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Who was Sir Christopher Lee and what was his cause of death?

CHRISTOPHER Lee was considered one of the greatest actors of his time.

The icon appeared in a number of blockbuster films including Dracula, Star Wars and Lord of The Rings in his long showbusiness career.

Sir Christopher Lee often played the role of a villain in a career which spanned over 60 years
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Sir Christopher Lee often played the role of a villain in a career which spanned over 60 yearsCredit: Getty - Contributor

Who was Sir Christopher Lee?

Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was born May 27, 1922, in Belgravia, London.

From an early age Lee showed a passion for acting, appearing in Rumpelstiltskin when he was only four-years-old.

He continued acting in Summer Fields School in Oxford, after which he entered the military world in the Royal Air Force as an intelligence officer, and as a liaison officer for the Special Operations Executive.

He retired from the RAF as a flight lieutenant in 1946 following his World War II service.

After this Lee returned to acting, making his debut the following year and quickly making a name for himself.

What movies did Sir Christopher Lee star in?

Horror films became Lee's forte in his early career playing Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, playing the role nine times.

He appeared in film The Wicker Man in 1973 and played horror roles in five of Tim Burton’s films.

After forging a career in the UK, Lee moved to the US and appeared in Airport '77 in 1977, 1941 in 1979, Return from Witch Mountain in 1978 and Gremlins 2 in 1990.

He also appeared in the television series of Sherlock Holmes in Incident at Victoria Falls in 1991 and the Leading Lady in 1992.

Lee played a number of roles as the villain including the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974, Count Dooku in several Star Wars films between 2002 and 2008.

He also performed the same character's voice in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film.

As well as this role, Lee played villainous Saruman in both the Lord of the Rings film trilogy between 2001 and 2003 and the Hobbit film trilogy in 2012 to 2014.

According to Lee, his three films which put him on the map for acting including A Tale of Two Cities in 1958, the Curse of Frankenstein in 1957 and Dracula in 1958.

For his contribution to drama and charity, Lee was knighted in 2009.

He also received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011, and the BFI Fellowship in 2013.

How tall was Sir Christopher Lee?

Playing such iconic roles requires a great stature and presence from an actor.

This was not difficult for Lee as he stood at a staggering 6ft 5 inches (1.96 m) tall.

What was Sir Christopher Lee's net worth?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lee had an estimated net worth of around £19.6 million ($25 million).

Most of his wealth came from his acting career but he amassed a fortune from his work as an author, singer, voice actor and film producer.

What age was Sir Christopher Lee when he died?

Lee was 93 years old at the time of his death.

Shortly after his birthday he was admitted at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

What was Sir Christopher Lee's cause of death?

Lee was admitted to hospital due to respiratory issues and heart failure.

Read More on The US Sun

Sadly, he succumbed to his health issues and passed away on June 7, 2015.

He was praised by then Prime Minister David Cameron calling Lee a “titan of the golden age of cinema”.

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