Christopher Lee

“My great-grandmother was born in London, the daughter of a Brixton coachman, and became the most famous singer in Australia. Her name was Marie Carandini, Madame Carandini.”

“Ian Fleming was my cousin, and he wanted me to play Dr. No, but by the time he got around to remembering to tell the producers, they'd already cast someone else. Spilt milk!”

“What's really important for me is, as an old man, I'm known by my own generation and the next generation know me, too.”

“We don't always get the kind of work we want, but we always have a choice of whether to do it with good grace or not.”

“There is a dark side in all of us. And for us 'bad' people, the bad side dominates. I think there is a great sadness in villains, and I have tried to put that across. We cannot stop ourselves doing what we are doing.”

“I've done a lot of films that have become iconic, not necessarily because of me.”

“I'm much softer than people think. I don't present to the world an emotional face. I'm pretty good at self-control, but I am easily moved.”