When it comes to some of the greatest villain portrayals in Hollywood, one name that immediately comes to mind is the late actor Christopher Lee. The English actor is widely known for playing antagonistic characters like Dracula and Count Dooku in Star Wars and many others. And the reputation of being one of the best actors for villainous roles, followed him when he went in to audition for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings.
Lee was eyeing a different role in the adaptations. As per the film’s director Peter Jackson, the Dracula star forcefully auditioned for the role he was seeking in the 2001 movie, only to ultimately land another antagonistic character.
Christopher Lee Was Adamant to Play Gandalf
Having portrayed several villainous roles throughout his career, Christopher Lee was looking forward to starring as one of the best characters from the series, Gandalf the Grey, in The Lord of the Rings. Being a fan of the book series, he was very much interested in having a take on the role.
And he did assertively get that as he auditioned for the movie. Director Peter Jackson has shared that when he first met Lee, he told him about how he met J.R.R. Tolkien and why the books meant so much to him. The filmmaker was also eager to work with the movie star.
He immediately offered him the role of the fallen head of the Istari Order, Saruman, only to realize that Hugo actor was actually seeking the role of Gandalf. The filmmaker shared that they tried to pursue him for the role, saying, “What an incredible Saruman he would be!”
However, Lee was not on board with what Jackson had in mind and eventually auditioned for the role he desired to play. “Chris wasn’t hearing a bar of it and eventually commanded us to turn on the video camera so he could audition for Gandalf,” The Lord of the Rings director told Entertainment Weekly. He left the premises after auditioning and was later agreed to play Saruman in the 2001 movie.
Why Wasn’t Christopher Lee Cast as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings?
Peter Jackson has shared that while auditioning for the first Lord of the Rings movie, he and
Fran Walsh learned that Christopher Lee has been wanting to meet them. They were also interested in meeting the Hollywood star.
The King Kong director believed that he would be perfect for the role of Saruman in their adaptation. “[We] checked out recent photos and realized how perfect for Saruman he would actually be,” the director said.
Lee was in his late 70s at the time, and the filmmaker believed that he was a bit old to portray Gandalf in the movie series. He eventually accepted Saruman’s role, and Ian McKellen was cast as Gandalf. Both Lee and McKellen appreciated each other, as Jackson recalled,
“Chris said, ‘I’m perfectly happy to be in an ‘Ian McKellen film. Ian immediately turned to Chris, and with great affection, he replied, ‘But not as thrilled as I am — to be in a ‘Christopher Lee movie!'”
Lee went on to reprise his role as Saruman, which he portrayed with physical and emotional sincerity, in The Lord of the Rings sequels along with The Hobbit franchise.
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchise is available on Max.
