Sir Christopher Lee dies at 93 – latest reaction and …

It's emerged Sir Christopher died as he prepared to start filming for his latest movie, co-starring Uma Thurman. In one of his last interviews, he declared: When I die, I want to die with my boots on. He certainly stayed true to his word...

Sir Christopher Lee: I want to die with my boots on

Sir Christopher played deadly assassin Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun, alongside Sir Roger Moore - and, in the eyes of many fans, was one of the greatest ever James Bond villains. The official 007 Twitter account certainly agrees...

James Franco, the American actor, shared a montage of pictures of Sir Christopher with his Instagram followers as he paid tribute to the veteran actor.

Comedian Omid Djalili has joined the outpouring of grief after Sir Christopher's death, describing how he embraced the fright his films brought.

Bafta chief executive Amanda Barry described Sir Christopher as a "truly talented and versatile actor".

I am deeply saddened by the death of Sir Christopher Lee, a truly talented and versatile actor. His biography, and therefore his legacy, is one that many in the film industry can only dream of.

"He appeared in over 200 films, including some of the most iconic of our times. Throughout his career, which stretched from the 1940s to date, there were so many outstanding performances - in Dracula, The Wicker Man, The Man with the Golden Gun, to name just a few of his many credits, and more recently, the Bafta and Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

"Sir Christopher received the Academy Fellowship, the highest honour Bafta can bestow, at the Film Awards in 2011; at the time he described it as a very unexpected but very great honour."

Elijah Wood - who played Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings - has paid a heartfelt tribute to his co-star, describing him as a "towering human being".

Mark Gatiss, the comedy actor and screenwriter who earlier described Sir Christopher as a "titan of cinema", has shared this poignant portrait with his 600,000 Twitter followers.

Tim Burton, the director who worked with Sir Christopher on five films, described him as "the last of his kind - a true legend".

Christopher has been an enormous inspiration to me my entire life. I had the honour and pleasure to work with him on five films (Sleepy Hollow, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Alice In Wonderland and Dark Shadows).

"He was the last of his kind - a true legend - who I'm fortunate to have called a friend. He will continue to inspire me and I'm sure countless others for generations to come."

Sir Christopher Lee with Tim Burton after Lee was presented the Fellowship at the BAFTAs in February 2011 (Luke MacGregor/Reuters)

This is an interesting reflection on Sir Christopher's 58-year film career - from his days as Dracula to appearing in Lord of the Rings.

Sir Christopher was married to Gitte Lee, a Danish model, for 53 years. Here was his secret...

One of the most touching tributes so far comes from Sir Roger Moore, the James Bond actor, who appeared alongside Sir Christopher in The Man with the Golden Gun.

He started out as the master of horror, but Sir Christopher went on to become one of the highest grossing actors of all time. And his superb eyebrow acting, many fans say, was always to be applauded.

Bryan Adams, the singer, speaks for a lot of people with this tribute he has posted on Instagram - with a picture he took of Sir Christopher in 2010.

"Criminally underrated" is how Mark Gatiss, one of the creators of The Leage of Gentleman, described Sir Christopher.

Academics at De Montfort University in Leicester, home to the Hammer Film Archive, expressed their sadness at Sir Christopher's death.

Professor Steve Chibnall, director of the Cinema And Television History Research Centre at at the university, said:

As custodians of Hammer's Script Archives we were sad to learn of the death of the last of the company's most iconic stars.

"Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were the most recognised faces of Hammer films and now we have lost both of these great actors.

"Lee was the most disturbingly believable embodiment of Count Dracula with a chilling screen presence that has never been rivalled. Vampires live beyond death and the collective memory of Lee's portrayal of Dracula will be immortal."

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has paid tribute to Sir Christopher on Twitter - describing him as a "titan of the golden age of cinema".

As the world reacts to the death of Sir Christopher Lee, let's also spare a thought for Ron Moody's family.

The actor, most famous for playing Fagin in Oliver!, died in hospital aged 91 today. You can read a full obituary to the veteran star here and see a gallery of his career here.

Ron Moody as Fagin in Oliver! with Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger (Moviestore/REX Shutterstock)

In one picture, this sums up the breadth of Sir Christopher's remarkable career.

Here's some sage advice for you all...

Dominic Monaghan, Sir Christopher Lee's co-star from Lord Of The Rings, paid tribute to a "fascinating person" as he offered a slightly strange anecdote...

Reece Sheersmith, the League of Gentleman actor, has spoken of his sadness at the loss of an "amazing gentleman who brought us so many iconic roles".

For many, Sir Christopher Lee will be remembered best for Hammer Horror, the genre that helped him first achieve fame in the 1950s.

It might have frightul acting, false fangs and flimsy nighties, but this is why we should say hurrah for Hammer - the quintessential British film studio, says film historian Sinclair McKay.

Of all the facts you might read about Sir Christopher Lee today, this might be the most unusual. Only last year, he marked his 92nd birthday by releasing a heavy metal version of the Frank Sinatra classic My Way.

It was one of seven tracks on an album called Metal Knight he recorded with an Italian band called Rhapsody Of Fire. You can listen to him in action here...

"I think acting is a mixture of instinct, imagination and inventiveness. All you can learn as an actor is basic technique." - one of the most memorable quotes from Sir Christopher Lee.

Yes, he was the finest screen Dracula we've ever seen. But there was so much more to the late Christopher Lee than monsters, says Tim Robey, as he selects his 10 best roles.

Sir Christopher Lee playing Dracula - perhaps his most famous role

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has paid tribute to "one of the greatest British actors and a master of the macabre" with a, erm, humorous picture taken at City Hall.

Celebrities including Jonathon Ross and Paddy Considine are among those paying tribute to Sir Christopher Lee on Twitter.

Here is the death certificate that confirms the sad news that Sir Christopher Lee passed away at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Sunday.

An actor of aristocratic bearing who was closely identified with the role of Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and Count Dracula, here is the Telegraph's full obituary of Sir Christopher Lee.

At a glance, here you can see the highlights of a life in film from one of Britain's greatest ever actors:

Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin has written a piece celebrating the life of a man whose "talent will outlast us all":

The thing about Sir Christopher Lee being dead is that it doesnt immediately strike you as being much of a career setback.

For as long as he was an actor (which was a very long time indeed; his first film role was a one-line part in Terence Youngs baroquely strange romance Corridor of Mirrors, in 1948), his characters have often exuded not immortality, exactly, but a kind of ennobled deathlessness.

You always sensed theyd been around for longer than was perhaps entirely natural, and would more than likely outlast you.

In five key moments, this video showcases the very best of Christopher Lee's career:

From Count Dracula to Star Wars, Christopher Lee had one of the most varied careers in the business. We have created a gallery here of his highlights.

Christopher Lee in the The Curse of Frankenstein, 1957

Fans are beginning to express their shock on Twitter at the death of Christopher Lee:

Sir Christopher Lee, the screen legend whose career took him from Hammer horror to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and a role as one of the great Bond villains, has died. He was 93.

The veteran actor died at 8.30am on Sunday at Londons Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, sources close to his family said.

He had been treated there for respiratory problems and heart failure over the preceding three weeks and turned 93 in hospital.

Christopher Lee in The Man with the Golden Gun, 1974 (Everett Collection/Rex)

Lady Lee chose to delay the public announcement of Sir Christophers passing until she had informed close family members. The couple were married for more than 50 years.

The actor first achieved fame as a Hammer Horror star in the 1950s, but the last 15 years of his career were among the most fruitful.

He was introduced to a new generation of fans as a star of some of the worlds biggest franchises: Count Dooku in the Star Wars films, Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

There was also a sucessful partnership with Tim Burton in films including Alice in Wonderland and Sleepy Hollow.

Christopher Lee with Veronica Carlson in Dracula has Risen from the Grave (Rex)

Sir Christophers career began in the 1940s, but it was the 1958 film Dracula that made him a star.

He played Count Dracula opposite Sir Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. He and Cushing remained the closest of friends until the latters death in 1994.

More Dracula films followed in 1960s for the Hammer studio, but the actor was keen to move on. In a 2011 interview with the Telegraph, he said: Please dont describe me as a horror legend. I moved on from that.

Sir Christopher Lee was knighted in 2009 (Abbie Trayler-Smith)

His memorable roles included Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man (1973) and Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974). He had a personal connection to James Bond: Ian Fleming, Bonds creator, was his cousin.

Sir Christopher was knighted in 2009 and received a Bafta fellowship in 2011, and said he would never retire. I hate being idle. As dear Boris [Karloff] used to say, when I die I want to die with my boots on.

He recently signed up for a new film, The 11th, an ensemble drama co-starring Uma Thurman. Set in the hours leading up to the attack on the Twin Towers, it was due to start filming in November.

His one remaining ambition, he said in 2011, was to work with Clint Eastwood. The film of which he was most proud was Jinnah, in which he played the founder of Pakistan. It is certainly the most important role I have ever played, because the responsibility on my shoulders was immense, he explained.

Christopher Lee as Saruman in The Fellowship Of The Ring (Rex)

Reluctant to think of himself as a star, the modest actor was also reticent about his Second World War record as a member of the Special Operations Executive.

I was attached to the SAS from time to time but we are forbidden former, present, future to discuss any specific operations. Lets just say I was in Special Forces and leave it at that.

He married his wife, Birgit, known as Gitte, in 1961 and they had a daughter, Christina. Asked for the secret of a long-lived marriage, he replied: Marry someone wonderful.

Christopher Lee: a life in film

Christopher Frank Carandini Lee is born in Belgravia, Westminster, London

After initially volunteering for the Finnish forces following the outbreak of the Second World War, Lee joins the RAF

Returns to London after the war but cannot face returning to his old office job at Beechams, so he decides to become an actor

Makes his film debut in Terence Young's Gothic romance Corridor of Mirrors

After an "apprenticeship" of ten years, mostly playing supporting and background characters, Lee appears in Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein alongside Peter Cushing. The pair will go on to become good friends and appear in more than 20 films together

Lee's first appearance as a Transylvanian vampire in the 1958 film Dracula

He continues his working relationship with Hammer with the release of The Mummy

Returns to the role of Dracula in Hammer's Dracula: Prince of Darkness. Lee's role is notable in that it features no lines - he hisses his way through the film

Appears in Dracula Has Rissen from the Grave

Taste the Blood of Dracula

Stars in British horror film The Wicker Man

Appears as Francisco Scaramanga in James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun

Lee moves to America, keen to branch out into other roles and concerned at being typecast in horror films. His first American film is the disaster movie Airport '77

Stars in Jinnah as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of modern Pakistan. He later declares this role as his best performance

Plays the role of Saruman in the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. Goes on to reprise the role in the second and third instalments in 2002 and 2003

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Sir Christopher Lee dies at 93 - latest reaction and ...

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero