of the Eagles | Unknown (Character) | - | 1989 |
60% |
|
The Return of the Musketeers | Rochefort (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet |
|
The French Revolution: The Light Years | Sanson (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murder Story | Willard Hope (Character) | - | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dark Mission | Luis Morel Stuart (Character) | - | 1988 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mio in the Land of Faraway | Kato (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet |
|
Jocks | President White (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Girl | Peter Storm (Character) | - | 1986 |
31% |
|
Howling II ... Your Sister Is a Werewolf | Stefan Crosscoe (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Rosebud Beach Hotel | Mr. Clifford King (Character) | - | 1984 |
No Score Yet |
|
House of the Long Shadows | Corrigan (Character) | - | 1983 |
67% |
|
The Return of Captain Invincible | Mr. Midnight (Character) | - | 1983 |
75% |
|
The Last Unicorn | King Haggard (Voice) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story | Prince Philip (Character) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Salamander | Prince Baldasar (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet |
|
An Eye for an Eye | Morgan Canfield (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet |
|
Safari 3000 | Count Borgia (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Once Upon a Spy | Marcus Valorium (Character) | - | 1980 |
60% |
|
Serial | Luckman Skull (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet |
|
Desperate Moves | Dr. Carl Boxer (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet |
|
Nutcracker Fantasy | Uncle Drosselmeyer (Voice) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Passage | The Gypsy (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
Captain America II | Miguel (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
Arabian Adventure | Caliph Alquazar (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
Jaguar Lives! | Adam Caine (Character) | - | 1979 |
39% |
|
1941 | Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt (Character) | - | 1979 |
38% |
|
Circle of Iron | Zetan (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
Bear Island | Lechinski (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
Caravans | Sardar Khan (Character) | - | 1978 |
50% |
|
Return From Witch Mountain | Victor (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Pirate | Samir Al Fay (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
|
Starship Invasions | Captain Rameses (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet |
|
End of the World |
Father Pergado / |
- | 1977 |
40% |
|
Airport '77 | Martin Wallace (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet |
|
Meatcleaver Massacre | Unknown (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Whispering Death | Bill (Character) | - | 1977 |
45% |
|
To the Devil a Daughter | Father Michael (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Keeper | The Keeper (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
Dracula and Son |
Dracula père/ |
- | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
Killer Force | Major Chilton (Character) | - | 1975 |
77% |
|
The Four Musketeers | Rochefort (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Devil's Undead | Unknown (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diagnosis: Murder | Dr. Stephen Hayward (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet |
|
Dark Places | Dr. Ian Mandeville (Character) | - | 1974 |
42% |
|
The Man With the Golden Gun | Francisco Scaramanga (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet |
|
Nothing but the Night | Col. Charles Bingham (Character) | - | 1973 |
91% |
|
The Wicker Man | Lord Summerisle (Character) | $61.8K | 1973 |
83% |
|
The Creeping Flesh | James Hildern (Character) | - | 1973 |
33% |
|
The Satanic Rites of Dracula | Count Dracula (Character) | - | 1973 |
89% |
|
The Three Musketeers | Rochefort (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Poor Devil | Lucifer (Character) | - | 1972 |
27% |
|
Dracula A.D. 1972 | Count Dracula (Character) | - | 1972 |
91% |
|
Death Line | Stratton-Villiers, MI5 (Character) | - | 1972 |
81% |
|
Horror Express | Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton (Character) | - | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Umbracle | The Man (Character) | - | 1972 |
No Score Yet |
|
I, Monster |
Dr. Charles Marlowe/ |
- | 1971 |
60% |
|
Hannie Caulder | Bailey (Character) | - | 1971 |
92% |
|
The House That Dripped Blood | John Reid (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet |
|
Eugenie | Dolmance (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet |
|
Cuadecuc, Vampir |
Himself/ |
- | 1970 |
No Score Yet |
|
Count Dracula | Dracula (Character) | - | 1970 |
50% |
|
Scars of Dracula | Dracula (Character) | - | 1970 |
54% |
|
Taste the Blood of Dracula | Dracula (Character) | - | 1970 |
63% |
|
Scream and Scream Again | Fremont (Character) | - | 1970 |
40% |
|
Julius Caesar | Artemidorus (Character) | - | 1970 |
89% |
|
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes | Mycroft Holmes (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet |
|
Night of the Blood Monster | Lord George Jeffries (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Castle of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu (Character) | - | 1969 |
45% |
|
The Oblong Box | Dr. Newhartt (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet |
|
Curse of the Crimson Cult | J. D. Morley (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu | Dr. Fu Manchu (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Blood of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu (Character) | - | 1968 |
81% |
|
Dracula Has Risen From the Grave | Dracula (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Eve | Colonel Stuart (Character) | - | 1968 |
96% |
|
The Devil Rides Out | Duc de Richleau (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet |
|
Five Golden Dragons | Dragon 4 (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism |
Count Frederic Regula/ |
- | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
|
Island of the Burning Doomed | Godfrey Hanson (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
|
Theatre of Death | Philippe Darvas (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Brides of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet |
|
Circus of Fear | Gregor (Character) | - | 1966 |
81% |
|
Dracula, Prince of Darkness | Count Dracula (Character) | - | 1966 |
50% |
|
Rasputin, the Mad Monk | Grigori Rasputin (Character) | - | 1966 |
100% |
|
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors | Franklyn Marsh (Character) | - | 1965 |
80% |
|
The Face of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
She | Billali (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Skull | Sir Matthew Phillips (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Virgin of Nuremberg (La vergine di Norimberga) | Unknown (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
Terror in the Crypt | Count Ludwig Karnstein (Character) | - | 1964 |
67% |
|
The Gorgon | Prof. Karl Meister (Character) | - | 1964 |
No Score Yet |
|
Castle of the Living Dead | Count Drago (Character) | - | 1964 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Devil-Ship Pirates | Captain Robeles (Character) | - | 1964 |
78% |
|
What! | Kurt Menliff (Character) | - | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Horror Castle | Erich (Character) | - | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Katarsis | Mephistoles (Character) | - | 1963 |
No Score Yet |
|
Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | Sherlock Holmes (Character) | - | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Secret of the Red Orchid | Captain Allerman (Character) | - | 1962 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Pirates of Blood River | Captain LaRoche (Character) | - | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Devil's Daffodil | Ling Chu (Character) | - | 1962 |
83% |
|
House of Fright | Paul Allen (Character) | - | 1961 |
57% |
|
Hercules in the Haunted World | King Lico (Character) | - | 1961 |
No Score Yet |
|
Terror of the Tongs | Chung King (Character) | - | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Missile From Hell | Brunner (Character) | - | 1960 |
75% |
|
Horror Hotel | Prof. Alan Driscoll (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet |
|
Wild for Kicks | Kenny King (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet |
|
Too Hot to Handle | Novak (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Hands of Orlac | Nero the magician (Character) | - | 1960 |
60% |
|
The Man Who Could Cheat Death | Dr. Pierre Gerrard (Character) | - | 1959 |
95% |
|
The Hound of the Baskervilles | Sir Henry (Character) | - | 1959 |
91% |
|
The Mummy | Kharis (Character) | - | 1959 |
No Score Yet |
|
Uncle Was a Vampire | Baron Roderico da Frankurten (Character) | - | 1959 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Icons Of Adventure | Unknown (Character) | - | 1959 |
No Score Yet |
|
Corridors of Blood | Resurrection Joe (Character) | - | 1958 |
91% |
|
Horror of Dracula | Count Dracula (Character) | - | 1958 |
74% |
|
Bitter Victory | Sgt. Barney (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Tale of Two Cities | Marquis St. Evremonde (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Missiles From Hell | Labour Camp Capt., Men's Section (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet |
|
She Played with Fire | Charles Highbury (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Accursed | Doctor Neumann (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Beyond Mombasa | Gil Rossi (Character) | - | 1957 |
82% |
|
The Curse of Frankenstein | Creature (Character) | - | 1957 |
82% |
|
Pursuit of the Graf Spee | Manolo (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Port Afrique | Franz Vermes (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet |
|
Innocents in Paris | Lieutenant Whitlock (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alias John Preston | John Preston (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet |
|
Storm Over the Nile | Karaga Pasha (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | That Lady | Captain (Character) | - | 1955 |
73% |
|
Moulin Rouge | Georges Seurat (Character) | - | 1952 |
100% |
|
The Crimson Pirate | Joseph (attache) (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Top Secret | Russian Agent (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bombay Waterfront | Sir Felix Raybourne (Character) | - | 1952 |
83% |
|
Corridor of Mirrors | Charles (Character) | - | 1948 |
No Score Yet |
|
Scott of the Antarctic | Bernard Day (Character) | - | 1948 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Song for Tomorrow | Auguste (Character) | - | 1948 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Penny and the Pownall Case | Jonathan Blair (Character) | - | 1948 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | One Night With You | Pirelli's Assistant (Character) | - | 1948 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Elvira's 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special, Special | Unknown (Character) | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Ghost Story for Christmas |
Host, Narrator |
1968 1973-1974 1976-1977 2000 2005 2010 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ivanhoe | Unknown (Character) | 1997 1999 |
78% | 85% | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Far Pavilions | Unknown (Character) | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Charlie's Angels | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1980 |
No Score Yet | 62% | Saturday Night Live | Host | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | How the West Was Won | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1978 |
No Score Yet | 87% | The Avengers | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Unknown (Character) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rheingold Theatre | Matador (Character) | 1953-1956 |