He was also one of the most interesting people I have ever read about. The BBC offers a very brief summary of his life, which you can read HERE if you wish.
I am so sad. I don't know why. I've never met the man, and his roles were never characters I aspired to be like. But there is a great weight on my chest as I write this. One of the greats has left us.
Still, I count the blessings. He was a wonderful actor, and he brought so much joy to those who watched his films. It was more than mere entertainment. For me, at least, he was an integral part of bringing Tolkien's Lord of the Rings to life. The movies would not have been what they are without him. As a huge fan of those films, I am profoundly grateful.
There really isn't much else for me to say other than I am very saddened by this news.
It's odd, isn't it, how the deaths of people we don't even know can so deeply affect us?
Rest in peace, Sir Christopher. Perhaps one day we can take ghostly tea together and in the evening enjoy a ghostly metal concert. I should have like to have done that with you in life.