‘Life Is Too Short’: Andy Serkis No Longer Feels the Need to Defend Gollum

British actor of Armenian descent Andy Serkis, who brought Gollum to life in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, has admitted that he has stopped trying to convince audiences that motion-capture technology is a legitimate form of acting. According to him, many people still misunderstand how digital characters are created.

In an interview with The Times, Serkis said he had never been particularly concerned that audiences primarily associate him with characters created using computer technology. In addition to Gollum, the actor played King Kong in the film of the same name and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy.

“The technology is completely misunderstood. I used to be a real evangelist for it. I could spend hours explaining that motion capture is acting, but I would see people's eyes glazing over. Life is too short. I've calmed down. Now I just think, ‘If you get it, great,’” the actor said.

Serkis stressed that Gollum was brought to life primarily through his acting, while computer-generated imagery simply helped translate his performance onto the screen.

“Characters like Gollum are created by an actor in exactly the same way that a team of makeup artists and prosthetics transformed John Hurt in The Elephant Man. But for some reason, people find it easier to understand an actor performing behind a physical mask than behind a digital one,” he explained.

Serkis will reprise his role as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which he is also directing. The film is scheduled for release on December 17, 2027.

Several familiar faces from the franchise are also set to return, including Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Lee Pace as King Thranduil. The cast will also feature Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan, Leo Woodall and Anya Taylor-Joy.