Probably the last of the gentleman actors. Guys like him, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Basil Bathbone were not only known for their turns in horror movies, but also being well-read, cultured gentlemen who were also great actors. You would be hard pressed to find actors of that caliber in this day and age.
Lee was such a reader that he would often go into roles knowing more about the source material than the filmmakers. When he went in to do his lines for the animated film The Last Unicorn, he actually took his copy of the book, and made sure that the creators didn't leave vital parts out of the movie. I assume he finished that by dropping the book, giving them a stern look, and saying "I just dropped some knowledge on you bitches", before flashing them the peace sign and having fireworks explode behind him. He also recorded two heavy metal album, which makes him more badass than most badasses on the planet.
Of course, there's the fact that he was politically on the right, but nobody can be perfect.