17 times actors had their roles cut or were replaced from movies

Modified Dec 17, 2024 07:26 ET

"Babylon" Global Premiere Screening - Arrivals - Source: Getty — Tobey Maguire was replaced in Life of Pi (Image via Getty)

11. Christopher Lee – The Return of the King

Christopher Lee's performance as Saruman in The Lord of The Rings trilogy was iconic, even though fans were outraged when his climactic scene in The Return of the King (2003) was cut from the original theatrical release. Director Peter Jackson has said that the death sequence of Saruman slowed the film down, but Lee was devastated, and termed it a "betrayal." The scene was restored in the extended edition. It shows Saruman's confrontation with Gandalf and his subsequent fall from Orthanc. Lee's towering presence is an integral part of the trilogy, and fans continue to treasure his scenes in the film's extended edition.