6 Most Unusual Demands Made By The Lord Of The Rings Actors

5. Andy Serkis Wanted To BE Gollum On Set, Not Just Provide The Voice

Hobbit Gollum Andy Serkis
Warner Bros. Pictures

Now, this one might not seem like such a strange demand at all. Nowadays, don't all films that require motion-capture imagery encourage the performers to act on the set, interacting with the other performers in a scene? That was not quite the done thing when Andy Serkis arrived in New Zealand to play the dual role of Smeágol and Gollum.

While motion-capture technology wasn't invented for the Lord of the Rings, one could argue that it was perfected during the production period. Serkis devoted hours and hours of life to playing the villainous character on set, as he felt that standing to the side and shouting his lines for the other performers to react to wouldn't capture the spirit of the scenes.

So, he asked to be physically part of the action, donning his mo-cap suit, and running around like a controlled lunatic. This served not only to allow Serkis the best chance at delivery, and provide the CGI team with an easier reference point, but also allowed actors like Sean Astin and Elijah Wood to delve deeper into each scene - as opposed to having Gollum's lines fed to them via bullhorn.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"