Sir Christopher Lee, Star of 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Dracula,' Dies at Age 93

Hollywood has lost a legend this week as Sir Christopher Lee passed away. He was 93.

Lee died Sunday morning at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital due to "respiratory problems," which had been an ongoing issue for the veteran actor in recent months.

The loss is especially great for those who enjoy genre films, as Lee has made a long career appearing in science fiction, fantasy and horror films. In particular, Lee is well known for his role as Saruman in the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movies.

Lee's film career began humbly as one of his first film roles was in Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" adaptation in 1948, in which Lee played an uncredited role. Lee became famous in the 1950's for playing Dracula and a number of other horror roles.

His career built from there, and over the course of it Lee managed to play a number of memorable roles including Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu, and more recently Count Dooku in the "Star Wars" prequels. Lee won many acting awards over the years, including a BAFTA, and was knighted for his acting and his charity work in 2009.

Lee also famously enjoyed heavy metal music and led his own metal band for many years, playing well into his later years. He even released a new metal album in 2013 titled "Charlemagne: The Omens of Death."

The veteran actor was also a war veteran, having served during WWII for Britain in what has been called a "clandestine" role. "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson famously related a story in a behind-the-scenes interview about Lee telling Jackson, from experience, what happens when a person is stabbed in the back while discussing acting choices on the set of the fantasy film.

Lee is survived by his wife Birgit Kroencke Lee and daughter Christina Erika Lee.