Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93

Some sad news out of Hollywood today, as we learned this morning that beloved character actor/villain Sir Christopher Lee has passed away at the age of 93. Lee is credited with over 281 films and TV shows since 1946, and was best known to horror fans for playing Dracula in a series of several films over the decades. Lee also starred in some blockbuster 21st century franchises- he played Saruman in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as two of the three installments in The Hobbit franchise. In addition to the world of Middle Earth, he played iconic Star Wars villain Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Lee also appeared as Scaramanga in 1974's Bond flick The Man with the Golden Gun, and had bit parts in a few Tim Burton flicks like Dark Shadows and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Lee's career spanned eight decades and his impact on the world of cinema is immeasurable.

I grew up on some of Lee's villainous performances in the early 2000s and they had a huge impact on me. His Count Dooku was a delectably awesome villain and as a young Star Wars nut, I always enjoyed rooting against him. To me, that's the sign of a good villain. Saruman is also a pretty interesting character, and I loved his performance in those films, even though I caught them later on in my teenage years. Oddly enough, the performance that I love the most is Mr. Wonka in 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Lee's performance in that film is so incredibly funny and deliciously evil, and I'll never forget the line where he calls lollipops "Cavities on a stick." The delivery was just perfect and it just goes to show how much of a mastery he had over villainous, despicable characters. Lee had a prosperous and awesome career in Hollywood, but he will be sorely missed in the future. Sir Christopher Lee, thank you for creating some of the most memorable villains of all time. Rest in peace.

Image Credits: LOTR Wikia