6 Most Unusual Demands Made By The Lord Of The Rings Actors

by Sean Ferrick

1. Christopher Lee Demanded A Rewrite Of His Murder

Saruman Death The Lord Of The Rings
New Line Cinema

Veteran actor - and former soldier - Christopher Lee played the evil wizard Saruman in the trilogy. Much has been said about his removal from the theatrical release of The Return Of The King, though thankfully his scenes were restored for the Extended Editions. This included a crucial scene - his murder.

With the excising of the Scouring Of The Shire chapter from the book, Saruman was to be stabbed in the back by Wormtongue, atop Orthanc. Filming commenced, but Lee quickly demanded a change to the script.

In the written version, Saruman would cry out in pain when Wormtongue plunged the knife into his back. Lee asked Peter Jackson if the director actually knew what sound a man made when being stabbed from behind. Slightly apprehensively, Jackson said that he didn't. Lee confirmed that he, in fact, did know. As Lee said - when the knife penetrated the lung, all air would be forced out, so there could be no cry, merely a gasp.

Jackson, thoroughly spooked, allowed the change in the script and the scene exists as Lee intended in the complete version of The Return Of The King.

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Contributor
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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"