Post your questions for Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis has starred in some of the biggest film trilogies – as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Supreme Leader Snoke in the latest Star Wars – without actually physically appearing in them at all.
Serkis is responsible for the voice and motion capture of the computergenerated characters we see instead. Motion capture means acting on set, covered in Lycra and special motion capturing ping-pong balls, so that the Hollywood super-computers can turn his human form into a gold ringloving monster, super-intelligent ape or Force-sensitive genetic strandcast male humanoid created during the reign of the Galactic Empire to lure the unwary to the Dark Side.
Born in 1964 in Middlesex to two half-Iraqi parents, Serkis studied theatre and the arts at Lancaster University. After an early career in touring theatre, he had parts in – like all great actors – The Bill, as well as an ITV adaptation of Oliver Twist and several low-budget British films you’re very unlikely to have heard of.
But when Serkis was cast as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s 2001 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, he quickly became the man to call if you want a giant gorilla (Kong in 2005’s King Kong), marine captain (Captain Haddock in 2011’s The Adventures of Tintin) or bear (Baloo in 2018’s Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle) magically brought to life.
Even when we do see his face – as with Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron, with a huge scar – it’s often far from flattering. Although Serkis does pass for a jolly convincing Ian Dury in 2010’s Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.
So, what would you like to ask the king of motion capture? What happens if he’s fully motion-capture-suited up and needs the toilet? What’s his favourite Ian Dury and the Blockheads song? How does he get in character to play an ape and/or what’s the best way to peel a banana?
Serkis would – since it is the premise of this interview – be especially pleased to be asked about joining the panel to select the shortlist for the EE Rising Star award for the 2022 EE British Academy film awards, the only category voted for by the public. Or if he has any advice on breaking into the business. But unfortunately he can’t answer any questions about his forthcoming role as Alfred in The Batman because – kerpow! – he’s contractually obliged to keep stumm on all things Batman for now. Tsk. Small print, eh?
So get your thinking caps on, whack your questions in the comments below by midday on Friday and we’ll publish the answers on 11 February.
• Public voting opens for the 2022 EE Rising Star award at this year’s Baftas on 1 February.