Christopher Lee, the actor who portrayed Saruman in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Dracula in a number of films passed away on Sunday morning after being hospitalized for respiratory problems and heart failure.
The decision to delay the announcement of his death was made on behalf of his wife, who sought to inform family members first. Lee and his wife had been married for 50 years.
In 2009, Lee was knighted for his services to charity and drama, and was awarded the Bafta (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) fellowship in 2011. While he might be best known for his roles as Saruman in Lord of the Rings and Count Dooku in Star Wars, Lee was in a number of Tim Burton films (Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows) and as the Bond villain in The Man with the Golden Gun.
Sir Christopher Lee May 1922 – June 2015. Aged 93.
