User:Tiller54/Christopher Lee in the 2000s

Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee,, (born 27 May 1922) is an English actor, singer and author. Lee initially portrayed villains and became best known for his role as Count Dracula in a string of popular Hammer Horror films. His other notable roles include Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014), and Count Dooku in the final two films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (2002 and 2005).

He was knighted for services to drama and charity in 2009, received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011 and received the BFI Fellowship in 2013. Lee considers his best performance to be that of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the biopic Jinnah (1998), and his best film to be the British horror film The Wicker Man (1973).

Always noted as an actor for his deep, strong voice, he has, more recently, also been known for using his singing ability, recording various opera and musical pieces between 1986 and 1998 and the symphonic metal album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross in 2010 after having worked with several metal bands since 2005. The heavy metal follow-up titled Charlemagne: The Omens of Death was released on 27 May 2013. He was honoured with the "Spirit of Metal" award in the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden God awards ceremony.

Christopher Lee is one of the highest grossing actors of all time, having grossed $8,321,486,066 worldwide.

2000s
Lee considers the BBC TV miniseries Gormenghast to be "one of the best things in fiction [the BBC] has done." It was an adaptation of the first two novels of the Gormenghast series by Mervyn Peake, previously considered "unfilmable", and Lee played the butler Mr. Flay, notably duelling with Richard Griffiths as the chef Abiatha Swelter.

For the role of Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Lee's agent arranged a meeting with George Lucas' casting director, Robin Gurland, and Lucas gave him the role. Starring in the films Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Lee performed all his own swordfights, though he was doubled for long shots.

Wanted to play Gandalf. Auditioned for Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh but knew he was too old for the role. Instead, offered Saruman. On layover in Singapore, tripped in his hotel room and almost severed two fingers on his left hand. Hence bandages.