Lord of Misrule

After several years in secondary film roles, the skeletal, menacing Christopher Lee achieved horror-flick stardom as the Creature in 1958's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, the second of his 21 Hammer Studios films. Other Lee roles of note include the title character in 1959's THE MUMMY and the Fu Manchu series of the '60s, the bloody-thirsty Count Dracula and of course the villainous Scaramanga in the 1974 James Bond classic THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. Established as a legend in his own right, Lee went on to appear in films ranging from GREMLINS (1990) to Tim Burton's SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999). In 2001, after appearing in nearly 300 film and television productions, the 79-year-old actor undertook the role of Saruman, chief of all wizards, in director Peter Jackson's eagerly anticipated screen adaptation of Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS. Arguably one of the most demanding roles of his career, audiences marvelled at the wondrous battle between Saruman and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) atop the wizard's ominous tower. Shortly after, wielding a lightsaber against one of the most powerful adversaries in the STAR WARS canon, Lee proved that even at 80 he still had what it takes to be a compelling and demanding screen presence. Recounted with Lee's characteristic self-deprecating wit and hilarious anecdotes, LORD OF MISRULE narrates the astonishing career of the man the GUARDIAN describes as simply 'the coolest actor on the planet'.