Page 3 Profile: Sir Christopher Lee, Actor

Christopher Lee (Rex)

Why is the Prince of Darkness basking in the spotlight?

The Hammer films star, known for playing Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster, has been made a fellow of the British Film Institute. The 91-year-old was honoured at the London Film Festival for a long and illustrious career with more than 250 screen credits.

Why was Johnny Depp there?

Depp presented Sir Christopher with the accolade. He described his Sleepy Hollow co-star as a “national treasure” and said working with him was a “childhood dream come true”. Lee became a household name playing such villains as Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun, Saruman in Lord Of The Rings, and Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels.

And that deep, intense voice … I can hear it now.

Sir Christopher has used his resonant and instantly recognisable tones to record several opera and musical works. He received a “Spirit of Metal” award from Metal Hammer magazine in 2010 and released a heavy-metal album in May this year.

Any other surprising revelations?

Standing at an imposing 6ft 5in tall, Sir Christopher has made it into the Guinness World Records book as the tallest leading actor and for filming more swordfights than any other actor in history.