Star Wars and Lord of the Rings actor Christopher Lee would have turned 100 years old today. The late screen legend, who was born on May 27, 1922, passed away back in 2015 but that hasn't stopped fans from celebrating Lee on his special day.
Christopher Lee led a truly impressive career that spanned almost seven decades starting from the early 1950s and has played several memorable villains including Count Dracula in the Hammer horror films, Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond flick The Man with the Golden Gun, and Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man. However, most fans recognize Lee as Count Dooku in the Star Wars films Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
One of his most famous roles was as Saruman in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the Hobbit film trilogy. It is often noted that he is the only cast member who actually met author J.R.R. Tolkien and had initially wanted to play Gandalf but director Peter Jackson convinced Lee that he was a better fit for the White Wizard.
We could go on forever about the awesome things that Lee has done in his lifetime considering that he lived a well-rounded life. In addition to being an actor, Lee was a powerful singer who released two symphonic metal albums Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross in 2010 and Charlemagne: The Omens of Death in 2013.
Interestingly, Christopher Lee often worked with fellow Star Wars actor Peter Cushing who happens to celebrate his birthday one day before Lee. Cushing was born on May 25, 1913, but passed away in August 1994 due to complications with prostate cancer. (On a side note, Lee shared his birthday with another horror legend Vincent Price).
Happy birthday, Peter Cushing, VIncent Price, and Christopher Lee. Your greatness will always be remembered by your fans.
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