‘Dracula,’ ‘Lord of Rings’ actor Sir Christopher Lee dead at …

Sir Christopher Lee, the deep-voiced dramatic actor known to several generations for his portrayal of villains in "Dracula," "James Bond" and "Lord of the Rings" movies, has died. He was 93.

The news of Lees June 7 death was first reported by the U.K.s Telegraph, which published his death certificate. His wife waited to go public with the news of his death in order to have time to inform family members, according to The Guardian.

Lee had an illustrious military career before he became known in the acting world. He voluntarily enlisted in the military and served in the Royal Air Force and Special Forces for five years during World War II. Poor eyesight prevented him from becoming a pilot, and he served as an intelligence officer in North Africa and Italy.

In 1947, Lee first tried his hand at acting. With his 6-foot, 4-inch towering frame, it didn't take long for Lee's career to take off, and by 1952 he'd landed a role in the Oscar-nominated film "Moulin Rouge." His career took off from there, and he appeared in more than 250 movies, but for many was forever 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.

In a quote posted on his website, Lee once said, "I haven't spent my entire career playing the guy in the bad hat, although I have to say that the bad guy is frequently much more interesting than the good guy."

His career flourished late in life, with roles in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and two of George Lucas' "Star Wars" prequels.

Lee appeared in so many movies that he acknowledged he couldn't remember them all.

"And certainly some of them you want to forget," he said in 2002.

He railed against the typecasting, however, and ultimately the sheer number and range of his roles from Sherlock Holmes to the founder of Pakistan secured his place in film history.

"I didn't have dreams of being a romantic leading man," Lee told The Associated Press. "But I dreamed of being a character actor, which I am."

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'Dracula,' 'Lord of Rings' actor Sir Christopher Lee dead at ...

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero