June 20, 2015: Farewell, Sir Christopher Lee

The first film I saw Sir Christopher Lee in was what he considered to be his best: The Wicker Man. Then I discovered he was awesome with a sword in his hand, whether in the woods in the dark or on a slippery frozen lake. And I fell in love with his voice.

Being a Tolkien fan myself (you could use "fan" instead of "obsessed," I suppose), I was delighted to discover that he was a fan as well, and I envy that he was able to meet the author in person. Ever since I saw The Wicker Man I thought Lee had the perfect voice for Saruman the White. And lo! He did! He also voiced Death in some Pratchett films, and he was perfect for that, too.

But Sir Christopher was much much more than an actor. He was a linguist. He was a scholar. He was a soldier. He made heavy metal music well into his 90s. He had enough life experiences for six people. In my opinion, there will never be another person as all-around awesome -- in the sense that he would always leave me slack-jawed awed -- in the world. Not only will he be missed, he will never be equalled.

-- Elisabeth Zakes