Serkis, Andy

Character:
Andy Serkis provides the voice for Gollum/Smeagol, a pathetic and warped creature who seeks the One Ring for himself.
Comments About Character:
He is so depleted by the loss of the ring, it has taken so much out of his body, that he literally crawls all the time...Gollum has an incredible lust, an urge and craving for the ring like an addict in withdrawal, and is in a lot of pain from being away from it. --Stuff, 2002
Biographical Info:

Name: Andy Serkis
Date of birth: 20 April 1964 (Taurus)
Place of birth: Ruislip, London, England, UK
Nickname: Gollum
Height: 5′ 8½

Andy Serkis was born in Ruislip Manor, West London, England and has three sisters and a brother. His father, worked as a Doctor in Iraq and the family spent many years travelling around the Middle East. Andy spent the first 10 years of his life travelling backwards and forwards between Baghdad and London. As his mother was worked as a special education teacher of handicapped children, Andy and his four siblings were raised with au pairs.

Andy’s desire was to be an artist being fond of painting and drawing, and saw himself working behind the scenes in productions. He attended St. Benedict’s School, a Roman Catholic School for boys at the Benedictine Abbey in London, moving on to study visual arts at Lancaster University, in the north-west of England. It was there that he became involved in the mechanical aspects of the theatre doing stage design and set building for theatrical productions.

When asked to play a role in a student production, he made his stage debut in Barrie Keefe’s play ‘Gotcha’; following which he turned from stage design to acting, transforming his life.

In 1985 Serkis began his professional acting career at the Duke’s Playhouse in Lancaster, earning his Equity card. He appeared in 14 plays as an apprentice of Jonathan Petherbridge. He then worked voluntarily for Touring Theatre Companies, fuelled by a sense of enthusiasm and moving to a new town every week.

In 1989 he appeared in a stage production of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and began his long association with the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, returning many times to appear in many Plays, including ‘She Stoops to Conquer’, ‘Your Home in the West’ and the ‘True Nature of Love’. It was in the 1990s that Andy began to make his mark on the London stage, appearing at the Royal Court Theatre as the Fool in ‘King Lear’. He also appeared as Potts in the hit play ‘Mojo’, playing in front of full houses and earning huge critical success. In 1987, Andy made his debut on TV, acting in several major British TV miniseries throughout the 1990s.

It was in 1999 that Andy landed the prize role of Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, spending four years on the part, receiving awards and nominations for his performance. Andy produced the voice of Gollum by copying the sound of his cats clearing fur balls out of their throats.

Andy and his partner, actress and singer Lorraine Ashbourne, live in London and have a daughter, Ruby, and two sons, Sonny and Louis George. Andy is purported to use his ‘Gollum’ voice on his children, for fun and/or when they misbehave.

Andy is a Pescetarian or Fishetarian. Interesting you might say, especially when these terms are related to a vegetarian who eats fish. No wonder Gollum ate his fish with such relish. 😀

Away from acting, Andy is an accomplished amateur painter. It was during his school years at Lancaster, and being so close to the Lake District, that Andy developed his other passion in life: mountaineering and he was thrilled to meet Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest, during principal photography for Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.

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Filmography:In Production:
Freezing Time (2009) (in production) .... Erickson
Dark Blue Rising (200 (announced) .... Eliot Kovacs
The Hobbit (2010) (pre-production) (Speculated/Confirmed) .... Gollum
Frost Flowers (2009) (pre-production)
Tintin (2009) (pre-production) .... Captain Haddock

Films:
Inkheart (2008) .... Capricorn aka Tintenherz (Germany)
Einstein and Eddington (2008) (TV).... Albert Einstein
The Cottage (2008) as David
Sugarhouse (2007) as Hoodwink
Extraordinary Rendition (2006) as Lead Interrogater
Heavenly Sword (2007) as King Bohan
Muybridge (2007) as Erickson
Stormbreaker (2006) as Mr. Grin aka Alec Rider
Flushed Away (2006) (voice) as Spike
The Prestige (2006) as Mr. Alley
Stories of Lost Souls (2005) as Granny, Rastafarian and Hunter Jackson
King Kong (2005) as King Kong and Lumpy the cook
Blessed (2004) as Father Carlo
13 Going on 30 (2004) as Richard Kneeland
Standing Room Only (2004) as Granny, Rastafarian and Hunter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) as Sméagol (aka Gollum), Witch-king of Angmar (voices)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) as Sméagol (aka Gollum)
Deathwatch (2002) as Pvt. Thomas Quinn
24 Hour Party People (2002) as Martin Hannett
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) as Sméagol (aka Gollum)
The Escapist (2001) as Ricky Barnes
Jump (2000) as Shaun
Shiner (2000) as Mel
Pandaemonium (2000) as John Thelwall
The Jolly Boys' Last Stand [3] (2000) as Spider
Topsy-Turvy (1999) as John D'Auban
Five Seconds to Spare (1999) as Chester
The Tale of Sweety Barrett (1998) as Leo King
Among Giants (1998) as Bob
Clueless (1998) as David
Insomnia (1998) as Harry
Career Girls (1997) as Nick Evans
Loop (1997) as Bill
Stella Does Tricks (1996) as Fitz
The Near Room (1995) as Bunny
Prince of Jutland (1994) as Torsten

Stage:
39 + appearances in the UK. The list can be seen here

TV:
Simon Schama's Power of Art (TV Series) (2006) as Vincent Van Gogh
Longford (British TV drama) (2006) as Ian Brady
Power of Art (2006) (BBC TV series) – Vincent Van Gogh
Spooks (2004 - series 3, episode (TV) as Riff
Celebrity (2004) TV episode .... Riff
Arabian Nights (2000) (TV) as Kasim
Oliver Twist (1999) (TV) as Bill Sikes
Shooting the Past (1999) (TV) as Styeman
Touching Evil III (1999) (mini) TV Series as Michael Lawler
The Jump (1998) (TV) as Steven Brunos
The Pale Horse (1997) (TV) as Sergeant Corrigan
"Kavanagh QC" .... MEM O'Brien (1 episode, 1996)
Finney (1994) TV Series as Tom
Grushko (1994) (TV) as Pyotr
Pie in the Sky (TV episode 'Passion Fruit Fool) (1993) as Maxwell
"The Bill" .... Alex Rackin... (2 episodes, 1990-1993)
The Darling Buds of May (TV episode 'Le Grande Weekend) (1992) as Greville
"Saracen" .... Dudin (1 episode, 1989)
Morris Minor and his Marvellous Motors (1989) (TV) as Sparky Plugg
Streetwise (1989) (TV) as Owen
The New Statesman Peter Moran (2 episodes, 1987/1989)

Other:
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II - Rise of the Witch King (2006) (VG) (voice) .... The Witch King / Gollum
Stingray (2006) (voice) .... Stingray
King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (2005) (VG) (voice) .... Lumpy
"The Simpsons" .... Cleanie (1 episode, 2003)

More: Andy Serkis on IMDb