The Christopher Lee Coincidence

[Insidious Rex]

Ok this may already have been brought up but I couldnt find it so Im just wondering if anyone else noticed that Christopher Lee (Sauramon) plays the EXACT same character in both Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Really! Think about it. He plays this powerful wizard/Jedi who has natural abilities beyond those of normal humans and who is supposed to be part of a powerful council of gaurdians (the 5 wizards/the council of Jedis) whos sole purpose in life is to help out the common people by using their special abilities against... the dark side. BUT in BOTH movies he is seduced by the dark side and goes against his council and ends up fighting them only to be defeated in the end. AND in both movies there is an evil power more powerful then he who he claims to serve but who he actually wants to take power from. He even builds a secret army to fight the good guys in both movies!!! sheesh. Makes you wonder where Lucas got his inspiration. And was having Christopher Lee play both those roles done on purpose?

[Elf.Freak]

wow! that's something worth thinking about! i never actually thought about that, but i think they did do that on purpose

[Huan]

I don't think it was done on purpose, since the casting of the two movies was probably nearly simultaneous. I don't think it could have escaped Lee's attention, though. The identical casting does play up the derivative nature of Star Wars (don't get me wrong, I'm a huge SW fan, but they ARE derivative). Given Lee's well-known love of LOTR, I bet Saruman was an actual labor of love and Count Dooku just a paycheck.

[IronParrot]

Disagree. I would say that yes, LOTR would be the greater love of his by quite a lot, but I think Lee has a great passion for the material given to him in the Star Wars saga.

By the way, considering Christopher Lee has played about two hundred villains on screen, don't you think at least some of them would have similar villainous characteristics?

[Insidious Rex]

Well of course but we are talking so many parallels that its uncanny. Almost like it was some kind of inside joke or something that the same person would play these two roles. I mean everyone is aware that there is shared theme between star wars and lord of the rings. Thats fine. No problems there. The whole good vs evil thing is fairly standard stuff after all. But the Sarumon and the Count Dukoo character are the same characters in different universes I think. Perhpas Lee with his love for Tolkien influenced Lucas into the development of his character in Star Wars. But then again Lucas doesnt even listen to his own editors. Does he even have editors?

[Celebréiel]

I went to see Star wars a while back with my dad at like a one am showing! *_* Needless to say there wasnt really anyone there, I totally noticed the similar characters! I practically shouted "Its Saruman!" like Gandalf does on the mountain after he talked a bit! I dont think it was on purpose but kinda funny.
~Celebréiel

[WallRocker]

Originally posted by IronParrot
By the way, considering Christopher Lee has played about two hundred villains on screen, don't you think at least some of them would have similar villainous characteristics?

Agreed. But it is a kind of a cool thing to think about.

[Dunadan]

It sounds like both roles reprise Lord Summerisle (a goody who's really a baddie) from The Wicker Man. A must-see for all Lee fans.

I haven't seen the latest Star Wars film, so cant' comment on his performance, but to me he was the dominant presence of FOTR (maybe jointly with Cate B). However, I don't think I've ever see him play anything else apart from a corrupted goodie or out-and-out baddie, with the possible exception of one of the 60s Hammer horror films (can't recall which) when he swapped with Peter Cushing who got to be the baddie.

cheers

d.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Dunadan
It sounds like both roles reprise Lord Summerisle (a goody who's really a baddie) from The Wicker Man.

Wow. Now theres a movie I havent seen in a long long time. Good call. Was Sean Connery in that? Or am I thinking of Zardoz?

I haven't seen the latest Star Wars film, so cant' comment on his performance, but to me he was the dominant presence of FOTR (maybe jointly with Cate B).

What about Ian? Cate Blanchett!?? I will forever see her as the total air head who could barely do an interview with David Letterman. I wish I had never seen that episode! Is it really possible to be very stupid and yet such a gifted actor? Doesnt acting take intelligence? Or is it simply a talent like kicking a football.

You didnt miss much in the second Star Wars film. His character is not nearly as well fleshed out as he is in The Lord of the Rings. SPOILER COMING: He is purposefully a faceless mystery for most of the movie then suddenly he is the bad ring leader, front and center on the screen and the focus is all on him. It doesnt work well.

[Huan]

Insidious, acting doesn't absolutely require intelligence; it is a creative talent. Have you ever heard Marisa Tomei talk? But, but, but HOW can you speak so about the divine Cate Blanchett?! The Letterman appearance you refer to only made me love her more!

[Dunadan]

No, it was Edward Woodward who played the copper. No Connery as far as I know (unless he was an extra, delivering the milk maybe)

I didn't see that interview, so can't comment. I loved Cate's Galadriel, and McKellen's Gandalf, but I thought that in FOTR Lee was the dominant presence. Funnily enough, in TTT, it was the other way round. McKellen was totally awesome as Gandalf the White and blew the others off the screen. Maybe there's something about that hair style or something.

Another theory - in an interview I saw with McK (I think it was on the DVD) he said he hated the pointy hat in FOTR; maybe that's why he came across a bit less convincing (tho still great!) than Lee.

(Have you seen Elizabeth? Do so if you want to see Cate B in tip-top form.)

As for actors, I guess there are two types: pretentious celebrity twats and serious craftspeople. Lee, Holm, McKellen and Blanchett probably in the latter category, but I don't think you need to be particularly intelligent to do it well. Insightful, yes.

However, I wouldn't put too much store on a TV interview. They probably got her out of her face in the Green Room beforehand so she'd "perform".

[Beleg Strongbow]

Did you know that Christopher Lee's acting dream, for all his life, was to play as Gandalf in The Lord of The Rings?

A bit of real passion when he's telekinetically slamming McKellen around, maybe.

[Varda Oiolosseo]

I heard that too! Well what I read was that he loved the books and thought that that there should be a film made in the future (he thought about this a few years ago) and that he wanted to play one of the wizards and that he thought he may be cast in the role as one of them if he was still around.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally posted by Dunadan
(Have you seen Elizabeth? Do so if you want to see Cate B in tip-top form.)

I was about to mention that; her performance in that movie was absolutely amazing; some of the best acting I've ever seen.

Anyway, Wicker Man, you say? I think Lee was one of the best cast characters in LotR (though I imagined Saruman having better teeth), and he's really cool overall; my faves are generally the older acters: Sean Connery, James Mason, Christopher Lee, Gregory Peck, etc. I'll have to check out this Wicker Man.

[Dunadan]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
(though I imagined Saruman having better teeth),

Ha ha! He is British after all - what would you expect? Believe me - the fact that he's got any teeth at all is good by our standards.

I didn't know that about him wanting to play Gandalf! So he's been a frustrated messiah all these years. You could be right.

But I wonder: McKellen is better known as a stage actor; Lee has been playing villains on-screen for decades. That vast experience was clearly brought to bear. McKellen made an interesting comment in his interview on the DVD - that he'd been guilty of under-estimating Lee's work up till then. So maybe Lee had a personal point to make as well.

cheers
d

[dawningoftime]

I saw him in Star Wars and had to laugh at the similarities in his characters.