Andy Serkis: His 8 Best Performances

Few actors can even come close to having as eclectic of a filmography as Andy Serkis has had.

Over the course of more than twenty years in the film business, Serkis has played roles that few before would have even dreamt of playing or being able to play, thanks to his insatiable ambition and desire to constantly push the boundaries of film and technology.

Acting as one of the greatest pioneers in motion-capture performances, Andy Serkis has remained a trailblazer throughout his career, ascending the heights of Hollywood to become a star in some of the biggest blockbuster franchises of all time, even if audiences weren't necessarily seeing his face at first glance.

With his new film premiering on Netflix this weekend, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Serkis takes the next step in his career as he takes on directorial duties of a big-budget motion-capture film as well as starring in it, which makes this the perfect time to take a look back and appreciate all the incredible work the man has done.

These are the eight best performances of Andy Serkis, one of the greatest and most underappreciated actors of his generation.

Serkis' best-known performance in Peter Jackson's King Kong remake may be that of a more primatial nature (don't worry, we'll get there) but his human role is unexpectedly fun and gives Serkis a chance to show off his unique ability to ham it up and chew the scenery in the most wonderful of ways.

As Lumpy, the resident chef onboard the SS Venture, Serkis gets to strike a unique balance between goofy humor and ominous foreshadowing. In one scene, he may be stirring up porridge to brush it onto the face of a fellow crew-member or getting so fed up by the bugs on Skull Island that he's using a frying pan and a machine gun to try and kill them all. But in the next scene, he'll be delivering a foreboding monologue about a "cast away" he picked up once at sea who had seen Skull Island and told tales of the beasts who lived there.

It's a role that could have easily tipped too heavily in one direction or the other but Serkis expertly walks the tight-rope between the two, giving the film one of its most endearing and lovable human characters. When Lumpy meets his grisly fate at the hands of some giant insects/worms, he goes out like a true hero and its hard not to feel for him.