'LOTR' star Andy Serkis ‘freaked out’ when first introduced to Gollum

Andy Serkis’ first-rate voice acting and motion-based personifications brought Gollum to life in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. What nobody knows however is that Andy Serkis was left startled when first introduced to the monster and the technology behind it.

Speaking to 'Still Watching Netflix' the performance capture artist said:

"I will never, ever forget the very first time I saw a digital incarnation of Gollum. I was wearing a motion capture suit. I remember lifting up my right hand and Gollum was there lifting up his right hand. I was so freaked out by it."

"But in terms of performance capture, there really isn't any difference in terms of process, acting-wise."

The actor who also voiced Baloo in his self-directed film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle said that visual effects only match how the actor embodies the character. He added that all the emotions related to voice, characteristics and more are primarily the work of the performer.

Serkis’ portrayal of Smeagol in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was the premier usage of real-time motion capture in a film. Serkis is the eighth highest-grossing actor of all time, and his film work in motion capture has been critically acknowledged. He has received an Empire Award and two Saturn Awards.