Actor Christopher Lee dies at 93 – CBS News

Last Updated Jun 11, 2015 7:11 AM EDT

Christopher Lee, the prolific, aristocratic British actor who brought dramatic gravitas to screen villains from Count Dracula to James Bond enemy Scaramanga, has died at age 93.

Lee appeared in more than 250 movies, including memorable roles as the wicked wizard Saruman in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the evil Count Dooku in two of George Lucas' "Star Wars" prequels. But for many he will forever be known as the vampire Count Dracula in a slew of "Hammer Horror" movies - the gory, gothic thrillers churned out by the British studio in the 1950s and 1960s that became hugely popular.

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The British actor's film appearances ranged from the blood-soaked horrors of Hammer to the James Bond, "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars" franch...

An official for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London on Thursday confirmed to CBS News that a death certificate was issued for Lee on June 8. She spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with the policies of the borough

Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was born in London on May 27, 1922. His father was a British army officer who had served in the Boer War and his mother was Contessa Estelle Marie Carandini di Sarzano. His parents separated when he was young, and his mother later remarried Harcourt Rose, the uncle of James Bond creator Ian Fleming.

Lee attended Wellington College, an elite boarding school, and joined the Royal Air Force during World War II. Poor eyesight prevented him from becoming a pilot, and he served as an intelligence officer in North Africa and Italy.

After the war, the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Lee was signed to a contract with Britain's Rank studio, and spent the next decade playing minor roles in a series of formulaic pictures. He also appeared briefly in Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" in 1948 along with his future Hammer co-star, Peter Cushing.

He launched his horror career in 1957, starring as the monster in Hammer's "The Curse of Frankenstein." In 1958, Lee made his first appearance as the famous vampire in "Dracula," opposite Cushing's Van Helsing.

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Actor Christopher Lee dies at 93 - CBS News

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