Christopher Lee, who was known for his portrayals of the popular vampire Dracula, the wizard Saruman, and Count Dooku in the Star Wars series, died today. He was 93 years old.
In film critic Peter Bradshaw's piece about the actor, Lee's portrayal of Dracula is described, "He was tall (six foot five), handsome and well-built, with an easy athleticism and a frank, direct manner. His deep, melodious voice completed the effect: commanding. There was nothing unwholesome-looking about this vampire, not at first: he looked more like a British or at any rate Central European version of Gary Cooper. So it was even more powerful and shocking when this patrician figure disclosed his Satanic qualities: and that face became pale and contorted, when the lips peeled back to reveal the fangs, the eyes turned red and the lips dripped with blood — and his whole being oozed with forbidden sexuality".
Other than this, Lee also portrayed Willy Wonka's father in the recent eponymous screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . One of Lee's lesser-known roles is his portrayal of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the film Jinnah . Lee is survived by Birgit Krøncke, his wife of 54 years, and his daughter Christina Lee.
To read Bradshaw's full obituary of Lee, click here .