British actor Christopher Lee, who devoted his long acting career to portraying villains including Dracula in horror classics and later appeared in the blockbuster Star Wars and Lord of the Rings franchises, has died at the age of 93.

Lee died on Sunday in hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for respiratory problems, reports said.

Lee’s agent in an emailed statement said his family “wishes to make no comment”.

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.

Lee 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 from 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.

Lee 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.

Agencies