Actor
Christopher Lee British Actor (1922–2015)
Christopher Lee · actor and television actor · British
198credits listed
Known for
Biography
Born on 27 May 1922 in Belgravia, Christopher Lee was a British actor. Christopher Lee died on 7 June 2015 at the age of 93. He was recognised as Saruman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014).
His first listed screen credit dates to 1948, with A Song for Tomorrow. The list below counts 187 films and 11 TV series from 1948 to 2014. He is credited as Death in Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic (2008), Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Blind Pew in Treasure Island (1990).
Music credits include 4 albums and one single, among them Charlemagne: The Omens of Death (2013). He has released music through EMI.
His awards record shows 15 wins. His first award on record is Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award in 1983 for House of the Long Shadows. Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 2011 is the latest win listed.
Filmography
198 credits| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Saruman | Film |
| 2013 | Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics | Film | |
| 2013 | Night Train to Lisbon | Film | |
| 2013 | The Girl from Nagasaki | Film | |
| 2012 | Dark Shadows | Film | |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Saruman | Film |
| 2011 | Hugo | Monsieur Labisse | Film |
| 2011 | Season of the Witch | Film | |
| 2011 | The Resident | Film | |
| 2011 | The Wicker Tree | Film | |
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Film | |
| 2010 | Burke & Hare | Film | |
| 2010 | The Heavy | Film | |
| 2009 | Boogie Woogie | Film | |
| 2009 | Glorious 39 | Film |
Show all 198 credits
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Triage | Film | |
| 2008 | Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic | Death | Film |
| 2007 | Hollywood Chinese | Film | |
| 2007 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Film | |
| 2007 | The Golden Compass | Film | |
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Dr. Wilbur Wonka | Film |
| 2005– | Pope John Paul II | TV series | |
| 2005 | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | Count Dooku | Film |
| 2005 | The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby | Film | |
| 2004 | Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse | Film | |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Saruman, Saruman the White | Film |
| 2002 | Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | Count Dooku | Film |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Saruman | Film |
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Saruman | Film |
| 1999 | Sleepy Hollow | the Burgomaster | Film |
| 1998 | Jinnah | Mohammad Ali Jinnah | Film |
| 1998 | Tale of the Mummy | Sir Richard Turkel | Film |
| 1997– | Ivanhoe | Beaumanoir | TV series |
| 1997– | Soul Music | TV series | |
| 1997– | The New Adventures of Robin Hood | Olwyn | TV series |
| 1997– | The Odyssey | Tiresias | TV series |
| 1997– | Wyrd Sisters | TV series | |
| 1996 | Sorellina e il principe del sogno | Film | |
| 1996 | The Stupids | Film | |
| 1996 | Welcome to the Discworld | Death | Film |
| 1995 | A Feast at Midnight | Film | |
| 1995– | Moses | Ramesses II | TV series |
| 1994 | Funny Man | Film | |
| 1994 | Police Academy: Mission to Moscow | Film | |
| 1993 | Death Train | Film | |
| 1992 | Double Vision | Film | |
| 1992 | Jackpot | Film | |
| 1991 | Incident at Victoria Falls | Sherlock Holmes | Film |
| 1991 | Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady | Sherlock Holmes | Film |
| 1991 | Shogun Mayeda | Film | |
| 1990 | Gremlins 2: The New Batch | Film | |
| 1990 | Honeymoon Academy | Film | |
| 1990 | The Miser | Film | |
| 1990 | The Rainbow Thief | Film | |
| 1990 | Treasure Island | Blind Pew | Film |
| 1989 | Around the World in 80 Days | Stuart | TV series |
| 1989 | Fall of the Eagles | Film | |
| 1989 | La Révolution française | Charles-Henri Sanson | Film |
| 1989 | The Return of the Musketeers | Comte de Rochefort | Film |
| 1988 | Dark Mission | Film | |
| 1987 | Mio in the Land of Faraway | Film | |
| 1987 | The Girl | Film | |
| 1986 | Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf | Film | |
| 1985 | Mask of Murder | Film | |
| 1984– | The Far Pavillions | TV series | |
| 1984 | The Rosebud Beach Hotel | Film | |
| 1983 | House of the Long Shadows | Film | |
| 1983 | The Return of Captain Invincible | Film | |
| 1982– | Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | TV series |
| 1982 | Safari 3000 | Film | |
| 1981 | An Eye for an Eye | Film | |
| 1981 | Goliath Awaits | Film | |
| 1981 | The Salamander | Film | |
| 1979 | 1941 | Film | |
| 1979 | Arabian Adventure | Film | |
| 1979 | Bear Island | Film | |
| 1979 | Captain America II: Death Too Soon | Film | |
| 1979 | Jaguar Lives! | Film | |
| 1979 | Nutcracker Fantasy | Film | |
| 1979 | The Passage | Gypsy | Film |
| 1978 | Caravans | Film | |
| 1978 | Circle of Iron | Film | |
| 1978 | Return from Witch Mountain | Film | |
| 1978 | The Pirate | Film | |
| 1977 | Airport '77 | Film | |
| 1977 | End of the World | Film | |
| 1977 | Meatcleaver Massacre | Film | |
| 1977 | Starship Invasions | Film | |
| 1976 | Albino | Film | |
| 1976 | Dracula and Son | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1976 | Killer Force | Film | |
| 1976 | The Keeper | Film | |
| 1976 | To the Devil a Daughter | Film | |
| 1975 | Diagnosis: Murder | Dr. Stephen Hayward | Film |
| 1975 | The Butcher, the Star and the Orphan | Film | |
| 1974 | Dark Places | Film | |
| 1974 | The Four Musketeers | Comte de Rochefort | Film |
| 1974 | The Man with the Golden Gun | Francisco Scaramanga | Film |
| 1973 | Poor Devil | Film | |
| 1973 | The Creeping Flesh | Film | |
| 1973 | The Satanic Rites of Dracula | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1973 | The Three Musketeers | Comte de Rochefort | Film |
| 1973 | The Wicker Man | Lord Summerisle | Film |
| 1972 | Death Line | Film | |
| 1972 | Dracula A.D. 1972 | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1972 | Horror Express | Film | |
| 1972 | Nothing But the Night | Film | |
| 1972 | Umbracle | Film | |
| 1971 | Hannie Caulder | Film | |
| 1971 | I, Monster | Marlowe / Blake | Film |
| 1971 | The House That Dripped Blood | Film | |
| 1970 | Count Dracula | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1970 | Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey Into Perversion | Film | |
| 1970 | Julius Caesar | Artemidorus | Film |
| 1970 | One More Time | Film | |
| 1970 | Scars of Dracula | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1970 | Taste the Blood of Dracula | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1970 | The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes | Mycroft Holmes | Film |
| 1970 | Vampir - Cuadecuc | Count Dracula, Christopher Lee | Film |
| 1969 | Scream and Scream Again | Film | |
| 1969 | The Bloody Judge | Film | |
| 1969 | The Castle of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu | Film |
| 1969 | The Magic Christian | Film | |
| 1969 | The Oblong Box | Film | |
| 1968 | Curse of the Crimson Altar | Film | |
| 1968 | Dracula Has Risen from the Grave | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1968 | Eve | Film | |
| 1968 | The Blood of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu | Film |
| 1968 | The Devil Rides Out | Film | |
| 1967 | Five Golden Dragons | Film | |
| 1967 | Night of the Big Heat | Film | |
| 1967 | The Blood Demon | Film | |
| 1967 | The Vengeance of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu | Film |
| 1967 | Theatre of Death | Film | |
| 1966 | Circus of Fear | Film | |
| 1966 | Dracula: Prince of Darkness | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1966 | Rasputin, the Mad Monk | Grigori Rasputin | Film |
| 1966 | The Brides of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu | Film |
| 1965 | Dr. Terror's House of Horrors | Film | |
| 1965 | She | Film | |
| 1965 | Ten Little Indians | Film | |
| 1965 | The Face of Fu Manchu | Fu Manchu | Film |
| 1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told | Film | |
| 1965 | The Skull | Film | |
| 1964 | Castle of the Living Dead | Film | |
| 1964 | Crypt of the Vampire | Film | |
| 1964 | The Devil-Ship Pirates | Film | |
| 1964 | The Gorgon | Film | |
| 1963 | Katarsis | Film | |
| 1963 | The Virgin of Nuremberg | Film | |
| 1963 | The Whip and the Body | Film | |
| 1962 | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | Sherlock Holmes | Film |
| 1962 | The Devil's Agent | Film | |
| 1962 | The Pirates of Blood River | Film | |
| 1962 | The Puzzle of the Red Orchid | Film | |
| 1961 | Hercules in the Haunted World | Film | |
| 1961 | Taste of Fear | Film | |
| 1961 | The Devil's Daffodil | Film | |
| 1961 | The Terror of the Tongs | Film | |
| 1960 | Beat Girl | Film | |
| 1960 | The City of the Dead | Film | |
| 1960 | The Hands of Orlac | Film | |
| 1960 | The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll | Film | |
| 1960 | Too Hot to Handle | Film | |
| 1959 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Henry Baskerville | Film |
| 1959 | The Man Who Could Cheat Death | Film | |
| 1959 | The Mummy | Kharis | Film |
| 1959 | The Treasure of San Teresa | Film | |
| 1959 | Uncle Was a Vampire | Film | |
| 1958 | A Tale of Two Cities | Marquis St. Evrémonde | Film |
| 1958 | Battle of the V-1 | Film | |
| 1958 | Corridors of Blood | Film | |
| 1958 | Dracula | Count Dracula | Film |
| 1957 | Bitter Victory | Film | |
| 1957 | Ill Met by Moonlight | Film | |
| 1957 | The Curse of Frankenstein | Frankenstein's monster | Film |
| 1957 | The Traitor | Film | |
| 1956 | Beyond Mombasa | Film | |
| 1956 | Port Afrique | Film | |
| 1956 | The Battle of the River Plate | Film | |
| 1955 | Storm Over the Nile | Film | |
| 1955 | That Lady | Film | |
| 1955 | The Cockleshell Heroes | Film | |
| 1955 | The Dark Avenger | French Patrol Captain | Film |
| 1953 | Innocents in Paris | Film | |
| 1952 | Babes in Bagdad | Film | |
| 1952 | Moulin Rouge | Film | |
| 1952 | The Crimson Pirate | Film | |
| 1951 | Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. | the Spanish captain of the Natividad | Film |
| 1951 | Quo Vadis | Chariot driver | Film |
| 1950 | Prelude to Fame | Film | |
| 1949 | Trottie True | Film | |
| 1948 | A Song for Tomorrow | Film | |
| 1948 | Corridor of Mirrors | Film | |
| 1948 | Hamlet | a guard | Film |
| 1948 | One Night with You | Film | |
| 1948 | Scott of the Antarctic | Film | |
| Na plovarne | TV series |
Awards and nominations
15 won, 0 nominated| Year | Award | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | BAFTA Fellowship | Won | |
| 2011 | Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres | Won | |
| 2009 | Knight Bachelor | Won | |
| 2001 | Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
| 1997 | Commander of the Order of Saint John | Won | |
| 1994 | Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement | Won | |
| 1983 | Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award | House of the Long Shadows | Won |
| 1939–45 Star | Won | ||
| Africa Star | Won | ||
| Defence Medal | Won | ||
| France and Germany Star | Won | ||
| Italy Star | Won | ||
| Officer of the Order of Polonia Restituta | Won | ||
| Steiger Award | Won | ||
| War Medal 1939–1945 | Won |
Discography
5 releases| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Charlemagne: The Omens of Death | Album |
| 2010 | Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross | Album |
| 2006 | Revelation | Album |
| 2005 | The Magic of the Wizard's Dream | Single |
| 1998 | Christopher Lee Sings Devils, Rogues & Other Villains | Album |
Personal life
Marriages on record are to Birgit Kroencke (1961 to 2015, ended by death). He had one child on record. Education on record includes Wellington College, finishing in 1939 and Summer Fields School.
Christopher Lee on Social Media
YouTube Christopher Lee - Topic
Christopher Lee Photos
Frequently asked questions
How old was Christopher Lee at the time of death?
Christopher Lee died on 7 June 2015 at the age of 93. He was born on 27 May 1922.
What is Christopher Lee known for?
Christopher Lee was known for playing Saruman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014).
What is Christopher Lee’s nationality?
Christopher Lee was British, born in Belgravia.
How tall was Christopher Lee?
Christopher Lee was 194 cm (6 ft 4 in) tall.
Who was Christopher Lee married to?
Christopher Lee’s marriages on record are to Birgit Kroencke (1961 to 2015).
Has Christopher Lee won any awards?
Yes. 15 awards are on record, including BAFTA Fellowship (2011).
Sources
- Wikidata (Q180338), accessed October 2026
- Photo: Manfred Werner - Tsui · CC BY-SA 3.0
Last checked by the Wiki of Celebs editorial team
Corrections and removal requests
If you are the subject of this page or hold rights to its content and would like a correction or removal, please contact us.
Suggest a correction
