Horror veteran Christopher Lee dies
Veteran actor Sir Christopher Lee has died aged 93.
The star, who appeared in a string of horror films and played a Bond villain in The Man With The Golden Gun, enjoyed a career renaissance playing Saruman in the Lord Of The Rings films.
He never stopped working and only last year marked his 92nd birthday by releasing a heavy metal version of the Frank Sinatra classic My Way.
It was one of seven tracks on an album called Metal Knight he recorded with an Italian band called Rhapsody Of Fire.
Two years ago he was honoured with a fellowship of the British Film Institute presented by his friend Johnny Depp.
Depp, who has worked with Sir Christopher on several Tim Burton projects including Sleepy Hollow, sneaked into the awards ceremony to surprise his friend.
Sir Christopher has amassed more than 250 screen credits, including his vampire appearances, his role as sinister Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man, and his collaborations with Burton.
He has often said that his title role in Jinnah, about the founder of Pakistan, is one of his favourite portrayals.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea confirmed that a death certificate had been issued for the star, who died on Sunday at a local hospital.
His Lord Of The Rings co-star Dominic Monaghan paid tribute, saying: " So, so sorry to hear that Christopher Lee has passed away. He was a fascinating person. Threw a Bic pen into a tree in front of me."
Actor Reece Shearsmith said: " Very upset to learn that Sir Christopher Lee has passed away. An amazing gentleman who brought us so many iconic roles. He will be missed."
Jonathan Ross said: "So sad to hear that Sir Christopher Lee has died. A great actor, a great star, a surprisingly good singer and a lovely, lovely man."
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