Andy Serkis could finally get his due

Latest Planet of the Apes actor’s best shot at awards

Stephen Colbert began his recent interview with Andy Serkis by saying that whenever he hears people call the British actor an “amazing motion capture performer,” he can’t help but correct them. “I go, ‘No! He’s a fantastic performer who’s famous for doing motion capture.’ ”

The host then rolled a clip of Serkis acting out a scene from War for the Planet of the Apes. The first half was a close-up of the actor doing a monologue with dots covering his face before he seamlessly morphs into his ape character, Caesar. The takeaway? Serkis’s stellar performances aren’t just about post-production bells and whistles. The emotions and expressions are all his.

Still, from a viewer’s standpoint, it can be difficult to tell where the actor stops and the special effects begin. That’s why Serkis and his co-stars have been working hard to educate people. Back in 2012, Serkis’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes co-star James Franco wrote an op-ed in Deadline, praising Serkis’s work.

Could this be the year that motion capture acting becomes, simply, acting? And how long before the Academy Awards takes Serkis seriously?

Serkis has never had a more viable shot at a major award for a motion capture performance than he has for War.

Sharon Carnicke, an associate dean at the University of Southern California’s drama school, thinks it’s only a matter of time before people equate motion capture work with traditional acting.

Even then, awards shows tend to stick to the status quo.

At least Serkis has a consolation prize. The Observer’s Thelma Adams calls him the “king of motion capture.” At the moment there’s no one close to taking his crown.