Andy Serkis is a renowned English film actor, director, and author, known for his groundbreaking performance capture roles in various computer-generated characters. Born on April 20, 1964, in Ruislip Manor, West London, England, Serkis spent his early years in Baghdad, Iraq, due to his father's work as a medical doctor. He has three sisters and a brother, and his mother was a special education teacher.
Serkis developed an interest in art at a young age and attended St. Benedict's School, a Roman Catholic School for boys. He later studied visual arts at Lancaster University, where he became involved in mechanical aspects of the theatre and did stage design and set building for theatrical productions. After making his stage debut in a student production, Serkis switched to acting, which became his true calling.
Instead of attending an acting college, Serkis began his professional acting career at the Duke's Playhouse in Lancaster, where he performed in 14 plays as an apprentice of Jonathan Petherbridge. He then worked in touring theatre companies, moving to new towns every week, and appeared in a host of popular plays and on almost every renowned British stage.
In the 1990s, Serkis began to make his mark on the London stage, appearing at the Royal Court Theatre as "The Fool" in "King Lear" and making his interpretation of "The Fool" as the woman that "Lear", a widower, could relate to - a man, in drag, as a Victorian musician. He also appeared as "Potts" in the hit play, "Mojo", playing in front of full houses and earning huge critical success.
Serkis made his debut on television in 1987 and acted in several major British TV miniseries throughout the 1990s. His breakthrough role came in 1999 when he landed the part of "Gollum" in Peter Jackson's epic film trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings". He spent four years in the part and received awards and nominations for his performance as "Gollum", a computer-generated character.
Serkis's work on "Gollum" was an interactive performance in a skin-tight CGI suit with markers allowing cameras to track and register 3D position for each marker. He drew from his three cats clearing fur balls out of their throats to develop the constricted voice he produced for "Gollum" and "Sméagol", and it was also enhanced by sound editing in post-production.
Apart from his work on "Gollum", Serkis has appeared in several other films, including "King Kong" (2005),"13 Going on 30" (2004),and "The Prestige" (2006). He has also continued to work in television, starring as "Vincent Van Gogh" in the BBC2 series "Power of Art" (2006).
Serkis is married to actress and singer Lorraine Ashbourne, and they have three children. He is an accomplished amateur painter and has developed a passion for mountaineering since his school years. Serkis is also a pescetarian and has been involved in charitable causes, including The Hope Foundation, which provides essential life-saving medical aid for children suffering from Leukemia and children from countries devastated by war.
