Sir Christopher Lee has died aged 93, according to a report from The Telegraph.
He reportedly died at 8:30am on Sunday at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after suffering respiratory problems and heart failure.
Lady Lee, his wife of 50 years, chose to delay the announcement of his death, The Telegraph reported.
Lee's career spanned eight decades and took him from TV to cult cinema to the globe-conquering blockbusters of the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars franchises.
Modern fans may know him best as the evil wizard Saruman from the LOTR films, but his performances as Count Dracula in the Hammer films of the 1950s – a role he reprised over the next two decades – made his name.
In all he made 281 screen appearances, and continued to act well into his nineties. Lee received a knighthood in 2009 and became a BAFTA fellow in 2011.
Lee was reportedly signed on to act in The 11th, a drama about the 9/11 attacks on New York in 2001 starring Uma Thurman, at the time of his death.
His last film, Angels in Notting Hill, was filmed in 2014 and is yet to be released.
In his BAFTA fellowship acceptance speech, Lee said: "I hate being idle. As dear Boris [Karloff] used to say, when I die I want to die with my boots on."
Closely associated with the horror and science fiction genres, Lee was the only person who appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy to have met the series' author, JRR Tolkien.
Co-stars from Lee's many films recalled their memories of him.
So so sorry to hear that #christopherlee has passed away. He was a fascinating person. Threw a bic pen into a tree in front of me. #legend
An extraordinary man and life lead, Sir Christopher Lee. You were an icon, and a towering human being with stories for days. We'll miss you.
The prime minister added his words of tribute.
I'm saddened by the deaths of Sir Christopher Lee and Ron Moody. Both starred in films that are treasured by millions.
And fans wasted no time in tweeting their tributes to Lee's talent and his cinematic legacy.
RIP Christopher Lee - prolific, amazing actor with apparently endless passion for his roles.
The 25 years of Christopher Lee's life BEFORE he was ever in movies contained more actual life than most of us are ever likely to live.
So sad to hear that Sir Christiphet Lee has died. A great actor, a great star, a surprisingly good singer and a lovely lovely man.
The great, always criminally underrated Sir Christopher Lee has left us. A Titan of Cinema and a huge part of my youth. Farewell.
Every time you feel sad about Christopher Lee, look at this picture and it'll make you smile.
He's not dead... only sleeping. RIP Christopher Lee.
People paid tribute to his longevity...
Do you have kids? They know who Christopher Lee is. Are your grandparents still around? So do they. That's amazing. Such a cool guy too.
...his versatility...
This. A thousand times this. (via @LouMorgan on FB!)
RIP to one of the Greatest character actors Ever... #christopherlee
How many juggernaut/cult modern movie franchises was Christopher Lee in? 1/ James Bond 2/ LOTR 3/ Star Wars 4/ Gremlins
...his attention to detail...
Christopher Lee once phoned up to complain about a mistake on our site. I took the call. I have never been more terrified. God, he was good.
...and his tips on how to have a happy marriage.
Sir Christopher Lee was married for 53 years. When asked for the secret of a long-lived marriage, he replied: “Marry someone wonderful.”
Some people may not be aware of his sideline as a singer – this is from his A Heavy Metal Christmas album from last December, which he made aged 92.
View this video on YouTube
Lee also served in the Second World War in the Special Operations Executive.
Sir Christopher Lee, 1922–2015
