Sir Christopher Lee, a commanding actor who added a level of respectability to every property he touched, died on Sunday, June 7, at the age of 93. Press was only notified after family members had been informed of his passing. A veteran actor, Lee quickly became a cult favorite after his turn in the titular role in a series of 1970-era Dracula movies. Modern movie-goers will remember him best for the roles of Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels and Saruman in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit franchises. He was able to embody perfectly everything we love about a movie villain: gravitas, menace, and cunning. His voice was powerful (which helped when he released a heavy metal album in 2010). His presence on screen was riveting. He will be missed.
