Christopher Lee was one of the greatest gems of the Hollywood industry, who has left behind some of the most iconic films in the cinematic universe. The actor played the most famous villains of the ’70s and ’80s. He was widely appreciated for his role as Count Dracula in several Hammer Horror films. He gained a massive fan following for his role as Count Dooku in Star Wars. However, he was originally chosen for another Star Wars character.
The Lord of the Rings fame Christopher Lee was initially offered a role different from Count Dooku. The role ultimately went to his close friend Peter Cushing.
Christopher Lee may not have been Count Dooku in Star Wars
As per the film, Count Dooku was a menacing Sith Lord and an important character in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones. He was once a Jedi, trained by Yoda. However, he went off-track of the Jedi Order and became power-hungry. He became Darth Sidious’ disciple and created a secret identity, Darth Tyranus, leading the Separatist army.
However, before he was cast for the villainous character of Darth Tyranus, Lee was picked for another role. As per reports, he was offered Grand Moff Tarkin’s role in the original installment, the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
Grand Moff Tarkin was a proponent of military power and was the favorite of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. He was entrusted with the construction of the Death Star, however, he used the power to crush all those who dissented from the Empire’s rule. The character was killed when the Death Star was destroyed.
Christopher Lee credits George Lucas for joining Star Wars prequel trilogy
In an interview with TheForce.Net, The Man with the Golden Gun star shared the reason for joining the Star Wars projects. He shared that he was highly impressed by the imagination and creativity of George Lucas for the films.
Christopher Lee recalled,
“I naturally was amazed at the brilliance of George Lucas. You have to remember that in the case of a film like Lord of the Rings, they were taken from books that had already been written. What makes Star Wars so extraordinary is that all the stories, the special effects, and the whole concept, come from the mind of one man: George Lucas. The books come afterward. The vision is quite amazing.”
He added,
“I’m wondering how George is going to structure the story whereby Anakin turns into Darth Vader. And how Ewan McGregor turns into Alec Guinness. It will have to be very convincing. And it’s very exciting to be a part of this. It will be extraordinary to see how it’s done. And it has to be done, for it’s the last film of the six.”
Christopher Lee played Count Dooku aka Darth Tyranus in two films, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. He gave the voiceover for his character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars film.
Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones is available for streaming on Disney+.
Also read- 26 Poignant Details You Missed In Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Source- TheForce.Net and Grunge
