It is with much sadness that I share the news of Christopher Lee's passing. According to reports, the legendary actor was recently hospitalized in London for respiratory problems and passed away due to heart failure on Sunday morning. News of his passing only came down today because his wife wanted to wait until family and friends had been notified.
There has never been and will never be another actor like Sir Christopher Lee. Born on May 27, 1922, he started acting in the 40s, but it wasn't until The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957 where his career (and lifelong friendship with Peter Cushing) would really take off.
Christopher Lee has nearly 300 film & TV credits. While it's no surprise that he's best known for his villainous roles, the amazing part of his extensive career is how different generations and types of fans view him. Maybe you were first introduced to Christopher Lee and the intensity he brought to Dracula (in many of those Dracula movies, he terrified audiences without saying a word) that hasn't been matched since. For others, including myself, Lee was first introduced to us as Francisco Scaramanga, the Bond villain that went toe-to-toe with Roger Moore. For younger generations, he joined the Dark Side and fought Yoda in Star Wars: Episode II, and he was a crucial part of The Lord of the Rings movies both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes.
It really goes without saying that he was someone who loved genre and getting involved in new projects. For someone to appear in so many horror movies for decades, even well after you could retire, there's clearly a passion for not only the work, but the type of material. There's enough horror movies starring Christopher Lee in the Hammer catalog alone to keep you busy for days, but don't forget non-Hammer horror, including Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, The Crimson Cult, The Oblong Box, Howing II (one of Heather's favorites), Sleepy Hollow, and one of my all-time favorite horror movies, The Wicker Man. Even in his late 80s and early 90s, he didn't stop working and trying new things, including embracing the web with an official website and yearly video releases on YouTube, and his jump into heavy metal music.
As long as there are people who watch movies and love horror, Christopher Lee will always be with us. An inspiration to the world on a dedication to your craft and leading a fulfilling life, Christopher Lee will always be loved and will never be forgotten.
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