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Gollum: A Behind the Scenes Guide of the Making of Gollum (The Lord of the Rings)

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Andy Serkis is the outstanding actor who is barely seen in his most beloved role: Gollum, the tormented Ring junkie. In "Gollum: A Behind the Scenes Guide," he talks frankly and easily about how this complex, difficult character was brought from the book to the screen.

Andy Serkis was unenthusiastic when he heard that they were searching for actors to play Gollum in "Lord of the Rings." But after his now-wife began gushing about what a wonderful character Gollum was, he went in for an audition, armed only with a voice that sounded like his cat throwing up hairballs. Not only did Serkis get the role, he also learned that there was more needed for Gollum than just the voice: He had to suit up in a motion capture suit to provide Gollum's movements as well.

"Gollum: A Behind the Scenes Guide" is more than just a guide about how the first really convincing CGI character was created. Serkis also chronicles bits of his everyday life in New Zealand, the birth of his son, September 11th, the premiere of "Two Towers," and the more widespread reaction to everybody's favorite Ring junkie (Gollum appeared on SNL and "The Simpsons, for example). Not to mention a sweet poem Serkis wrote to his young daughter.

To give further dimension to Serkis's story, there are lots of concept drawings and clay statues of Gollum (warning: avoid certain pages unless you're willing to see Gollum naked). There are also detailed sections written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, the mocap crew, and many others about how they also helped create Gollum. For example, there was a lot of thought given to what kind of nose Gollum should have, or whether he should have a potbelly.

Serkis has a nice, conversational style, with plenty of self-deprecating humor and excellent descriptions ("... suddenly this bald lunatic in pale green spandex comes lolloping into view. It was like a very bad nightmare, like a Dali painting gone wrong"). He's got a nice vocabulary and a great actor's sense, getting into Gollum's bald little head. And despite his claims of "ignorance of great literature," he makes some nice references to Narnia, Shakespeare, Dickens, Hugo, and ancient Norse sagas.

Andy Serkis and the people at WETA created movie history with the flawless Gollum. And Serkis's mini-memoir about how Gollum came to life is not just a good book for "Rings" fans, but for cinephiles and movie students as well. It's our precious.

When a friend of mine told me about this book, I just knew I had to get it. Gollum was my favorite character back when I read Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and, seeing the movies, I was amazed at how well his complexity was captured in a CG (computer-generated) character. Yet, until I watched the bonus features on the extended version of the DVD for "The Two Towers," I'd had no idea how much Andy Serkis had put into this role. I, like most people, assumed he'd merely done the voice. So I was thoroughly impressed upon seeing how hard Serkis has worked, and gained an immense respect for him. This book, written by Serkis himself, takes us even further into the creation of the most impressive CG character ever created to date.

Writing in chronological order, Serkis takes us through his entire experience with the making of the movie trilogy. When he was first offered what was initially described as a three-week job doing the voice for Gollum, he was unimpressed. He hadn't even read the books. But when Serkis's girlfriend (now wife) heard about the offer, her response was "Oh Andy, you've GOT to go for it!" (pg. 3). And thus the journey began. After doing a little background reading, he began to prepare for his audition, but was at a loss for what Gollum's voice should sound like. In a strange twist of fate, his hairball-afflicted cat, Diz, provided the answer. But Serkis found that he could only do the voice properly if he actually crouched down and physically acted out his role as Gollum. Unknown to him at the time, what started out as a techinique to help the actor get into character would ultimately redefine the entire role.

It is usually assumed by newcomers to the movies that Serkis only provided Gollum's voice, and that the rest was entirely CG-driven. What one sees in the movie IS entirely computer-generated, but Gollum's movement throughout the films is copied almost entirely from Serkis's own physical acting. Even his facial expressions were used. "In fact," Serkis says, "more actor hours were spent working on Gollum than on any conventional screen character" (pg. 110). He actually had to perform each of Gollum's scenes twice - once with Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Sean Astin (Sam) to provide them with something other than thin air to act against, and again on his own, wearing a special motion-capture suit (often with numerous takes and retakes for each version). The data collected from the motion-capture takes was then given to animators from Weta Digital as a basis for Gollum's movement.

In addition to all his "hidden" work, Serkis does have some actual screen time - in the scene where young Smeagol murders his cousin Deagol to get the Ring. This scene, not in the original script, also meant that the CG Gollum's face had to be drastically redesigned. Gollum had to look like something that could reasonably have evolved from Smeagol, and in this case Smeagol looked like Andy Serkis. Thus the original conception of Gollum (which can be seen briefly in "The Fellowship of the Ring") was greatly altered, given more Andy-like features.

Not only does Serkis reflect on what went into the actual creation of Gollum, but he also shares with us the overall picture of his life during the years he spent working on "The Lord of the Rings." His son, Sonny, was born during the film's production. In 2002 Serkis married long-time girlfriend and mother to his two children, Lorraine Ashbourne. He also takes us along on his numerous New Zealand side trips, hiking, camping, and even river-kayaking. He tells us about the birthdays that were celebrated during this time - both his own and those of his daughter, Ruby. In one place he has included a poem he wrote to Ruby during a period when he was separated from his family. Serkis (himself originally from the Middle-East) even reflects on his reactions to the events of 11 Sept. 2001 and the subsequent "war on terrorism."

The book also contains numerous other goodies. There are over one hundred full-color images, including concept art, production photos, and movie stills. We can also read inset comments (ranging in length from one paragraph to a couple of pages) from others involved in Gollum's creation, among them director Peter Jackson, co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and various Weta Digital artists. One fun little feature is the "flip-book" like images of Gollum: on the top, outer corner of each page is a small picture of Gollum's face with a different expression; if you flip rapidly through all the pages, you can see a kind of little "mini-movie" of him. My ONLY criticism of the book is that I wish the pictures had captions. In cases where Serkis is talking about, say, several different pieces of concept art, and only one or two are pictured, it is not always apparent which is which.

This book is an absolute must-read for any Gollum fan. It's a fairly quick read (I finished it in a few hours), but provides an amazing wealth of information. Serkis's writing is very reader-friendly, and his frequent self-deprecating humor adds a wonderful comic quality to some of his experiences (he describes himself as "a man in a gimp suit, with a face that makes Jim Carrey's look relaxed" (pg. 26).). The whole work is a tremendous look into the leading edge of CGI technoglogy, and also offers some great insights into the story of "The Lord of the Rings" and the character of Gollum in particular. I just can't recommend it hightly enough. Definitely get a copy for yourself, and consider it as a gift for any Gollum-loving friend. In a word, it's precious.

This is an amazing book that takes you behind the scenes of how Gollum/Smeagol was created on the screen. Not only does Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, tell about his experiences creating Gollum, but he tells all about his experience with the cast and crew, and many of the adventures he had in New Zealand. It is definatly a must read for all fans of the movies and/or the books. Serkis also talks some about his family life at the time and often talks about where he got his inspiration for Gollum. I recieved this book for Christmas and I was instantly captivated by it. I would read for hours on end and never got bored of it. There are also small sections written by other crew members about Serkis and Gollum. The book is full of amazing pictures, some from the finished movies, some behind the scenes pictures, and many showing the different stages Gollum went through before he looks like he does now in the movies. I would definatly recomend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting story.

You'd think it'd be enough to simply write about his experience as an actor, but Andy Serkis goes leaps and bounds further with this book. It incorporates details of his family and theater life that took place during the creation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as magnificent complementing photographs (of him in daily life, of him making the movies, and of scenes from the movies, including The Return of the King), and comments from the rest of the crew on the making of Gollum and on Andy's performance.

I'd recommend this book to everyone. The reading level is light, the book is a fast read, and I did not want to put it down. It is extremely enjoyable reading. Any fan of film or acting will get something out of it.

This is a fascinating account of Andy Serkis's experience in creating the CG character, Gollum, as well as his actual "on screen" time as the ring-beguiled Smeagol in the opening scene of The Return of The King.

Andy's tale is engaging and honest, relating the hardships he endured in bringing the character to life and only increases my respect for him as a performer and a human being. It must have been a long, sometimes difficult job for every actor in the films, but Andy put in more hours than any other actor involved, many of them in isolation from the "moral support" of comrades.

Perhaps the most touching part of this book is Andy's dedication, which is to his own children, the Jackson children, the Astin children, and all the other "children of the ring" who were forced to sacrifice so much time with their parents during the making of these epic pictures.

A GREAT bet for some wonderful inside info and some pretty neato pictures!

Even casual film fans are now familiar with the character of Gollum and the groundbreaking special effects that turned him into one of the screen's most memorable characters. Now, we get to see Gollum from a different perspective: through the eyes of the man who brought him to life, Andy Serkis. This memoir, written by Serkis (w/help from Gary Russell) is an entertaining and eye-opening look at the production of both the character in general and the films as a whole. Andy had done mostly small roles in films and plays when he received an intriguing casting tip from his agent: Apparently, New Line was making a trilogy of films based on the "Lord of the Rings" series, and needed someone to voice the character of Gollum. Serkis, unfamiliar with the trilogy (though he had read "The Hobbit" in school) initially balked, until his partner (later, wife) Lorraine--who HAD read the books--urged him to try out. Andy agreed, and began to try different voices that might fit the character. He was stuck, having tried many different voices, until inspiration hit in the form of his cat. (His gagging, hairball-infested cat.) Serkis, who had decided to approach Gollum as a character so full of guilt and obsession (he also compares Gollum to a hardcore junkie) that he was literally choking on it, imitated his poor gagging cat in front of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Andy journeyed to New Zealand for what he though might be a bit of voice work. Instead, the role of Gollum turned into one of the most challenging undertaken to date: Serkis not only supplied the voice of Gollum, but also his movements as well (thanks to innovative motion-capture technology). Serkis would end up filming scenes multiple times: once in a blue suit, accompanied by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, then again without them, and often again in a suit studded with dots (reference points for computer animators). Though tedious, this process allowed the animators to bring Gollum to living, breathing life, a genuine example of movie magic. (How detailed is the character of Gollum? A deaf man who saw "The Two Towers" was able to read his lips.) Andy studied the character, often referencing the books for little insights into the character and his psychological makeup in order to bring greater depth to Gollum. And perhaps a little bit of Gollum worked its way into Andy...because vegetarian Serkis suddenly found himself enjoying fish again.

Despite the frequent hardships of filming, Andy was able to keep a sense of humor and professionalism about him, and is able to look back at many of the more difficult moments and laugh. Indeed, his sense of humor sustains the book when it bogs down or becomes repetitive; Serkis felt the need to relate the details of motion-capture technology a few too many times, as if he were telling a multi-part story and needed to bring new readers up to date. He grouses a bit about his initial lack of recognition and appreciation, especially when he had to repeat long scenes in the blue suit while the other actors could relax. (The worst one: Repeating a scene that involved splashing in frigid water...and that blue suit was NOT insulated). But he chides himself for those feelings, and finds a great deal of humor in those difficulties now.

Serkis, who claims little knowledge of classical literature, belies it with frequent references to and quotes from Nordic literature, the Bible (Smeagol's murder of Deagol draws comparisons to Cain and Abel), Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (comparing Gollum to Caliban), Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein's monster, and more. His writing style is smooth, full of humor and frequent good-natured self-deprecation, especially when relating how he foolishly ventured onto a rapids-filled river with minimal supplies, only to be rescued by four Wellington city councilors. His feelings of unappreciation were greatly assuaged when he learned that he would actually be on-screen, playing the role of young Smeagol in a flashback, as we see how Gollum came into possession of the Ring. Though he would still find himself largely unrecognized: A flight attendant saw him reading the books and innocently asked him if he knew about the films, sighing all the while because Orlando Bloom had been on the plane just a few days before. Serkis resisted a strong urge to crawl on all fours and hiss in his Gollum voice. (I don't know if I could have).

This little book (119 pgs) contains all one would want to know about the creation and evolution of one of modern cinema's most unique characters, and is highly recommended.

This engaging and heartfelt book is not only an insider's look at a good few years in the life of an actor, but at his dedication to a role. I've come to admire Serkis for his commitment to his craft, and for his likeability, sincerity, and willingness to give it all in the name of credible filmmaking. As an artist, I truly am awestruck; it's a pity the book tour does not include Miami, so I could compliment him in person. At any rate, do yourselves a favor, LOTR fans, Serkis fans, and acting aficionados alike...it is very revelatory and heartwarming.

GOLLUM is basically a memoir by Andy Serkis describing part of his journey on the odyssey that became THE LORD OF THE RINGS films. Serkis has become a part of cinematic history with his acting of Gollum-the first major completely CGI character based upon the actions of a real actor. The things that WETA and Serkis did with Gollum had been done in the past, but on a very much smaller scale and with very different techniques. The book is quite interesting and fairly easy to read. It's filled with pictures from the sets, letters from various cast and crew members, sketches, and diagrams. When reading the book, you don't feel like you're reading at all, but rather you're sitting down and listening to a man next to you tell a story. A great book for any LORD OF THE RINGS fan and a useful resource for cinematic gurus.

Andy Serkis became a part of cinematic history when he agreed to join the cast of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy. And he made an important contribution to that history by working closely with special effects people in acting the part of Gollum/Smeagol. Although Gollum is a CGI character, the CGI animators worked exclusively from Serkis's physical movements, mapping them using state-of-the-art computer technology and then using the digitized data to create Gollum's movements, resulting in the most realistic character ever created via CGI for film. Serkin's book is an important inside look into the years he spent acting on the set of "Lord of the Rings" which will be a valuable document not only for fans of the films but serious students of cinema too. It's the best book on the making of "The Lord of The Rings" I've read so far, filled with excellent commentary from Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, noted Tolkien artists Alan Lee and John Howe, and many others from WETA and other production crews involved with the making of these films.

I had the pleasure of meeting Andy Serkis last night at a Barnes and Nobles reading for this book. He's one of the nicest actors I have met associated with a major blockbuster film. I wish him much success in his future endeavors, and look forward to seeing him again in other brilliant roles on the screen (Incidentally, he might be superb playing a Dalek in the forthcoming BBC revival of "Doctor Who".).

Andy Serkis, the actor behind the character of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, takes us deep into the terrain behind this great epic of our time. Through his experience in creating a close reflection to Tolkien's Gollum, he comes forward in what seems to be a blunt honest story of his time on the set and creates a brief, enjoyable actor's account.
Beginning with a phone call and winding his way through the streets of New Zealand, the highways of character development and the psychological paths of his acting and character experience, we get a great bit of knowledge of what it really feels like to transform yourself into another person for the sake of showing the world a tale - or even a message. You could call it a diary, completely packed with bits and pieces that are extremely informative, but brief. Learn what it takes to be an actor or a psychiatrist, to completely envelope yourself into character and to be immersed in a wonderfully diverse land. With contributions from Gary Russell and others on set, this book has incredible illustrations, sculptures, design plans, photographs and passages from the crew. Hilarious Gollum faces are located on the top outer corner of each page as you read along, making a fun time in itself.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the movie trilogy, those who want a better glimpse behind the making of a soon-to-be classic, movie enthusiasts/aspirers, or anyone else if they just want a fun read. This is definitely a kid-friendly book (though some kids may get disgusted or confused at some of the sculptures of Gollum without his little rag around his waist. Ahem. . . :D), though I think it may tend to be slightly boring for younger kids. Definitely PG.
So I will leave you to your browsing and shopping with a song from Gollum,

"Rock and pool
is sweet and cool
so nice for feet,
we only wish
to catch a fish
so juicy sweeeeet!"

Happy Reading!