There is little doubt that the late Christopher Lee was iconic as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. However, the Lord of the Rings actor was initially reluctant to return as Darth Tyranus in the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars film. But why was Lee not eager to reprise the role in the animated movie? Corey Burton has revealed that the screen legend thought the voice actor was already doing an excellent job as the former Sith Lord.
Christopher Lee first played Count Dooku in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones in 2002 and he returned for 2005's Revenge of the Sith. Lee would later provide the voice of Darth Tyranus in the 2008 animated movie but, as Corey Burton has revealed, the veteran actor initially questioned why he had to do the film in the first place.
In an interview with Slashfilm, Burton shared how Lee didn't think he had to go back and play Dooku.
"Christopher Lee was a big star, but he was like one of us, a character actor. Just, 'What do you need me for? Sure, I'll play that character.' And apparently, he liked my version of his Count Dooku character,'" Burton explained.
We're not surprised that Lee thought so highly of Burton's portrayal of Dooku. After all, Burton has done an excellent job in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series as well as the more recent Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. With that in mind, it's clear that Lee was confident about passing the torch to an actor who truly embodies the character.
Count Dooku is one of the main characters in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. All six episodes of the new animated series are now streaming on Disney+.
Related: Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Actor Shares George Lucas' Advice for Animated Show's Voice Cast
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