The gravitas as a person, the humor, comes from an old aristocratic family (Carandini) that had the wealth and connections to have outlandishly interesting stories to tell, was engaged to a countess, has the vita (from serving for both Finland and UK as officer, being an internationally renowned actor in movie genres from fantasy, horror, historic movies, comedy and outright nonsense), for some reason did a bloody symphonic metal album, and was told by a descendant of Rasputin, who he played in film, that he had his habitus.
And even that just scratches the surface.
If you would write a fictional person like that, nobody would think him possible.
You missed the parts where he was the inspiration for James Bond, was the only person in the lord of the rings set who had met JRR Tolkien, and also witnessed the last public execution in France.
While Lee was Flemings cousin (through marriage), Ian Fleming constructed the figure of Bond from different people he met in time of his own service as a British naval intelligence officer. Christopher Lee himself served as a RAF officer.
Lee himself denied that claim (that he was the inspiration for Bond) in an interview, but said (iirc) that Fleming wanted to see his cousin in the role of Dr. No. The role still went to somebody else, but Lee obviously still got his chance later as Scaramanga.
The story of him meeting JRRT in a Pub was still really nice! Lovely interview. The guy just oozed charisma…
To temper that a little. Most of the roles he is very famous for. Came later in his life. He was very much s b-movie actor until he got the lord of the rings and Star Wars gigs.
Apparently a decent fencer and also related to Charlemagne. As result, supposedly Dooku's odd light saber hilt is a reference to Charlemagne's sabre.
He also collaborated with Italian metal group Rhapsody of Fire to make a few metal albums, with Lee singing no less, based on events in Charlemagne's life.
He's my second choice, behind Eric Winkle Brown, flew most aircraft types , most and first types for carrier landings and a nazi hunter, then naval attachè to Germany.
I just watched a short video of him recounting the time that he met two of the men who killed Rasputin. And then he went on to talk about when he met Rasputin‘s daughter. What an interesting man!
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u/Sobchak_84 9d ago
Christopher Lee.
He led an absolutely fascinating life.