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Catapulted to worldwide fame in a film role in which, ironically, he never physically appears on screen, Andy Serkis became a familiar name, if not face, for moviegoers enchanted by the slithery character of Gollum in director Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Working in concert with the digital special effects technicians of New Zealand-based Weta Workshop, Serkis established the physical foundation for Gollum by performing in a motion-capture suit that provided signals to a computer controlled camera and provided a template from which the films' digital animators could create the otherworldly character, a Hobbit-like creature that had been corrupted by the evil ring of Sauron.
Serkis also provided the hiss-thick voice of Gollum and was on the set to play alongside the live-action actors featured in the trilogy. Each scene that included Gollum was shot at least twice during principal photography, the first time with Serkis in front of the camera with his fellow actors so they could create an emotional energy and give key data to the lighting and animation teams. On the second shoot, Serkis stepped off-camera, giving the effects crew a "clean" pass with space to put in the digital creature. Later, Serkis, in the motion-capture suit, would act every scene for a third time in front of a blank screen. During the process Jackson ultimately decided that Gollum should also resemble Serkis. The result was a breakthrough in digital character creation, one of the most realistic and compelling computer creations to grace the screen-a fact that prompted the moviemakers to stump hard for an Academy Award nomination for Serkis.
Serkis began his acting career in theater. He has appeared on almost every renowned British stage -- the Royal Court, the Royal Exchange Manchester, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Hull Truck, Dukes Lancaster, the Nuffield Studio, and Donmar Warehouse -- and in a host of popular plays. His resumé includes performances in King Lear, Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Faust, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and a star-studded production of Hurly Burly with Kelly MacDonald , Elizabeth McGovern , Rupert Graves , and Stephen Dillane .
~ Aubrey Anne D'Aminio
, All Movie Guide
Taken from
http://movies.yahoo.com
Short Facts
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He went to St Benedict's School, London, UK.
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His father was a doctor in Iraq. His mother taught handicapped children.
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Andy's hobbies include drawing, and rock climbing.
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