Iconic for his portrayal of Saruman in 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies, Sir Christopher Lee passes away at 93.
The Guardian reports that the legendary actor died after being hospitalized for respiratory problems and heart failure. He died 8:30 on Sunday morning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Lee's wife, former Danish model Birgit Kroencke, decided to keep the information for four days until all family members and friends were notified. Married for more than 50 years, the couple is blessed with their only daughter Christina.
Lee immortalized films such as The Wicker Man, James Bond, Star Wars, Tim Burton's Dark Shadows, among many others, and was well known as Count Dracula in a series of Hammer Horror films.
Sir Christopher Lee was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity and was awarded a Bafta fellowship in 2011, according to BBC.
Actors, musicians, and even Great Britain's Prime Minister paid tribute to Lee's legacy after learning news of his death.
One of the first to pay tribute to the legendary actor, BBC reports, was James Bond actor Roger Moore, who tweeted: "It's terribly [sad] when you lose an old friend, and Christopher Lee was one of my oldest. We first met in 1948."
Tim Burton, according to The Guardian, described Lee as "a true legend." Both worked together fruitfully in the film industry. "Christopher has been an enormous inspiration to me my entire life. I had the honour and pleasure to work with him on five films (Sleepy Hollow, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Alice In Wonderland and Dark Shadows)," he said.
Prime Minister David Cameron called Lee a "titan of the golden age of cinema" and a distinguished World War 2 veteran.
Sir Christopher Lee lived a fruitful film, music, and military career. Surprisingly, the legendary actor hit the heavy metal genre, a cool addition to Lee's accomplishments. According to BBC, he marked his 92nd birthday by releasing an album of heavy metal cover versions.
Definitely, there will never be anyone else like Sir Christopher Lee.
