Andy Serkis Net Worth

Andy Serkis's Quotes

• [on playing Gollum in Lord of the Rings:] "Everyone has their own interpretation of what he is, what he looks like and how he sounds. So it was up to me to just trust my own instincts."
• "We didn't want to anthropomorphize him to the point where we were explaining every single little gesture. Gorillas, both in captivity and the wild, have an enigmatic quality - a sense of disconnect, of otherness" - on his title character in King Kong (2005).
• I do feel incredibly liberated when I'm inside another's skin, basically, and so method does afford you that, hugely.
• I've always been really in touch with my primal instincts. In my profession you have to be. You have to be open to going where your emotions take you. Acting is a sort of pressure cooker that allows the fizz to come out the top. God knows what I'd be like if I didn't have that. Even more animal, perhaps.
• [on learning at 'ape school' how to walk and move like a simian, playing Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)] When you are watching yourself as an actor who has played a computer-generated role [King Kong], obviously you are looking to see if your performance has fully manifested itself on the screen, and if it contains all the original intention that was put there. And what I've seen,so far, has delighted me, because I know Rupert [Wyatt] has been devoted to try and push the emotional core of all the performances right through the post-production phase.

Interesting Facts about Andy Serkis

1. Born to Lylie (Weech), a British mother who taught handicapped children, and Dr. Clement Serkis, a gynaecologist (born in Iraq of Armenian descent) who opened a hospital in Baghdad and was briefly imprisoned under Saddam Hussein's regime, Andy attended St. Benedict's School, Ealing, London, a Roman Catholic school.
2. Has three children, a daughter, Ruby, and two sons, Sonny and Louis Ashbourne Serkis (born 19 June, 2004), the latter of whom starred in the film The Kid Who Would Be King (2019).
3. Was required to don a wetsuit and flail around in literally freezing water during re-shoots for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).
4. Owns one of two prop rings used in "Lord of the Rings." The other went to Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins.
5. Although he was critically acclaimed for the performances, he was ruled ineligible for Best Supporting Actor nominations at the 2003, 2004 and 2012 Academy Awards because his characters Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) were computer generated.
6. September 2004 - Attended the Armaggeddon Pulp Culture Expo Convention in Wellington, New Zealand as a Lord of the Rings guest
7. Based the voice of Gollum on the sounds his cats made while coughing up furballs.
8. His last day of filming on the Lord of the Rings trilogy was only a few weeks before the theatrical release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). On the carpet of Peter Jackson's living room, they filmed the facial reaction of Smeagol/Gollum when he realizes Frodo intends to destroy the ring. The resulting video was e-mailed to Weta Digital so the animators could replicate the shot with the CGI character.
9. His family name, Serkis, is of Armenian descent like Mikhail Vartanov's and Sergei Parajanov's but originally would have been Sarkisian, Vartaniantz and Parajanian (respectively).
10. Uses his "Gollum" voice on his children, for fun and/or when they misbehave.
11. Has three sisters and a brother.
12. His performance as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is ranked #10 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
13. Completing and Directing Motion Capture for Playstation 3's game 'Heavenly Sword' at Weta Digital in Wellington, New Zealand. Plays the Character of 'King' in the game.
14. Has twice played computer-generated apes: in "King Kong" (as the giant title character) and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (as Caesar, the chimpanzee who leads the rebellion).
15. Has thrice co-starred with Jamie Bell: Deathwatch (2002), King Kong (2005) and The Adventures of Tintin (2011).
16. Born on the same date as Crispin Glover.
17. As of 2019, he has appeared in 4 films that were Oscar nominated for Best Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), and Black Panther (2018). Of these, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) is a Best Picture winner.
18. "The Imaginarium" London-based production and performance capture studio, is headed by Serkis and his friend and business partner Jonathan Cavendish.