Saruman than in their equivalent books, and he appears in several scenes that are not depicted in Tolkien's work. In the films, Saruman is depicted presenting himself outright as a servant of Sauron. Smith and Matthews suggest that Saruman's role is built up as a substitute for Sauron—the story's main antagonist—who never appears directly in the book. Jackson confirms this view in the commentary to the DVD. They also suggest that having secured veteran British horror actor Christopher Lee to play Saruman, it made sense to make greater use of his star status. Despite this increased role in the first two
Peter Howell (actor) Howell's most recognised role was as Dr. Peter Harrison in television hospital drama series "Emergency – Ward 10" from 1958 to 1964, making brief returns to the series in 1966 and for the show's final episode in 1967. He made guest appearances in "The Avengers", "The Prisoner", the "Doctor Who" serial "The Mutants" and "Yes Minister". He played the prison governor in the 1979 film "Scum". On BBC Radio 4, Howell played Saruman in the 1981 adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings" and had a recurring role as the Right Reverend Cyril Hood, Bishop of Felpersham, in the long-running