Actors have the unique opportunity to live multiple lives vicariously through the roles they play. For most, the characters they portray are larger than life, and lead far more interesting lives than the rest of us, the actors included. While this may be true for most, there are some notable exceptions. The late Christopher Lee is one such actor, and despite his astronomically large filmography, his life before the film industry outshines even his most outlandish acting roles. His passing in 2015 was a tragic loss to the acting community that is often overlooked. To completely cover the full scope of his incredible life off camera would be a truly herculean feat. Instead, here are ten of the more interesting facts about Christopher Lee.

His Time In The Military

At the ripe old age of seventeen, Lee ran away from his home to join the Finnish army in their fight against the Soviet Union. Less than a year later, he was off to fight Nazis in World War II. He initially tried to join the British Royal Air Force, but was denied entry due to a health issue with his optic nerve. Not to be deterred, he transferred to their intelligence division where he quickly climbed the ranks, becoming a high-ranking member of British special forces. In time, he gained notoriety for his success in capturing, and subsequently interrogating Nazi war criminals. As much as I would like to tell you more, there is not much else to say. Most of his time in the service is considered classified information, which, I suppose, tells us how important his work had been.

He Was Knighted

Christopher Lee’s illustrious career earned him many medals from many different grateful nations, but perhaps one of his more well-known accolades was his knighting in 2009, giving him the title Sir Christopher Lee. This high honor was bestowed upon Lee for his legendary acting career as well as his many contributions to charities throughout his life.

He Had A Royal Heritage

As if his deeds alone were not impressive enough, Christopher Lee’s family tree could be traced back to nobility. His mother, Estelle Marie, was a countess in the Italian Cardini Family with roots going back to the infamous Borgias. This connection even led to Lee receiving honorary citizenship in Italy, the home of his ancestral castle. Lee’s father was also a high-ranking soldier in the British army. While not technically a relative, Lee’s godfather was Prince Alexzander of Battenburg, grandson of none other than Queen Victoria. Some historians even speculate that Lee’s lineage could be traced all the way back to the legendary Emperor Charlemagne.

He Was A Distant Relative Of Ian Fleming

With his early life of espionage and his rising acting career, it is fitting that Lee also had ties with one of the biggest names in the Hollywood spy game. The creative mind behind James Bond, Ian Fleming, was a distant cousin of Lee’s. The two were good friends growing up, and as Lee’s career transitioned into acting Fleming was eager to see his cousin take on a role in his spy series. Lee was initially eyed for the part of Dr. No in the film of the same name but was ultimately turned down. However, it was not long before the pair got their wish. The Man with the Golden Gun saw Lee take on the titular role of the hitman Scaramanga.

He Met J. R. R. Tolkien

One of Lee’s more well-known roles is without a doubt the villainous wizard Saruman from the Lord of the Rings franchise. The character fit Lee like a glove for many reasons, but perhaps the most significant being he had actually met the writer Tolkien. Much like Fleming and Bond, Lee’s time with Tolkien led the author to look to Lee for one of his characters. Originally, Tolkien saw Lee as the perfect person to play Gandalf, and even gave him his blessing to do so. Alas, Lee’s history of portraying villains led him to the role we all know and love today.

He Advised The Filming Of The Lord of the Rings

Lee’s past with Tolkien was not the only thing that landed him the part of Saruman. He was also a huge Lord of the Rings fan. After all, it was his love of the books that brought him to Tolkien in the first place. So much so that he became an expert on the subject, and even advised the crew of the films to make sure they stayed true to the source material. In one of the more famous instances, Lee advised director Peter Jackson on how a man sounds when they get stabbed in the back. A disturbing fact to be sure, but Lee’s casual delivery of the suggestion is undeniably amusing in its own way.

He Was Almost In A New Hope

We all know about Lee’s portrayal of the leader of the Separatists, Count Dooku, but this was not the first time the actor was approached to join the Star Wars galaxy. A long time ago when they were casting for A New Hope, Lee was approached to play the part of Grand Moff Tarkin. He ultimately turned down the role, which would later be taken by Peter Cushing. Ironically the two have often been cast as rivals throughout their careers, but they were actually the best of friends in real life.

He Is Typecast As A Villain

If you have not already noticed from the previous entries, some of Lee’s most iconic roles are those where he played the part of the villain. Count Dooku, Saruman, Scaramanga, and even Dracula, the latter of which he had the distinction of playing more than any other actor in history. In fact, his filmography estimates that roughly 80 percent of his roles were as the antagonist of the film. As is often the case in Hollywood, Lee was about as far from villainous as one can be with coworkers describing him as an amazing talent and a joy to work with.

Broke Numerous Records In Acting

With such a long successful career as an actor, it should come as no surprise that Lee had broken numerous records throughout the years. The first record he broke was a no brainer, standing at an impressive six foot five, Lee was recognized by Guinness as the tallest leading actor in 2013. Interestingly enough, this hindered Lee in his early acting years, as it was hard to land supporting roles when you towered over the lead actor. Lee also held the distinction of playing three separate roles in Sherlock Holmes films: Holmes himself, his brother Mycroft, and Henry Baskerville of The Hound of the Baskervilles fame.

He Recorded A Heavy Metal Album

Lee was well known for his contribution to cinemas over the years, but few people know that he was also an avid music lover as well. Proving the old adage that you are never too old to pick up a new skill, Lee recorded a heavy metal album at the age of 88. He may have done it as a fun hobby, but the album, named after his ancestor Charlemagne, went on to achieve critical acclaim, earning him the coveted Spirit of Metal award at 2010 Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony. Lee would continue to pursue this hobby until his passing in 2015 with his final release dropping in December of the previous year.

Source(s): IMDb, Britannica, Fascinate, Goliath

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10 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know About Christopher Lee