Serkis writes book on 'Rings' magic

Andy Serkis' performance as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" was praised for its dramatic weight and hailed as a technological marvel. Yet Serkis' own face never made it onto a single frame of the film.

His face will be in Salt Lake City, however, when Serkis comes to town for a book signing at Borders Books, Music & Cafe in the Crossroads Plaza tonight at 7. He's on a five-city tour to promote his book "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum -- How We Made Movie Magic" (Houghton Mifflin, 119 pages, $9.95), which chronicles his one-of-a- kind acting experience.

"I have had to spend so much time in all of these interviews just talking about technology, just to get those processes across," Serkis said by phone from New York City.

In the fantasy world of "The Lord of the Rings," Gollum is an emaciated character who has lived an unnaturally long, and tortured, life. He is a hermit, consumed with one thought -- regaining possession of the film's title ring, which he calls his "precious."

Unlike the other actors in the three films, Serkis' work on the set wasn't the end of his performance. He went on to become Gollum again in the studio, wearing a special suit that would later be animated over. It was a complicated process and the end result is a computer-animated character on film that seems more three- dimensional than any other such character to date.

As a result, Serkis -- and Gollum -- have been the center of a new Academy Awards debate. Since Serkis' work blurs the line between performance and animation, is he eligible for an acting Oscar?

"I have had so many people say, 'What about the Oscars?' " Serkis said. "And I can only say to them that I am delighted that the debate is there, that people are recognizing the performance."

Serkis was on-set during principal photography for the second two films in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, over the course of about a year. Then he did extensive in-studio work on and off for another three years.

He knew that he was in the middle of a revolutionary acting assignment. And along the way, he felt that a book relating his experiences would be in order.

He said he started writing notes for the book early on. "Then, at a certain stage, which was post-production on 'The Two Towers,' (co- screenwriter) Fran Walsh and I were talking about various little things I had written down, and she said, 'You should really put this into a book. It would be an interesting thing to do.' So from then on . . . I started making more comprehensive notes, and that is how it built up, really."

The result is a book that shares Serkis' thoughts about his life and work. "I was aware it was going to be a fascinating acting challenge," Serkis said. "I wanted to take the reader on a journey of what it was like playing one character for four and a half years."

Portions of the book deal with the various technologies that were combined with Serkis' performance to create a computer-generated character that could emote with the other actors. "In the same way that I, as an actor, was the emotional guardian of the character -- and the template and the blueprint and the impetus of the character - - I felt it would be appropriate to have all of the things that affected my playing of the role drive the book."

There are also short essays from others involved in the creation of Gollum, such as director Peter Jackson, creature facial lead Bay Raitt, and animation-design supervisor and Oscar-winner Randal William Cook.

Still, it is Serkis' story. "I did want it to be equal. I did want everybody to have their fair shout. But, it's like writing a movie without a central character. I had to be the character in the actual storyline. (The hardest thing) . . . was just getting the balance right."

Serkis' book also discusses his personal and family life during principal filming, details that someone else might have chosen not to tell. He said he did so because those details were important to him - - and to Gollum. "I promised myself, if I was going to write the book, I wanted to be as honest about it as possible. Everything that affected me in playing the role; it had to be about that.

"I never felt I was overexposing my children. I just had to be honest. I certainly wouldn't have written this book had I played any other character."

E-mail: lc@desnews.com

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