Andy Serkis Books

Just wanted to give five stars.
Oh, yes, and I thought I was the only person to camp with no supplies save a copy of LOTR! You know what they say: great minds think alike.

This is a fascinating account of Andy Serkis's experience in creating the CG character, Gollum, as well as his actual "on screen" time as the ring-beguiled Smeagol in the opening scene of The Return of The King.

Andy's tale is engaging and honest, relating the hardships he endured in bringing the character to life and only increases my respect for him as a performer and a human being. It must have been a long, sometimes difficult job for every actor in the films, but Andy put in more hours than any other actor involved, many of them in isolation from the "moral support" of comrades.

Perhaps the most touching part of this book is Andy's dedication, which is to his own children, the Jackson children, the Astin children, and all the other "children of the ring" who were forced to sacrifice so much time with their parents during the making of these epic pictures.

A GREAT bet for some wonderful inside info and some pretty neato pictures!

Even casual film fans are now familiar with the character of Gollum and the groundbreaking special effects that turned him into one of the screen's most memorable characters. Now, we get to see Gollum from a different perspective: through the eyes of the man who brought him to life, Andy Serkis. This memoir, written by Serkis (w/help from Gary Russell) is an entertaining and eye-opening look at the production of both the character in general and the films as a whole. Andy had done mostly small roles in films and plays when he received an intriguing casting tip from his agent: Apparently, New Line was making a trilogy of films based on the "Lord of the Rings" series, and needed someone to voice the character of Gollum. Serkis, unfamiliar with the trilogy (though he had read "The Hobbit" in school) initially balked, until his partner (later, wife) Lorraine--who HAD read the books--urged him to try out. Andy agreed, and began to try different voices that might fit the character. He was stuck, having tried many different voices, until inspiration hit in the form of his cat. (His gagging, hairball-infested cat.) Serkis, who had decided to approach Gollum as a character so full of guilt and obsession (he also compares Gollum to a hardcore junkie) that he was literally choking on it, imitated his poor gagging cat in front of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Andy journeyed to New Zealand for what he though might be a bit of voice work. Instead, the role of Gollum turned into one of the most challenging undertaken to date: Serkis not only supplied the voice of Gollum, but also his movements as well (thanks to innovative motion-capture technology). Serkis would end up filming scenes multiple times: once in a blue suit, accompanied by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, then again without them, and often again in a suit studded with dots (reference points for computer animators). Though tedious, this process allowed the animators to bring Gollum to living, breathing life, a genuine example of movie magic. (How detailed is the character of Gollum? A deaf man who saw "The Two Towers" was able to read his lips.) Andy studied the character, often referencing the books for little insights into the character and his psychological makeup in order to bring greater depth to Gollum. And perhaps a little bit of Gollum worked its way into Andy...because vegetarian Serkis suddenly found himself enjoying fish again.

Despite the frequent hardships of filming, Andy was able to keep a sense of humor and professionalism about him, and is able to look back at many of the more difficult moments and laugh. Indeed, his sense of humor sustains the book when it bogs down or becomes repetitive; Serkis felt the need to relate the details of motion-capture technology a few too many times, as if he were telling a multi-part story and needed to bring new readers up to date. He grouses a bit about his initial lack of recognition and appreciation, especially when he had to repeat long scenes in the blue suit while the other actors could relax. (The worst one: Repeating a scene that involved splashing in frigid water...and that blue suit was NOT insulated). But he chides himself for those feelings, and finds a great deal of humor in those difficulties now.

Serkis, who claims little knowledge of classical literature, belies it with frequent references to and quotes from Nordic literature, the Bible (Smeagol's murder of Deagol draws comparisons to Cain and Abel), Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (comparing Gollum to Caliban), Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein's monster, and more. His writing style is smooth, full of humor and frequent good-natured self-deprecation, especially when relating how he foolishly ventured onto a rapids-filled river with minimal supplies, only to be rescued by four Wellington city councilors. His feelings of unappreciation were greatly assuaged when he learned that he would actually be on-screen, playing the role of young Smeagol in a flashback, as we see how Gollum came into possession of the Ring. Though he would still find himself largely unrecognized: A flight attendant saw him reading the books and innocently asked him if he knew about the films, sighing all the while because Orlando Bloom had been on the plane just a few days before. Serkis resisted a strong urge to crawl on all fours and hiss in his Gollum voice. (I don't know if I could have).

This little book (119 pgs) contains all one would want to know about the creation and evolution of one of modern cinema's most unique characters, and is highly recommended.

I love Andy Serkis. I love his book. Go buy it. Love him too. Enough said.

Andy Serkis, the actor behind the character of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, takes us deep into the terrain behind this great epic of our time. Through his experience in creating a close reflection to Tolkien's Gollum, he comes forward in what seems to be a blunt honest story of his time on the set and creates a brief, enjoyable actor's account.
Beginning with a phone call and winding his way through the streets of New Zealand, the highways of character development and the psychological paths of his acting and character experience, we get a great bit of knowledge of what it really feels like to transform yourself into another person for the sake of showing the world a tale - or even a message. You could call it a diary, completely packed with bits and pieces that are extremely informative, but brief. Learn what it takes to be an actor or a psychiatrist, to completely envelope yourself into character and to be immersed in a wonderfully diverse land. With contributions from Gary Russell and others on set, this book has incredible illustrations, sculptures, design plans, photographs and passages from the crew. Hilarious Gollum faces are located on the top outer corner of each page as you read along, making a fun time in itself.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the movie trilogy, those who want a better glimpse behind the making of a soon-to-be classic, movie enthusiasts/aspirers, or anyone else if they just want a fun read. This is definitely a kid-friendly book (though some kids may get disgusted or confused at some of the sculptures of Gollum without his little rag around his waist. Ahem. . . :D), though I think it may tend to be slightly boring for younger kids. Definitely PG.
So I will leave you to your browsing and shopping with a song from Gollum,

"Rock and pool
is sweet and cool
so nice for feet,
we only wish
to catch a fish
so juicy sweeeeet!"

Happy Reading!

Andy Serkis is the outstanding actor who is barely seen in his most beloved role: Gollum, the tormented Ring junkie. In "Gollum: A Behind the Scenes Guide," he talks frankly and easily about how this complex, difficult character was brought from the book to the screen.

Andy Serkis was unenthusiastic when he heard that they were searching for actors to play Gollum in "Lord of the Rings." But after his now-wife began gushing about what a wonderful character Gollum was, he went in for an audition, armed only with a voice that sounded like his cat throwing up hairballs. Not only did Serkis get the role, he also learned that there was more needed for Gollum than just the voice: He had to suit up in a motion capture suit to provide Gollum's movements as well.

"Gollum: A Behind the Scenes Guide" is more than just a guide about how the first really convincing CGI character was created. Serkis also chronicles bits of his everyday life in New Zealand, the birth of his son, September 11th, the premiere of "Two Towers," and the more widespread reaction to everybody's favorite Ring junkie (Gollum appeared on SNL and "The Simpsons, for example). Not to mention a sweet poem Serkis wrote to his young daughter.

To give further dimension to Serkis's story, there are lots of concept drawings and clay statues of Gollum (warning: avoid certain pages unless you're willing to see Gollum naked). There are also detailed sections written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, the mocap crew, and many others about how they also helped create Gollum. For example, there was a lot of thought given to what kind of nose Gollum should have, or whether he should have a potbelly.

Serkis has a nice, conversational style, with plenty of self-deprecating humor and excellent descriptions ("... suddenly this bald lunatic in pale green spandex comes lolloping into view. It was like a very bad nightmare, like a Dali painting gone wrong"). He's got a nice vocabulary and a great actor's sense, getting into Gollum's bald little head. And despite his claims of "ignorance of great literature," he makes some nice references to Narnia, Shakespeare, Dickens, Hugo, and ancient Norse sagas.

Andy Serkis and the people at WETA created movie history with the flawless Gollum. And Serkis's mini-memoir about how Gollum came to life is not just a good book for "Rings" fans, but for cinephiles and movie students as well. It's our precious.