Iconic horror movie actor Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93.
He passed away in a London hospital on Sunday, his family have confirmed. He’d been under medical supervision for three weeks.
Lee is remembered for a chain of Hammer House Of Horror films and as Scaramanga in James Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun. But he found a new audience as Saruman in the Lord Of The Rings series, and as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel films.
In his 80s he began working on a series of heavy metal albums. The first, Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross, won him the Spirit Of Metal Award at Metal Hammer’s 2010 Golden Gods, and it was followed by 2013’s Charlemagne: The Omens of Death. He released an EP called Metal Knight last year.
Lee always rejected the idea of retiring. He once said: “I hate being idle. As dear Boris Karloff used to say –when I die I want to die with my boots on.”
He leaves his wife of 54 years, Birgit, and a daughter, Christina.
Sir Christopher Lee on metal, Mordor and the meaning of Christmas
