Andy Serkis

Andrew Clement "Andy" Serkis (born 20 April 1964) is an English film actor, director and author. He is known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for such computer-generated characters as: Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), King Kong in the eponymous 2005 film by Sir Peter Jackson, Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and Captain Haddock in Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin (2011). Serkis' film work in motion capture has been critically acclaimed, and he has been called the "godfather of motion capture." Serkis has received an Empire Award, a National Board of Review Award, two Saturn Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his motion capture work. Serkis also earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for his portrayal of serial killer Ian Brady in the British television film Longford (2006); and he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his portrayal of new wave and punk rock musician Ian Dury in the biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010). In 2014, he was confirmed as a part of the main cast of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, as well as having a supporting role in Avengers: Age of Ultron, both of which will be released in 2015. Serkis has his own motion capture workshop, The Imaginarium Studios in London, and is set to use the technology with his directing debut, The Jungle Book: Origins, in 2017.