- 13 minutes ago
Does the legendary performance capture actor & director of 'Animal Farm,' Andy Serkis, know the difference between Smeagol or Gollum's lines?
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00:00God, oh man, that's an amazing character, which haunted my children for years to come.
00:04Are you kidding me?
00:16There's only one creature capable of leaving a footprint that size, the Abominable Snowman.
00:21That was one of the characters that I played in Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong
00:28and Lumpy the Chef.
00:34The Abominable Snowman.
00:35You know, I'd been studying gorillas for months and months and months, going to Rwanda,
00:39and then I get to New Zealand to play Kong, and Pete says,
00:42yeah, and I think I'd quite like you to play another character as well.
00:45Do you want to play Lumpy the Chef?
00:46This very bawdy, saucy chef.
00:49What I invented for him was that he was constantly smoking
00:52and had a cigarette in his mouth all the time,
00:54to the point that from the smoke going into one eye,
00:58one eye was constantly shut.
01:01As we'd done on Lord of the Rings, the behind the scenes had been hugely important.
01:04And I mean, it was such a groundbreaking thing,
01:07sharing with an audience the process of making a film as it was happening.
01:11And it began on Lord of the Rings, of course,
01:13and those behind the scenes have become the things of legend, really.
01:19And so many filmmakers I know started making films
01:23because they'd watched the behind the scenes of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings.
01:26When we were doing Kong, it became, it sort of became more official, really.
01:30There were these blogs that went out every two weeks,
01:33or little mini videos.
01:35And I remember making one as Lumpy the Chef.
01:38It was one of those guys who gives it, he gives it out,
01:41and then meets a very, very grisly death, in fact,
01:45which haunted my children for years to come.
01:48And in fact, yeah, Sonny, my oldest boy,
01:50I remember him being five and seeing that film,
01:52and I thought, I shouldn't have shown him that
01:54because this sort of rather phallic monster
01:58kind of comes down and takes Lumpy in its claws
02:01and sort of sucks him in.
02:03Yeah, it's a tragic end to Lumpy,
02:05which I know pretty much scarred Sonny for life.
02:13Give it to us, Roar and Wriggling.
02:15I mean, who couldn't say it was Gollum here from,
02:18my Lord of the Rings?
02:19Is it Gollum or is it Smeagol?
02:21Actually, that's a very good point.
02:22Give it to us, Roar and Wriggling.
02:24Yeah, no, it's Smeagol, actually.
02:26It's absolutely Smeagol from The Two Towers.
02:28Give it to us, Roar and Wriggling.
02:34The first conversation I had about going to work
02:37on Lord of the Rings was from my agent.
02:39It was like, Andy, they're doing this film
02:40on Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.
02:42There's a potential digital character.
02:44It's about three weeks' voiceover work.
02:46And I said, Lord of the Rings,
02:48there must be a dozen good parts in that.
02:50You know, can you not get me up for a decent role?
02:53You know, that was literally my response.
02:54And then it was just like, no, no, it's Gollum.
02:55And I was like, oh, Gollum, that's an amazing character.
02:57When I met with Peter Jackson,
02:58I realised what they wanted to do,
03:01which was to have an actor play the role.
03:02But he said to me quite clearly, you know,
03:04you will not be manifested as yourself on screen.
03:07It's going to be a digital character.
03:08But we want an actor to play the role
03:11because we can't have Elijah Wood and Sean Astin
03:13acting against a tennis ball and a stick
03:15because Gollum drives a lot of the scenes.
03:17But it was unclear at that point
03:19as to what my involvement would be.
03:21I couldn't just do a voice on set.
03:23I was like crawling about being the character.
03:25And Peter said, no, okay,
03:26so we're going to change our idea
03:27of how we're going to do this.
03:28Film Andy on set.
03:29And then he can go back.
03:31And when it's Gollum-only shots,
03:33we'll use performance capture,
03:35or motion capture as it was at the time.
03:37And that was the early days.
03:38And it was literally the sound.
03:40Someone held up a telephone
03:41of the scene that we had done
03:43that I was then doing the capture for
03:44of Elijah and Sean's lines.
03:47And then I was acting in this tiny little volume
03:50with no facial capture,
03:51but just the physical capture at that point.
03:53Okay, here we go.
03:56On program.
03:57That is from Andor.
03:58On program.
04:00To be honest, when I was offered the role,
04:02I was slightly worried
04:03because I'd been in the Star Wars universe
04:05as Supreme Leader Snoke.
04:06And then I was thinking,
04:07that was confusing enough for the fans.
04:09I just thought they might think
04:10there was some weird connection
04:11between this new character that I was playing.
04:13When I met with Tony Gilroy,
04:14I just loved where he was coming from
04:16with this script and this story.
04:17And to talk about fascism
04:18through the lens of Star Wars,
04:21I thought was incredible.
04:24Patience.
04:25Patience, my love.
04:26That's Lord of the Rings 2.
04:28And that is Smeagol.
04:30Oh, or maybe it's Gollum, actually.
04:32I think it's in Return of the King.
04:34And it's a scene,
04:35and it's reflecting in the pond.
04:37Yes, and he's saying,
04:39let's bide our time,
04:40and then we'll kill Master Frodo
04:42and then we'll take the ring.
04:44Patience.
04:46Patience, my love.
04:47I can't really talk about
04:48The Hunt for Gollum right now,
04:50but I mean,
04:50that character's never gone away.
04:52He's sort of always been lurking.
04:55And, you know,
04:56so it's interesting that we worked on,
04:5825 years ago,
04:59on Lord of the Rings
04:59and then going back
05:00and revisiting him in The Hobbit.
05:02And then I did the audio books.
05:04And then coming back 25 years later
05:06to revisit Gollum again.
05:08And there's still more
05:10to investigate in the character,
05:11and that's the wonderful thing about it.
05:13And actually,
05:13what's been interesting
05:14is how he's been absorbed
05:16into public consciousness, really.
05:18And I think the whole notion
05:19of addiction of the character
05:21and that being addicted to the ring
05:23is something that certainly
05:24when I've met, say,
05:25fans at conventions
05:26and they say,
05:27you know,
05:27I really relate,
05:28I actually really relate to Gollum.
05:30The inner voices
05:30and addiction as well,
05:32particularly people
05:32who have been through hard times,
05:34they've sort of connected
05:35with that character.
05:35So I'm really looking forward
05:36to re-examining him
05:38in the up-and-coming times.
05:42You're just a child
05:43in a mask.
05:44Star Wars.
05:45And this is a Supreme Leader Snoke line,
05:47as we were just talking about.
05:49You're just a child
05:54in a mask.
05:55That is literally
05:57one of the hardest roles
05:58I've ever played, Snoke, I think.
05:59Because the definition
06:00of the character
06:01was very fluid
06:02and it was mysterious.
06:04But it also stemmed
06:05from the fact that
06:05I wasn't entirely rooted
06:07in the character.
06:07I couldn't quite find myself
06:09in the centre of it.
06:11I did actually
06:12in the second film
06:13a little more.
06:14But just also
06:15the way we shot it,
06:16in the first film,
06:17Force Awakens,
06:18I was like 50 feet away
06:20from the other actors
06:21and 30 feet up.
06:22Yeah, it was not easy
06:23to connect with your scene partner
06:24when you read the script
06:25for these things
06:26you go in
06:27and your phone's taken off you
06:28and you sit down
06:29and there's video cameras everywhere
06:30and you sit and you read the script.
06:32And Rian Johnson had said
06:33this was going to be
06:33a much better role
06:34in the second film.
06:35So I was reading it
06:36and I was like,
06:36oh yeah,
06:37this is getting really good
06:38and it was getting really juicy
06:40and then suddenly,
06:41you know,
06:41and then Snoke gets cut in half.
06:43And I was like,
06:44are you kidding me?
06:45And I was like,
06:47give up.
06:56that was Caesar's first word
06:58in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
07:02No!
07:03I'd never thought
07:04I'd be playing another ape
07:06after playing Kong
07:07because that was a big journey
07:08for that character.
07:09And then I read the script
07:10for Rise of the Planet of the Apes
07:12and it was like,
07:13this story is extraordinary
07:15and I just kind of forgot
07:17what he was
07:18and then until this moment
07:20in the script
07:21where suddenly Caesar speaks
07:22for the first time
07:23and I thought,
07:24this is an ape speaking
07:25for the first time.
07:26You know,
07:26it was really, really powerful.
07:28When the day was coming up
07:29to shoot this scene,
07:30I spent a long time
07:30sort of coiling the spring as such
07:32and then kind of letting rip on it
07:34and I remember Tom Feldman's face.
07:37It was truly magnificent to see.
07:40Thanks.
07:45I'll keep the light on for you.
07:47I hope you find peace.
07:50Hold on to each other.
07:51Oh my gosh.
07:54I'll keep the light on for you.
07:56I hope you find peace.
07:58Oh, you got me there.
08:00I'll keep the light on for you.
08:02Nah, you got me.
08:03I have no idea about this one.
08:06I'll keep the light on for you.
08:08I hope you find peace.
08:13Hold on to each other.
08:20They sent me the pitch deck
08:21and I looked at it
08:22and I just thought,
08:24this is so interesting.
08:25What a video game.
08:26And I'm so thrilled for these guys
08:29because I love the idea of it
08:31but I love the visuals of it.
08:32I just thought it was beautiful
08:34and I'm so thrilled for their success.
08:37These guys had never made
08:38a video game before.
08:39It was their first one
08:40and they learnt on YouTube tutorials.
08:43It's such an emotional story
08:44for a video game
08:45and it just looks extraordinary
08:49and the music in it is so powerful.
08:52I don't see any difference
08:53between that and acting in films
08:57or on stage or TV.
08:59You know, it's exactly the same.
09:01You approach the character
09:02and build a character in the same way.
09:03My first engagement with video games
09:05was with a company called Ninja Theory
09:07and we made a game called Heavenly Sword
09:09for PlayStation 3.
09:10At that point,
09:11actors looked down on video games
09:13as like,
09:13I wouldn't get involved in a video game.
09:14Now, young actors coming out
09:16of drama schools
09:16and they're like,
09:17I really want to be in a video game.
09:19The irony is that Hollywood
09:21is using video game engines
09:23to drive all of the previs
09:24for all of the big action sequences
09:26in all of the movies.
09:27But also for cinematographers
09:30to use previs
09:31and to be able to place light sources
09:33or moonlight or sunlight
09:34or, you know,
09:35very specifically where,
09:37you know, in a shot.
09:38It's an essential tool
09:40of modern filmmaking
09:41and there has always been
09:42that snobbery about video games
09:44not being anywhere near filmmaking,
09:45but that's all changing
09:46and certainly looking into the future
09:48when we have more immersive storytelling,
09:50which is what's happening.
09:54I could teach you how to fight,
09:56but I wasn't equipped
09:57to take care of you.
09:58You needed a father.
09:59All you had was me,
10:01Alfred in The Batman.
10:03I wasn't equipped
10:05to take care of you.
10:06You needed a father.
10:10All you had was me.
10:12That was me being reunited
10:14with Matt Reeves
10:14after playing Caesar twice
10:16with him directing
10:17and him saying to me,
10:18I want to do a film
10:19where I just see Andy.
10:21I just want to see Andy.
10:22You know,
10:22I really love Alfred
10:23as a character
10:24and he has no true paternal instinct
10:27and that's his tragedy.
10:28I know hugely important
10:30in my journey
10:31as an actor
10:32and a human being
10:33the role of the father
10:34and what that means
10:35as both as one myself
10:37but also the relationship
10:38that I had with my father
10:39that was an important role
10:41in a way
10:41to sort of succinctly
10:42brought those things together.
10:50Trust me, laddie.
10:51I know.
10:51Trust me, laddie.
10:52I know these parts
10:53like the back of my hand
10:55is Captain Halleck.
10:57Trust me, laddie.
10:58I know these parts
11:00like the back of my hand.
11:02One of my greatest moments,
11:04pinch me moments
11:05as an actor
11:06in this profession,
11:06the lead up to this,
11:08but Stephen had never used
11:09performance capture before.
11:11Peter, which, you know,
11:12had been through
11:12the whole process
11:13and James Cameron
11:14was getting ready
11:15to shoot Avatar
11:17and there was this one day
11:18at Marina del Rey.
11:19The three of them were there
11:21and I was in my motion capture suit
11:22and Stephen was getting used
11:24to using a virtual camera
11:26and Pete was showing him
11:27and James, you know,
11:29was there.
11:30And it was just three
11:30of the greatest directors
11:32on the planet.
11:33You can just think
11:34of the insurance
11:34in the room
11:35and me
11:36and then Zoe Saldana
11:38came and joined
11:39and it was just like,
11:40I actually can't quite believe
11:42that I'm standing here.
11:44And, you know,
11:44we did a little scene
11:45and then we were all
11:47having a camera off
11:47to see who would come up
11:49with the best shots.
11:50It was incredible.
11:51It was incredible.
11:56You are responsible
11:57for whatever happens
11:59to this animal, doctor.
12:06Ah, is this from
12:12The Prestige?
12:14Yes.
12:16You are responsible
12:17for whatever happens
12:18to this animal, doctor.
12:20I actually really love
12:22watching that film.
12:23There are very few films
12:24that are kind of
12:25comfortable watching
12:26that I'm in.
12:28I think it's one of
12:29my favourite films, actually.
12:31Plus, I got to work
12:32with David Bowie, of course.
12:33He was such a lovely
12:35scene partner
12:35and brilliant
12:36and hilarious
12:37and very funny
12:38and very self-deprecating
12:39and he took the mick
12:42out of himself
12:43mercilessly
12:44about his own
12:44Serbian accent
12:45and he said,
12:46I just think I sound
12:48like Cluso.
12:49You know,
12:50and we had great fun.
12:57Oh, God,
12:57here is this.
12:59I'm sorry.
13:00I don't know
13:00what came over me.
13:01Please, let me fix it
13:03so I can break it again.
13:04I know the rhythm of it,
13:05but which is the character?
13:06It must be Captain Haddock
13:07again, surely.
13:08No.
13:09That's Tom Hardy.
13:10Is that Tom Hardy?
13:11Yeah, it's Venom.
13:11Yeah.
13:13I'm sorry.
13:14I don't know
13:15what came over me.
13:16Please, let me fix it.
13:17I'm ready to...
13:17So I can break it again.
13:18I had an absolute ball directing
13:20Venom, Let There Be Carnage.
13:22I thought what Tom had done
13:23with the first one
13:24was just remarkable.
13:26There's some similarities
13:27in the way that Tom and I
13:28approach characters
13:30and the respect that we have
13:31for the craft of acting
13:33and the fun, also,
13:34element that we have
13:36with acting.
13:36And he's very bold.
13:37He makes bold choices
13:38and playing a character
13:40that has a symbiote
13:41living inside of him
13:42and a dual personality
13:43and knowing my history
13:46with Gollum and so on.
13:47That was an important link
13:49for us both.
13:50He originally was toying
13:53with the idea
13:53of using performance capture,
13:54but he didn't want to go
13:56down that route, actually.
13:57He wanted to only hear the voice,
13:59so he used to record his dialogue
14:01before we'd do a scene,
14:02have it in his ear,
14:04Venom's voice,
14:05because he wanted to be able
14:06to place Venom in his head
14:08wherever he wanted
14:09and so I fully understood that.
14:11So that's how we went about it
14:12and that's how I shot it.
14:18So, if you're going to fiddle
14:20with my brain,
14:20this should be read
14:21with a South African accent,
14:22and make me see
14:23a giant cuttlefish,
14:25then I know you don't do business
14:28and I know you're not in charge
14:30and I only deal
14:31with the man in charge.
14:32This was Age of Ultron,
14:34Avengers Age of Ultron.
14:36I only deal.
14:38With the man in charge.
14:39My first foray
14:41into the wicky-wacky world
14:42of Ulysses Klaw
14:43and, yeah,
14:45I mean,
14:46a character I loved playing
14:48and yet another character
14:50who had a bit of an early,
14:52early departure in my mind,
14:54thought he could have kept going
14:56for a bit longer.
14:57It was such,
14:58such good fun to do.
14:59And then going on to work
15:00with Ryan Coogler
15:01on Black Panther
15:02and working with
15:03the brilliant Chadwick Boseman
15:05was a real highlight
15:06and I loved developing
15:07this character.
15:08He was so maniacal,
15:10crazy,
15:11you know,
15:11despicable,
15:12but funny
15:13and it's really,
15:15really weird.
15:15You know,
15:15I started out as a theatre actor.
15:17I never thought
15:18I would end up
15:19in the world
15:20of these big franchises.
15:21Not for a second.
15:22and I thought
15:22I was going to be
15:22making arty,
15:24independent films.
15:25Never considered
15:26that, you know,
15:27that I would be part
15:28of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
15:32or Lord of the Rings
15:33or Star Wars.
15:33You know,
15:34it's just like,
15:35incredible.
15:36You know,
15:36I did pinch myself
15:37and kind of go,
15:37how did this happen?
15:43Alrighty, everybody,
15:45let's farm.
15:46Okay,
15:46so now we come
15:47to the current film,
15:49which is Animal Farm.
15:51Let's farm!
15:54A long time
15:55in the making,
15:55we set out
15:56to make it
15:57as a motion capture movie
15:58and then decided
15:58that if we'd made
15:59a live action version,
16:00it would have been
16:01much darker
16:01and I'm really glad
16:03that we decided
16:05to make it
16:05as an animation
16:06and ultimately
16:07to make it
16:08for young inquiring minds
16:10who could sit
16:11with their parents
16:11and grandparents
16:12and have a very seminal
16:13political piece of work
16:15brought to them
16:16so that they could
16:17think about
16:18the future
16:19that they're
16:20going to inherit,
16:21the earth
16:21that they're
16:21going to inherit
16:22and somehow
16:24feel that they
16:25can have a discussion
16:25about it.
16:26But it has been
16:2715 years in the making
16:28and there are
16:29some people
16:30that we approached
16:3012 years ago
16:32when we sort of
16:33knew what we were
16:33doing with the script
16:34and that was
16:35Glenn Close
16:36and Jim Parsons
16:37and Seth Rogen
16:38all of whom
16:39stuck with the project
16:40because they were
16:41passionate about the book.
16:42Randolph the Rooster
16:43is sort of the commentary
16:44as the utopia
16:46falls apart.
16:46I wasn't actually
16:47going to play anything
16:48in this
16:48and everybody went
16:49well Andy
16:49why don't you
16:50play Randolph
16:51and I was like
16:51oh yeah
16:52go on then
16:53I'll have a go
16:54but I actually
16:56really love playing it.
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