Dracula, Lord of the Rings actor Christopher Lee dead at 93

Dracula. James Bond. Star Wars. The Lord of the Rings. British actor Christopher Lee starred in some of film's most enduring franchises. And while he was usually a villain — thanks to his imposing height and his deep, mellifluous voice — Lee made everything he was in more fun. Even the Star Wars prequels.

Christopher Lee died on the weekend. He was 93.

Starting in the 1950s, Lee made his name by playing a series of monsters and creepy characters in movies from the British studio Hammer Pictures -- including the Mummy, Frankenstein's monster, and, most notably, ten films as the seductive vampire, Dracula.

He was always a cult star. But then he became a star star, when his career was unexpectedly revived in 2001 by a role in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Then, a year later, he was cast as Count Dooku in the two of the Star Wars prequels.

He continued acting up until his death, playing well over 250 different roles, but for many classic horror fans, he remains the definitive Dracula: self-possessed, debonair, and dignified, even in lesser instalments like The Satanic Rites of  Dracula. 

From Our Archives

For many years, however, Lee's iconic cloak from his 1958 film debut as Dracula was missing. In October 2007, the cloak was found by Jeremy Angel, the manager of Angels Fancy Dress costume house in London, England. Carol spoke with Angel shortly after its discovery. Here's part of their conversation, from our archives.