Random Christopher Lee: Way More Hardcore Than Saruman (20 items)

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  (#4) He Saw France's Last Public Execution

  Christopher Lee had a taste for the macabre, even before his days of playing monsters. In 1939, Lee found himself in France after his stepfather went bankrupt and could no longer afford Lee’s expensive private school. So what does a 17 year old do on a nice summer day in France? Attend a public execution.

  On June 17, a man accused of multiple homicides, Eugen Weidmann, became the last man to be publicly executed in France. And, because everything in Lee's life was metal, the dude was f*cking guillotined. Insanely, you can watch the execution on YouTube (if that's the sort of thing you're interested in watching).

  Lee witnessing the execution must have stirred up a deep interest with him on the subject matter. He ended up studying the history of public executions and he knew the names of every public executioner in England, dating back to the 15th century.
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  (#15) He Speaks Several Languages

  If you’re the international man of badassery (and darkness) that is Christopher Lee, English is definitely not your only language. He was actually fluent in five! He spoke Italian, French, Spanish, German, and (obviously) mastered English to a Shakespearean degree.

  He was also proficient in Swedish, Russian, and Greek. And, given his enormous brain power, his “proficiency” in those languages probably surpassed most American’s grasp on the English language.
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  (#1) He Holds Three Guinness World Records

  Christopher Lee did not like to sit idle. He once said, “I want to die with my boots on,” and he did just that (well, metaphorically anyway). The actor died in 2015, just a couple of months before he was going to start his gazillionth film. In 2007, Guinness World Records honored him with the title of most screen credits held by any living actor, with 244 credits under his belt. Since 2007, he added 24 more credits to that list.

  But that’s not his only world record. He also holds the title for being the tallest leading actor in history, standing at 6’5’’. Later, Vince Vaughan went on to share that title with him. Lee also holds the title of most films with a swordfight by an actor, having dueled in 17 films. Of course, this includes his lightsaber fights as Count Dooku in Star Wars.
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  (#12) He Was Guilted Into Continuing To Play Dracula

  Christopher Lee and the horror Hammer Films franchise go way back. Hammer catapulted Lee to mainstream fame for his portrayal of Dracula in eight of their films. He also played the mummy, Frankenstein’s monster, and Rasputin in The Mad Monk. While Lee can thank Hammer for jump-starting his career, he didn’t want to continue playing the role of Dracula, especially as the quality of the films got progressively worse.

  Lee said that he was emotionally blackmailed into reprising his famous role.  The producers behind the films had told him that they already “sold it to the Americans with him in it.” When he still refused, the producers told him that if he backed out, people would lose their jobs.
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  (#18) He Was Best Friends With Peter Cushing

  Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing acted together in nearly two dozen films, many of which belonged to the Hammer horror franchise. But the two were much more than just co-stars, they were best of friends.

  When Cushing passed in 1994, Lee had to say this about their friendship:

  “I don’t want to sound gloomy, but, at some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that with him so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again.”
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  (#17) He Hosted An Episode Of SNL In 1978

  Even though Lee is considered the Master of the Macabre, it doesn’t mean that he didn’t have a humorous side. In fact, on March 25, 1978, he was the Host of Horror for an episode of Saturday Night Live.

  In his opening monologue, he lamented about the deteriorating state of horror films. It was then followed up by would-be trailers for low-rate horror flicks with absurd premises, like Dr. Jekyll and Mister Rogers, The Island of Lost Luggage, and The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave. In the latter John Belushi was an annoying slug of a man who overstayed his welcome at the expense of Billy Murray and Jane Curtin.  

  He acted in three skits in the episode. In one of the skits he played Professor Henry Higgins in a My Fair Lady spoof. In another skit he was Van Helsing, a role he’s familiar with. Oh, also if you've ever wanted to see Christopher Lee introduce Meatloaf to a live studio audience, do yourself a favor and watch the above clip (SPOILER: his mustache is amazing). 

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