Christopher Lee Dead at 93, Friends and Colleagues Remember The Actor Who Was Still Preparing For A New Movie Before He Died

He may have been a villain in most of his roles but when news broke that Christopher Lee was dead, words of remembrance from personalities in various institutions and his colleagues proved he was a hero in real life.

Peter Jackson who worked with him in the "The Lord of the Rings" where he portrayed dark wizard Saruman refer to him as an irreplaceable man as cited in the The Hollywood Reporter.

"There will never be another Christopher Lee," Jackson posted on Facebook. "He has a unique place in the history of cinema and in the hearts of millions of fans around the world. The world will be a lesser place without him in it."

When news that Christopher Lee was dead surfaced, Sir Roger Moore who was James Bond while Lee was Francisco Scaramanga in "The Man With The Golden Gun," was among those who first expressed their bereavement, according to BBC.

"It's terribly when you lose an old friend, and Christopher Lee was one of my oldest," Moore said over Twitter. "We first met in 1948."

Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson have both expressed their sadness over the Christopher Lee dead news.

Actors Elijah Wood and James Franco also paid tribute to him along with other celebrities and the rest of the world, as reported in The Telegraph.

Tim Burton worked with him in five films, an honor he would forever remember.

"He was the last of his kind - a true legend - who I'm fortunate to have called a friend," posted on Burton's Facebook page. "He will continue to inspire me and I'm sure countless others for generations to come."

Lee had more than two hundred films under his belt - with his most famous as Count Dracula and Count Dooku. He was also a descendant of Charlamagne. He was heavy metal musician. He was a knight. He was also one to look up to for his love for his family. He leaves behind wife of more than five decades Birgit and daughter Christina.

To his last days though, Lee proved his love for acting true. In a report on The Guardian, it was mentioned that he was preparing to go on set again alongside Uma Thurman for a 9/11 drama that will begin shooting in November. His last completed film "Angels in Notting Hill" has yet to be released as well.

"Making films has never just been a job to me, it is my life," Lee said in a 2013 interview as quoted by The Guardian. "I have some interests outside of acting - I sing and I've written books, for instance - but acting is what keeps me going, it's what I do, it gives life purpose."

The Christopher Lee dead news came out on Thursday but The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea confirmed he died on June 7 after battling respiratory and heart problems, according to an Associated Press report as cited by ABC News. His family has yet to speak more about his death. He was 93.