Christopher Lee on Wogan

[BrendaDegger]

When Lee say something he makes the host voice to seem an a squeaky one hasuashusahaush

[friendofsgran]

Never seen Christopher Lee without a beard before

[DarthRavus]

This man is...quite possible my hero. I don't say that about many men, but he is so kind, and such a powerful actor. He once said that his best friend the late Peter Cushing passed away because he was such a gentle soul and that he was too good for this world. No one holds people on such a high pedistal anymore as friends. I miss those days, and I'm 20...

[ModernWarfare3Always]

hope he lives for over 100 yeras *he is 90)

[mikebalboa25]

@ModernWarfare3Always he will live for over 100

[jhibbitt1]

he really should have done more musicals

[Macs899]

Even Dracula respects Chuck Norris.

[MyMerlin1]

Americans have Vincent Price and the British have Boris Karloff , Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

[metfordgeorge]

I was disappointed not to get a signed autograph after sending a nice letter, however i still think he`s great . Christopher Lee.

[graemeoliver84]

You can really see how Alan Partridge was partly based on Wogan.

[OrodesIII]

Christopher Lee never bettered his portrayal of Dracula in the Hammer films and it is somewhat bothersome that he has not a good word to say about that role.

[DidloDurante]

That Lee has led a remarkable life & met many historically important figures is not in doubt, however I will always take many of his anecdotes with a pinch of salt as I've noticed that he has a tendency to embroider the truth somewhat for effect. The actor Francis Matthews described him as a "topper"...a person who's always done something better or more interesting than you. He's well known for it.

[ChristopherDone]

Haha, this audience is dead.

[balrog13571]

I've heard Lee doesn't really like to look back on his Dracula films anymore and won't even autograph pictures of the character anymore. Is that true? I can understand why he'd feel pretty sour about how they exploited the character so much and all, but considering he retired from it and yet he still did Dracula and Son (not sure why) and since he doesn't necessarily seem angry about it I had to ask. Is he just too polite to show his views on it more or does he still have some respect for it?

[kezadrone]

Oh come come Mr bond you enjoy killing just as much as I do.

[watchingmefall83]

such a classy guy, and an awesome story teller. his mind needs to be archived on film with multi hour interviews. 

[dasyization]

Christopher is so handsome ! I love him ! My favorite movie he's in is Dracula. 

[03john0]

So not only is Christopher lee insanely powerful, some kinda of strange creature of the night, has a voice that can shatter bones, a ww2 strike team veteran, a keen golfer, a superlative singer, an unsurpassable actor, a knight of the realm and a skilled multilinguist, he is also a personal friend of Chuck Norris. I think this man is the definition of epic.

[Dalek1230]

6:00 He Speaks the truth

[YourFaceWillDie396]

"That spare, gaunt figure."

Wogan is the epitome of class and tactfulness. Christopher is quite well-built all the same. Not gaunt at all. Tall and rangy.

[dasyization]

Chistopher Lee is the best I really want to meet him. I got 4 dracula movies for christmas .He's my hero.

[Taraalcar]

"I made a film with Chuck Norris."

why am i not surprised?

[SuperTregs]

Christopher Lee would be friends of Chuck Norris

[PsychoManiac696]

He has such a strong voice!

[ryananderson280195]

wow his voice is horror

[Nergaladdictchic]

Such a charming smile!

[Raffodude1992]

25 years ago while christopher lee was 63 years old in 1985 and now he's 88 years old now in 2010 and he'll be 89 years old in May 27th 2011!!!!!

[derangedband]

wow i love his voice. i wonder if he has ever read any audio books. i bet he would be great reading a story. i would gladly listen to him read anything and i bet he could make it good

[DemiathDoomhammer]

wait a minute, did he say black magic? Saruman!

[Giradius]

I bet he hated Wogan doing the vampire thing, he is very touchy about his Dracula years.

[goreombola]

Even Christopher Lee acknowledges how lethal Chuck Norris is.

[ScorpiusCentaurus]

His voice is legendary. And fortunately he is still with us.

[Nergaladdictchic]

God, Christopher Lee is freaking huge!!! how tall was he, like 6'5"?

[antidisastablish333]

chris is really tall, what is he, like 6 foot seven or something?

[edgarivanrivero]

prime he was 6ft 5in solid, but now he say, he lost a inch, but that is fair, he is now 88 years old.

[CaptPoco]

What a terminally boring interview! Still, he manages to get a shout out to both Chuck Norris and Muhammad Ali... Christopher Lee rocks!

[PFXProductions]

I love how he can sing..but he never really took real classes...hes one many people who have gift..not some singers to day can be sweeten in a studio..HE IS PERFECT..REALLY! <3

[kratzenburg]

The routine with Wogan in the coffin was pathetic!

[cheevo99]

couldnt agree more.i felt sorry for christopher lee,i'd say he was cringing as wogan made a twat of himself.

[KenFromBeara]

@kratzenburg oh so true.  a real insult to a master actor like lee. wogan might have gotten away with being burnt alive in the wicker man. that would be a better intro

[MrWaynejohn]

chris,s best film ???...howling 2

[sirtinycreep]

Christophe Lee has agood wig on there. Wogan's wig...not so good.

[Vortigern99]

Lee's biggest asset is his voice, that marvelous baritone. The Hammer films, as thrilling as many of them are, never exploited his vocal talent as fully as it deserved.

[cheevo99]

agreed.he should have narated a lot of movies like james earl jones or morgan freeman.

[92af]

Christopher Lee is totaly better than Gregory Peck was

[lshaw17]

Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price....the unholy trinity of horror!

[TheAlienFan]

@Ishaw17 Did you know Vincent and Christopher share the same birthday 27th may? Peters birthday is the day before,the 26nd. I loved all those Hammer movies,I grew up with them

[ADyingFaith]

Wow what a coincidence.

[TheAlienFan]

Yeah and it's a very good one too Fantastic isn't it? : )

[HattieLovesCattie]

@lshaw17 Don't forget Boris Karloff.In his bio,Lee admits visiting the Karloff's when he and his wife lived in LA for a few years.Also he was given Bela's ring that Bela wore in Dracula.Once during filming,Lee fell on top of one pretty " vampire gal " in a grave in one movie and Peter said to Lee,"you're not filming that kind of movie".They all had good laugh.Lee visiting Peter when he was dying and they sang a Jimmy Durante song together.Lee also said in his book that he is the last one left.

[queenrocks21]

@lshaw17 There are 2 trinities: Lee, Cushig and Price but also Lugosi, Karloff and Chaney

[orwellianson]

@lshaw17 and rightly so... now get on your knees and worship these legendary greats. They deserve all the respect and admiration they can get!

[perth45]

a true icon in film history, as was Peter Cushing.....

[lshaw17]

Don't forget Vincent Price!

[datalal624]

On the other hand, maybe this is closer to 1985, when the second Rambo movie came out. In any case, Lee would have been close to 60 or a bit older when this interview took place.

[Thespilian]

It's either 1985 or 1986 for Lee had returned to England after living in Hollywood for years (he returned in 1985). Wogan mentioned Lee's visit to his show to Peter Cushing at Cushing's first stint there in March 1986, so I'd say it's 1986.

[EarlRoesel]

@Thespilian Yes, it is most likely 1986. Lee mentions not playing Dracula in 14 years. The Satanic Rites of Dracula was shot at the end of 1972.

[doomfeather]

anyone have the other Wogan that C. Lee was on? i'd love to hear his singing!

[popeaustini]

what year is this from?

[datalal624]

This must have been recorded ca. 1983, around the time "The Return of Captain Invincible" came out.

[sirtinycreep]

Terry Wogan is 6 foot 2 and looked short next to Chris! LOL.

[TheCarydal]

hes not even 6' dude.

[jkcrystal2]

that was really cool

[comets00]

what a legend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[92af]

Christopher Lee is totaly better than Rod Steiger was.

[TitusIsaacMaximus]

SIR Christopher Lee.

You know, i just have to say this, but, as far as vampires go, Lee undoubtedly left a mark on the portrayal of such characters...

and to think, he was rejected as an actor at first for being too tall and looking too foreign... ironically, traits that are hard to imitate by other actors.

Lee rules

[Eumirnp]

i love christopher lee... is my favorite actor!!! and for me... HE HAS THE BEST VOICE OF THE UNIVERSE!!!! YEAHH!!!!

[Zanphagras]

God, in Hugh Hefner's house... :D

What a party it could have been there that day :D...

[VigisKane]

he's 6'5

[jasongreenwooduk1]

did he say goth course?

[wow3214]

golf course....

[AgentSmithClan]

Christopher Lee is awesome! I'm glad he's gotten more mainstream attention after his great performance in Lord of the Rings, and I hope he can do The Hobbit as well. He's great in everything he's in.

[Aled29]

He hinted he was to be playing the voice of Smaug the Dragon.

[92af]

Christopher Lee is totaly better than Marlon Brando was

[antc65]

In Dracula Prince of Darkness he didnt say a word. Shy vampire perhaps??

[Thespilian]

He said the original dialogue was crap, and he preferred not talking at all.

[02uk]

@antc65 i think dracula prince of darkness was his worst one out of his dracula movies, all the others were brilliant but i didnt rate that one.

[annodomin]

Compare Lee's "Wogan" interview with Peter Cushing's. Lee name drops, talks about himself in grandiose terms & comes across as a rather pompous, aloof figure who takes himself & his profession rather too seriously.

Cushing, however, conssumate professional, happy to be known for his horror films, committed to his profession yet wisely understanding that it is not to be taken seriously. A quiet, unassuming gentleman who never got the credit he deserved. A far better actor than Lee undoubtedly

[Thespilian]

Well, one has to say that Cushing took his profession very, very seriously (and rightly so)!

Cushing and Lee were very different characters, which probably drew them together and made them such great friends. The weird thing is that Lee's fundametally very shy and unsure, which is probably the reason he behaves - "acts" - the way he does. Honestly, he's a great storyteller, he can be very, very nice, and he can make fun about himself - which many do not believe, but he does.

[ChristmasWill]

He's an incredibly talented very frightening man.

[yfytgfjhgkjhg]

Christopher Lee!! woow amazing voice! and GREAT actor!

[WomaninBlack215]

Two legends; Terry Wogan and Christopher Lee

But I have to point something out: Listen to Lee's voice in 'Horror of Dracula' and then listen to it here. When he played D, his voice was nowhere near as deep. I wonder what happened?

[MrDefaulto]

I really noticed that, I just watched Horror of Dracula last night and was surprised. But really, a lot of people get deeper voices as they age, and this interview was at least 20 years after that movie.

Also, you can train your voice to be deeper, it's a matter of constantly talking low. (gargling with brandy doesn't hurt!)

[annodomin]

Actually, on the dvd commentaries Lee did for "Rasputin" & "Dracula Prince of Darkness", recorded in the 90's, his voice is noticeably higher than this interview.

I think it's true that Lee chooses to affect a deeper, more imposing voice as he pleases. Much of what Lee does is for effect. He has worn a hairpiece since the 70s for example. He is in fact a rather shy man, his persona of studied erudition & urbaneness is no doubt largely a mask, concealing a rather average actor in truth.

[WomaninBlack215]

LEE, AVERAGE!?! I don't think so!

[annodomin]

Don't get me wrong, I like Lee's performances & there's no doubt that he is a charismatic figure, but I've always thought his acting style is, in the main, rather mannered & stiff. There are exceptions, such as his roles in The Wicker Man & Death Line, where he loosens up.

[Thespilian]

In fact, a "persona of studied erudition & urbaneness (which) is no doubt largely a mask, concealing a rather average actor" would be a quite an acting achievement.

I think Lee is a fine and underrated actor. It's clear that his acting style differs much from, say, Cushing's quirkiness and Price's mannerism. Especially in some of his TV appearances, like "The Disputation", "Ghost Stories for Christmas" etc., he was able to show skills very rarely asked for by the movie industry.

[Thespilian]

Well, Cushing - my favorite actor - was wearing a hairpiece since the Fifties, and you rarely (if at all) see him without it in public until the Seventies.

That Lee is fundamentaly shy I said before. I think that's a rather likeable flaw, as vanitiy in an actor is not only a lesser sin, but a necessarity.

And btw, Lee's a marvellous voice actor, I think. ;)

[gayguylovescock28]

Chris Lee is a legend, he can speak a few foreign languages etc, he can also take a jok/laugh at him self

[AyeOkNowFuckOff]

CHRIS LEE = LEGEND

[pullybrit]

Tread lightly when dealing with Lord Summerisle lest you wish to have a date with The Wicker Man!

[AntonFibes]

Great Muhammed Ali story! And he watched it at Hefners house, damn perfect

[TayGlo]

I am so in awe of this man, Mr. Lee. What a treasure he is. Hollywood needs to give him his due.

[ISB]

Thanks a million for the upload, Thespilian! Date/year? 198..?

[Thespilian]

Must be around 1986. Can't say for sure, though, sorry. =/

[ATVmidlands5581]

Mr Lee is a man of such integrity. Its a shame Wogan treated him with such contempt coming out of that coffin. talk about dumbing down. thanks for posting-it was interesting to watch.

ATVmidlands UK

[Thespilian]

Wogan had the subtlety of a club. But then, he got them all, didn't he? Peter Cushing was there four times, Lee at least twice, Price was there ... So that's the one thing Terry Wogan can be admired for.

[ATVmidlands5581]

Hi

Yes i suppose so. I think this interview is very much of its time. Im a fan of Cushing Lee and Price (Karloff and Lugosi too). I doubt if Lee would agree to this intro now though. Dont blame him.

Mr Lee should have been knighted by now!

cheers

ATVmidlands UK

[Arrowdodger]

Lee, even in his advanced age, has so much vitality left. Maybe the man didn't PLAY Dracula, maybe he's put in the real commitment there, and BECAME the role.... haha

[MickeyLove01]

It's amazing you fitted into that coffin Wogan, you big fat bald headed twat.

[Thespilian]

Strangely enough, I watched the second Harry Potter movie again recently and somewhat the Kenneth Brannagh character as played reminded me a lot of Terry Wogan ...

[marsupius]

I am not competely sure, but I think the past tense of "fit" is "fit." Right? Maybe it's like "hanged" "hung." You know, you get to choose.

[garethac81]

Wonderful. Lee, Price, Cushing...these gentlemen belong to a gloriously cultured and distinguished generation of Hollywood, from which so many have already taken their final bow, and yet one hopes will be remembered and revered as long as cinema lives on.

[willy2guns]

Christopher and Peter one of the most legendary matches ever !

[Thespilian]

And one of the best. =)

[92af]

what year was that?

[Thespilian]

1986 or 1987, I really can't remember ... unfortunately.

[StockholmSyndromeINC]

Many people have MANY things to learn from Mr Lee, and of course not forgetting Mr Price and Mr Cushing.

[Thespilian]

And he's such a great story-teller! =)

[sheah17]

Thanks also, for this great clip, which I have just discovered. Mr Lee is another one of my heros.