The Lord of the Rings

Film-making history was made when, in The Two Towers, an actor's performance and digital animation were seamlessly integrated to create the world's first totally lifelike computer-generated character. Now Andy Serkis tells his own story about how a three-week commission to provide a voiceover for Gollum grew into a five-year commitment to breathe life and soul into The Lord of the Rings' most challenging creation. - Did the voice of Gollum really start with a cat being sick? - What was it like acting in a bodysuit covered in dots? - How much was Gollum modeled to look like Andy? - What surprises does The Return of the King hold in store? Fully illustrated with more than one hundred exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and drawings, and with contributions from the many designers and animators who brought Gollum to life, this book examines the transition to the big screen of one of literature's most unforgettable creatures. As the filming takes him from London to Wellington, and from the MIsty Mountains to Mount Doom, Andy Serkis explains the methods - and the madness - behind the most amazing five years in this actor's life.

Andy Serkis, who portrays the character Gollum in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, most recently appeared as the eccentric choreographer in Topsy Turvy, and as the coked up yuppie in Career Girls. He will soon be seen opposite Michael Caine in Shiner. Other film credits include leading roles in Mojo, Among Giants, Loop, Sweety Barrett, The Jolly Boys, Last Stand, as well as major roles in Stella Does Tricks, Five Seconds To Spare, The Near Room, and the forthcoming Pandemonium.

His extensive television works include a highly acclaimed performance in a recent adaptation of "Oliver Twist," and lead roles in "The Jump" and the series "Finner" along with many guest appearances in "Shooting The Past" and "Touching Evil."

Serkis has played a huge range of parts in theatres in London and across the UK. Recent critically acclaimed roles include Potts in the original cast of "Mojo" by Jez Butterworth, "King Lear," and "Hush" all for the Royal Court Theatre, "Hurlyburly" at the Old Vic and Queens Theatre, "Decadence" at the Bolon Octagon, and "Cabaret" at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.