10 Insane Facts You Didn't Know About Christopher Lee

8. James Bond Was Partly Based On Him

Christopher Lee€™s connection to the James Bond franchise is manifold. For one, he actually starred as a Bond villain in 1974€™s The Man With The Golden Gun. But before then he was seriously considered to play Dr. No and even 007 himself €“ he€™s who Bond author Ian Fleming originally wanted in the part, anyway. Oh, and there€™s also the fact that James Bond, globe-trotting super-spy, was in part based on Lee himself. That would be because Ian Fleming, who was actually Lee€™s step-cousin, served in the OSS with Lee, and took direct inspiration from him. It€™s difficult to see the influence when Lee was such a horror and fantasy icon, appearing throughout his career less a suave 007-type and more of a spooky bad dude. But then no one really knows what went down with Christopher Lee in WWII €“ chances are he was a smooth high-roller just like Bond, only with a killer moustache.
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Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1