Andy Serkis Gollum role haunts him, Digi Mart USA News: The star behind one of The Lord of the Rings’ most iconic characters says the role still stays with him more than two decades after he first played Gollum in the original trilogy. Serkis has opened up about the toll the performance has taken on him, noting that Gollum is a complicated and dark character whose demands can cause internal turmoil for the actor.
Serkis, who is directing and starring in the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, told The Times that playing the character has affected his sleep. He described developing an unusual relationship with Gollum over the years, saying the role required him to inhabit the mind of someone who is obsessive, guilt-ridden and filled with internal conflict.
Serkis also spoke about the challenges of returning to a role he first took on 26 years ago. He said he already has a very “active mind”, and revisiting the character for The Hunt for Gollum has made things even louder for him, sometimes leaving him unsure whether he was awake or asleep.
“I’ve just lived with Gollum for such a long period. I’m a terrible sleeper.
My mind is pretty active, and it has been insane going back to the character I started playing 26 years ago, and so I’m waking up at night. Actually, I don’t know if I’m asleep or awake, but I think, Am I directing you, Gollum?
Or you me? Are we arguing?
My mind is…busy.”
Although Serkis described the situation lightheartedly, his remarks reveal how mentally demanding a role like Gollum can be. He is approaching the character from two perspectives at once, playing a character while also getting into the mindset of a disturbed Stoor Hobbit, and on this film he adds the further layer of directing.
