Hammer horror star Sir Christopher Lee is to receive a
BFI Fellowship at this year's London Film Festival.
Awarded for
outstanding contribution to film or television, Sir Christopher, 91, described
the honour as "a great privilege".
The actor's
other credits include The Wicker Man, The Man with the Golden Gun and more
recently, several Tim Burton films including Sleepy Hollow.
BFI chief
executive Amanda Nevill said it was an "illustrious moment".
The Mayor of
London, Boris Johnson, who joined Sir Christopher at Monday's announcement,
described the actor's film career as "genuinely iconic".
Sir Christopher
presented the award to Burton, who received the fellowship award last year,
along with his partner, actress Helena Bonham Carter.
The Hammer films
star has been acting for more than 60 years and has played roles in more than
250 movies.
He is
best-known for his villainous roles including Bond bad guy Scaramanga and evil
wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings.
Jury revealed
Born into
affluence, Sir Christopher can trace his lineage to Charlemagne, the first Holy
Roman Emperor.
After public
school he served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second
World War, where he was mentioned in dispatches.
His screen career
began when he joined the Rank Organisation in 1947, training as an actor in
their so-called "charm school".
Yet it was his
association with British studio Hammer that made him a household name, playing
such iconic characters as Frankenstein's Monster, The Mummy and, of course,
Dracula.
The BFI's best
film award jury has also been revealed and includes Oscar nominee Miranda
Richardson and film critic Phillip French.
Films in
competition include Catherine Breillat's Abuse of Weakness, Ritesh Batra's The
Lunchbox and Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin.
Source: BBC
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