GPWizard F1 Forum
Everything Else => Off Topic => Topic started by: Dare on June 14, 2009, 04:32:27 AM
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Towering at 6'5," with his dark eyes and thunderous voice, British actor Christopher Lee played a perfect villain in 1950s chillers like "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), "Dracula" (1958), "The Mummy" (1959) and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1959).
Over the years, those roles launched a prolific career including a slew of Hollywood blockbusters.
But they also set the stage for Lee's recognition as an important cultural figure in his native England, which Queen Elizabeth II noted Saturday when she knighted the 87-year-old actor, the Associated Press reported.
Nick Faldo, a golfer with 6 major titles under his belt, was also knighted.
Other honorees included Tony Award-winner Alan Cumming, whose work as an actor and as a gay rights activist earned him an Order of the British Empire title.
Television chef Delia Smith became a Commander of the British Empire for her contributions to the food industry, while Vidal Sassoon earned the same title for his career as a hair stylist, according to the BBC.
Among Lee's more than 250 film credits, are roles as Francisco Scaramanga in the 1974 film "The Man with the Golden Gun," Count Dooku in "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," (2002), and Dr. Wonka in Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
The Queen turned 83 in April, but the king or queen's birthday is traditionally marked with a ceremony and parade in June known as "Trooping the Colour," which dates back to 1748. The announcement of the Queen's Birthday Honours List, during which the monarch bestows various decorations and medals of the United Kingdom, is one of the celebration's most highly anticipated events.