Christopher Lee played Saruman in Peter Jackson’s Tolkien film adaptations.
Saruman is the chief of the Istari, the order of wizards sent to Middle-earth to oppose the power of Sauron. In Tolkien’s story, Saruman begins as a leader of the Wise but becomes corrupted by his desire for power and by his study of the enemy.
Lee portrayed Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and returned for The Hobbit films. His deep voice and imposing presence helped define the character’s authority, while the films emphasized Saruman’s alliance with Sauron and his industrial war-making at Isengard.
Saruman is often confused with Gandalf because both are members of the same wizard order. Gandalf is associated with resistance to Sauron, whereas Saruman turns against the other free peoples. In the book, Saruman is also known as Saruman the White before losing that title.