Count Dooku Dead: The Force Was Strong
Actor Christopher Lee, who Star Wars fans would instantly recognize as the ultra-evil Count Dooku who met his end in Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, died June 7, according to reports. He was 93.
The ultra-talented Lee, who also played Saruman in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and appeared in The Hobbit series of films, was in over 250 films throughout his career. He was frequently typecast as the villain, which he said initially frustrated him, even when he admitted that playing villains was often more interesting than playing the good guy. He found plenty of villainy as Count Dooku, one of the most evil Sith Lords in Star Wars history to that point.
Lee would also often boast that he had appeared in more sword fights on camera than any other actor, which posed something of a challenge for Star Wars director George Lucas, as the Count Dooku actor was 79 when he portrayed him on screen. Count Dooku was involved in one of the most intense sword fights in Star Wars lore — the fight between him and Yoda at the end of Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, where he also takes on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. At 79, Lee was still quite athletic, but there would be distinct challenges posed by him taking on the fight scene, which involved some very quick sword play and a great deal of moving around. So, Lucas determined a Count Dooku double would be employed, one which could stand in for Lee during the actual shoot. Lee, the real Count Dooku, would then have his face digitally replaced on the stunt double’s.
It was a clever move for Lucas, and allowed him to honor Lee’s storied career as something of a screen swashbuckler. The lightsaber duel between Yoda and Count Dooku ranks as one of the most memorable in Star Wars’ history. It did not hurt that Lee was an imposing 6’5?, which meant he would definitely look the part of the looming, menacing Count Dooku. Thanks to the melding of technology with Lee’s own physicality, in addition to his piercing gaze and deep voice, he made the dark lord incredibly sinister. While many were hoping for his demise in Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, there was something that also fell apart a little in taking Count Dooku out of the picture. The Force, the invisible element that an older Obi-Wan Kenobi would argue is part of the fabric of life itself, was definitely strong in Count Dooku, but nowhere was it stronger than in that formidable figure that Christopher Lee cast on any movie set. He will be missed.
[Photo Courtesy of Collider]
