10 Actors Who Refused To Use CGI
6. Andy Serkis Initially Passed On Gollum In The Lord Of The Rings
As barmy as it may be to believe, there was once a moment in time when Andy Serkis wasn't entirely on board with the idea of being the thespian behind arguably the most iconic computer generated character of all time.
Long before Serkis became the poster boy for all things motion capture, the part of the corrupted hobbit was pitched to the actor as simply a voice role, with the rest of the character being entirely made up on a computer.
Upon hearing this initial pitch, Serkis has admitted thinking "I wasn't interested". However, after meeting up with Peter Jackson and discussing what the role would actually entail, that of an actor physically bringing Gollum/Smeagol to life on set before having that performance digitally crafted in post, Serkis soon realised this was a gamble he was willing to take.
Fast forward to the modern day, and Serkis has brilliantly played everything from a colossal ape in King Kong to, well, a smaller but no less colossal ape in the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy, all utilising a piece of kit that has thoroughly changed the game.