British actor Andy Serkis has appeared in “24 Hour Party People” and “Topsy Turvy,” but the films he is best known for are the ones in which he is the least recognizable. In “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy, Serkis plays Gollum, an entirely performance-based digital creation unlike any in cinematic history. Though Serkis’ performances were digitally “remade” in post-production by a team of animators, it’s to his credit that Gollum carries as much reality and emotional weight as the “real” characters in the series. Dan Dunn sat down with the actor recently in Los Angeles to discuss the third and final installment, “The Return Of The King.”
QUESTION: In 25 words or less, tell us how Gollum was created.
ANDY SERKIS: I performed on set while wearing a lycra bodysuit fitted with motion-capture nodes that were recorded by special cameras. Then it went through the computer, and Gollum emerged.
Q: Did you ever worry that because Gollum is a virtual character, your performance wouldn’t be deemed legitimate?
AS: No, because (director) Peter Jackson told me he wanted Gollum to be the most interactive computer-generated character in a live-action movie that had ever been created. He wanted an actor to physically play the role, and I saw it as a fantastic challenge.
Q: How different is the Gollum we see on the screen from your performance on set?
AS: When I look at it up on the screen, to me it looks exactly how we did it on set.
Q: Is that your actual voice, or was it electronically enhanced?
AS: It’s entirely my voice. There’s nothing done to it electronically to enhance it in any way.
Q: What is it about Gollum that makes him such a fascinating character?
AS: I think it’s the fact that he’s so screwed up, really. He’s very flawed, and he really represents the power of the ring and how it affects you. I played him as an addict, because I wanted people to feel sorry for him as opposed to just seeing him as a malicious villain.
Q: What are your favorite memories of the production? AS: I’ve had so many great moments and wonderful times over the last four-and-a-half years. A lot of it was spent kind of on my own in the wilderness. To get into the character, I spent a lot of time out there alone canoeing and whatnot. The environment in New Zealand was very beautiful and spiritual. That’s something I’ll carry with me forever.
Q: And what’s the most rewarding aspect of playing such a groundbreaking role?
AS: One of the great things about how Gollum has been received is that people forget he’s a CG creature. They actually think of him as a being. That’s the biggest reward, really. In the future, there will be a lot more characters that are done in this way. This kind of acting — “cyber acting” or “virtual acting,” whatever you want to call it — it’s here to stay, and I think people will embrace it.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 17, 2003. Read the original PDF.