It's amazing to think that a large percentage of the films playing at your local cinema this year simply wouldn't have been possible a few decades ago. Digital post-production and computer-generated imagery have come to dominate nearly every major motion picture, slowly reducing the amount of actual human presence felt in the final products... and Hollywood are coming to rely more and more on digital animation and special effects as moviemaking tools. And to those who might despair at Skynet-esque revelations such as this: never fear! Look no further than Andy Serkis, most famous for portraying Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, in order to revive your faith in more traditional movie magic. The London-born Serkis is by no means new to the acting scene, but his work as a performance capture specialist has made him one of the most sought-after actors in recent memory. Is Serkis the next Marlon Brando? No. Is he going to give Daniel Day-Lewis a run for his money at the Oscars anytime soon? Probably not. But while he's perhaps not the greatest actor of his generation, he's certainly one of the most important. Reviving the human element in an age of digital filmmaking was Serkis's goal - and he's managed to show how important that human element is, even when his characters are clad in all things CG. Serkis will take directing duties on a few projects in the coming years, having founded a production company called Imaginarium Studios, and he's been generous in providing performance capture advice to the likes of Godzilla and the Hulk. In chronological order, then, here are 8 roles which prove Andy Serkis is an integral part of the modern film industry...
