(Sir)Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was born in Belgravia, London, in 1922. After a military career in the RAF during WWII, he was at a loss as to what to do. An Italian relative suggested he take up acting, and so he did.
Success was not instantaneous though, being 6'5'' and decidedly not Celtic looking did not play to his advantage, and so he struggled doing theater and minor films for many years.
His breakthrough came with Hammer Horror, playing Frankenstein's monster in "The Curse of Frankenstein"(1957), "Dracula"(1958), "The Mummy"(1958) and "The Hound of the Baskervilles"(1959). Several sequels to Dracula was made, starring Lee, and worldwide fame was attained. He most commonly plays the part of the villain, due to his naturally imposing presence and deep barytone voice.
Christopher Lee has a prolific career, especially in the horror genre, but has displayed his versatility in science fiction, drama, action adventure and fantasy. Many younger people know him best from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the "Star Wars" franchise.
For fans of Lee I highly recommend his autobiography "Lord of Misrule", it is a wonderful recollection of both the career and the remarkable life he has had.