biography

Margaret Lee Born Margaret Box on August 4, 1943, in Wolverhampton, England, actress Margaret Lee was educated at the Italia Conti Theatre School in London, becoming fluent in Italian. Shortly after graduation, she headed to Italy to attempt to break into films. By the age of 19, Lee was acting in Italian comedies with the then-popular Italian team of Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia and appeared in a few sword and sandal films, including Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules (1962; with Reg Lewis) and Samson and the Sea Beast (1963; with Kirk Morris). Later in the decade, Lee became a regular fixture in European spy thrillers, including Agent 077 Fury in the Orient (1965; with Ken Clark) and Secret Agent Super Dragon (1966; with Ray Danton and Marisa Mell). With the death of the spy genre in the late 1960s, Margaret Lee was then often cast in popular Euro horror flicks such as Night of the Blood Monster (1970; with Christopher Lee) and Slaughter Hotel (1971; with Klaus Kinski).

Margaret LeeMargaret LeeMargaret Lee

LEFT and CENTER: 1960s cheesecake shots of beautiful Margaret Lee. RIGHT: Early 1970s glamour photo

In 1963, Lee married choreographer Gino Malerba, and while the union was short, it produced a son. With her film career hitting the skids in the early 1970s, as many film roles offered to her had descended into exploitation, Lee called a halt to her acting career and returned to England in 1972, marrying again and having another son.

the films of margaret lee

Agent 077 Fury in the Orient (1965)

Ken Clark and Margaret Lee

With Ken Clark in the Euro spy thriller Agent 077 Fury in the Orient

Casanova '70 (1965)

Marcello Mastroianni and Margaret Lee

With Marcello Mastroianni in the Italian comedy Casanova '70

Bang! Bang! You're Dead (1966)

Margaret LeeMargaret LeeMargaret Lee and Tony Randall

From the British comedy spy flick Bang! Bang! You're Dead. RIGHT: With the film's star, Tony Randall

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966)

Mike Connors and Margaret Lee

From the Italian spy film Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die with Mike Connors

Ghosts - Italian Style (1967)

Margaret Lee and Sophia LorenMargaret LeeMargaret Lee

LEFT: From the Italian comedy Ghosts - Italian Style with Sophia Loren. CENTER: Lee camps it up in this scene. RIGHT: Lee as Sayonara

Dick Smart 2007 (1967)

Margaret Lee

Lee as Lady Lister in the spy thriller Dick Smart 2007

later years

After the birth of her second son, film production coordinator Damian Anderson, in 1973, Margaret Lee took several years off. She returned to Italy in the early 1980s and resumed her acting career in a couple of films, including Neapolitan Sting (1983; with Treat Williams) before walking away from her career permanently. Sadly, Margaret Lee passed away on April 24. 2024 at the age of 80. She is survived by her two sons.

filmography

FILM
Neapolitan Sting (1983) with Treat Williams
Sesso e volentieri (1982) with Laura Antonelli
La sensualità è un attimo di vita (1975) with Gabriele Tinti
Scusi eminenza... posso sposarmi? (1975)
The Killers Are Our Guests (1974) with Anthony Steffen
Slaughter Hotel (1971) with Klaus Kinski, Rosalba Neri, and John Karlsen
Le belve (1971) with Helga Line and Philippe Hersent
The Rogue (1971) with Barbara Bouchet
The Night of the Assassin (1970) with Michael Craig, Adolfo Celi, Klaus Kinski, George Sanders, and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart
The Secret of Dorian Gray (1970) with Helmut Berger, Richard Todd, Herbert Lom, and Isa Miranda
The Bloody Judge (1970) with Christopher Lee and Maria Schell
Viva America! (1969) with Jeffrey Hunter and Pier Angeli
What Did Stalin Do to Women? (1969) with Helmut Berger
Venus in Furs (1969) with James Darren, Barbara McNair, Klaus Kinski, and Dennis Price
Double Face (1969) with Klaus Kinski and Sydney Chaplin
House of Pleasure (1969)
Five for Hell (1969) with Klaus Kinski and Samson Burke
A Candidate for a Killing (1969) with John Richardson, Anita Ekberg, and Fernando Rey
The Syndicate: A Death in the Family (1969) with Barbara Bouchet, David Groh, and Isa Miranda
The Cats (1968) with Rita Hayworth, Giuliano Gemma, Klaus Kinski, and Claudine Auger
OSS 117: Murder For Sale (1968) with John Gavin, Curd Jurgens, Luciana Paluzzi, Rosalba Neri, and George Eastman
Coplan Saves His Skin (1968) with Klaus Kinski
Franco, Ciccio and the Cheerful Widows (1968) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
The Violent Four (1968) with Tomas Milian
Ghosts - Italian Style (1967) with Sophia Loren and Vittorio Gassman
How to Kill 400 Duponts (1967) with Johnny Dorelli and Terry-Thomas
Five Golden Dragons (1967) with Robert Cummings, Klaus Kinski, Brian Donlevy, Dan Duryea, Christopher Lee, and George Raft
Action Man (1967) with Jean Gabin and Robert Stack
Spy Pit (1967)
Master Stroke (1967) with Richard Harrison and Adolfo Celi
Dick Smart 2007 (1967) with Richard Wyler
Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966) with Mike Connors, Dorothy Provine, Terry-Thomas, Beverly Adams, and Marilu Tolo
Djurado (1966) with Scilla Gabel
Web of Violence (1966) with Brett Halsey
Killer's Carnival (1966) with Stewart Granger, Lex Barker, Pierre Brice, Karin Dor, and Klaus Kinski
The Mona Lisa Has Been Stolen (1966) with George Chakiris
Bang! Bang! You're Dead! (1966) with Tony Randall, Senta Berger, Terry-Thomas, Herbert Lom, Wilfrid Hyde-White, and Klaus Kinski
Circus of Fear (1966) with Christopher Lee, Klaus Kinski, and Suzy Kendall
Secret Agent Super Dragon (1966) with Ray Danton, Marisa Mell, and Jess Hahn
Our Agent Tiger (1965)
Il morbidone (1965) with Anouk Aimee and Sylva Koscina
Agent 077 Fury in the Orient (1965) with Ken Clark and Philippe Hersent
Two Sergeants of General Custer (1965) with Franco Franchi, Ciccio Ingrassia, and Moira Orfei
The Double Bed (1965) with Sylva Koscina
Casanova '70 (1965) with Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, Marisa Mell, Michele Mercier, Liana Orfei, and Moira Orfei
Letti sbagliati (1965) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
I Kill, You Kill (1965) with Franco Franchi, Ciccio Ingrassia, and Rosalba Neri
Let's Talk About Men (1965) with Luciana Paluzzi
Lo scippo (1965) with Annette Vadim
La ragazzola (1965) with Giuliano Gemma
Questo pazzo, pazzo mondo della canzone (1965) with Petula Clark
I due pericoli pubblici (1964) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
In ginocchio da te (1964)
Un mostro e mezzo (1964) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
I marziani hanno dodici mani (1964) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
Via Veneto (1964) with Michele Mercier
Adolescenti al sole (1964)
The Maniacs (1964) with Barbara Steele, Lisa Gastoni, Walter Chiari, Franco Franchi, and Ciccio Ingrassia
Due mattacchioni al Moulin Rouge (1964) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
La vedovella (1964)
Gli imbroglioni (1963) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
Samson and the Sea Beast (1963) with Kirk Morris and Daniele Vargas
Avventura al motel (1963) with Eva Bartok, Franco Franchi, Ciccio Ingrassia
La ballata dei mariti (1963) with Rosalba Neri
I quattro tassisti (1963) with Yvonne Furneaux
Wine, Whiskey and Salt Water (1963) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
Siamo tutti pomicioni (1963)
Due samurai per cento geishe (1962) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
I tre nemici (1962) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules (1962) with Reg Lewis
Toto di notte (1962) with Toto

TELEVISION SERIES
Giorno dopo giorno, 1985 Italian TV series

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
The Protectors, episode The Numbers Game, originally aired December 12, 1972

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Watch the trailer for Margaret Lee's 1971 thriller Slaughter Hotel

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Watch Margaret Lee's 1962 peplum Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules
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This page premiered June 14, 2010.
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