The Emotional Final Hours of Christopher Lee, 'Lord of the Rings' Star Who Played Saruman

A new documentary on Lord of the Rings icon Christopher Lee, who portrayed the iconic Saruman, has left viewers deeply moved. The beloved actor, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 93, lived an extraordinary life. Details surrounding his final hours, filled with touching moments, have brought tears to fans worldwide. Here’s a closer look at the events that unfolded on that unforgettable night.

The English actor Christopher Lee starred in many successful films throughout cinema history, though most of us know him as Saruman.

The famous actor, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 93, delivered an outstanding performance as Saruman, a character known for his powerful traits in The Lord of the Rings series.

However, even though we remember him as Saruman, Christopher Lee always had a desire to play the character of Gandalf.

Recently, a documentary about Lee’s life aired on the Sky channel.

In the documentary, Lee’s life and career were shared with the audience through anecdotes by his family members.

One particular detail from the documentary, though, left viewers deeply moved.

Aneiros, who is married to Lee’s only daughter Christina, shared that on the night the famous actor passed away, he was watching The Lord of the Rings films.

According to Aneiros, Lee was sharing behind-the-scenes stories with the nurses taking care of him as they watched the film together.

Aneiros went on to speak of Christopher Lee with heartfelt words:

'That night, he watched The Lord of the Rings with the nurses, and then we went home. We already knew he’d be returning home. At some point that night, I fell asleep. Then I saw Christina was frantic and said, ‘My father has passed away.’ His death affected us deeply. We thought he would live to be 100. But he passed away peacefully in his sleep.'

Christopher Lee was a devoted Tolkien fan and wanted to play Gandalf very much.

However, director Peter Jackson felt that no one else could portray the white wizard, who allies with Sauron and is defeated by the end of The Two Towers, as well as Lee could. Perhaps his wish to be Gandalf remained unfulfilled, but the entire world loves him as Saruman!