Christopher Lee masqueraded as a villain on the big screen, but was a hero in real life. He died at age 93 in England on Sunday, June 7. While being best known for 7 decades of acting in notable films such as ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Star Wars,’ Lee was a soldier in the military for 7 years. Lee was born on May 27, 1922 in London.
It may come as a surprise to most of his fans to learn that Lee was a soldier, but his upbringing tells otherwise. Lee’s father was a soldier who fought in the Boer War and World War I. His father Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Trollope Lee was also an active member of the 60th King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
Lee was knighted Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee in 2009 for his work in acting and charitable deeds. Lee served in the Finnish Army, the British Home Guard, and the Royal Air Force in a military career which spanned from 1939 to 1946. Lee battled in the Winter War, World War II, the North African Campaign, the Allied Invasion of Italy, and the Battle of Monte Cassino. His rank was a Flight Lieutenant when he retired from service.
"I couldn't think myself back into the office frame of mind,” said Lee after retiring from military service in 1946.
It was then that he began his professional acting career. He made his breakthrough six years later in 1952 at British National Studios. The pursuit in acting was not an entirely new idea. When he was four years old he was cast as Rumpelstiltskin in a school production.
Lee played the role of many famous villains in the course of his career. He played the blood thirsty vampire Count Dracula in Hammer Horror films. He was Saruman the White in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy. He was also Francisco Scaramanga in the 1974 James Bond film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun.’ Lee also played Darth Tyranus in ‘Star Wars.’ He considered his roles in ‘Jinnah’ and ‘The Wicker Man’ to be two of his best works in his acting career.
