It turns out that Sir Christopher Lee, the actor who brought Saruman to life in Peter Jackson's film trilogy, was descended on his mother's side from the noble Italian house of Carandini
It turns out that Sir Christopher Lee, the actor who brought Saruman to life in Peter Jackson's film trilogy, was descended on his mother's side from the noble Italian house of Carandini. This allowed Christopher Lee to trace his lineage directly back to Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He even released a symphonic metal album, Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross, recounting the deeds of his ancestor