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Collider interviewed Andy Serkis at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, at which he was honored for his work as Caesar in ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’.

He discussed his work on ‘Apes’ and what it is like to return to Middle Earth.

On working both on screen and behind the camera on ‘The Hobbit’:

What was it like to revisit Gollum again, 10 years after The Lord of the Rings trilogy for The Hobbit films?

SERKIS: Oh, it’s great! It’s fantastic! What’s great is that, with the technology, we can shoot on a live-action set. I don’t have to go back and repeat the process. There’s no disconnect anymore. When I’m acting with my fellow actor on a live-action set, it’s all for real and whatever happens between those two actors is what’s recorded. The live-action actor is recorded with film cameras while my performance as Gollum is recorded with performance capture cameras.

How is it to be a part of the first class from the Peter Jackson/J.R.R. Tolkien universe, and work with actors who are new to the experience? Did people come to you for advice?


SERKIS: It’s great! Because I’m directing the Second Unit on The Hobbit, I feel very at home with Middle Earth. I feel equipped to be Peter’s eyes and ears on the Second Unit, which is a big operation. We’re covering a lot of stuff. We shoot everything from drama to aerial shots to battle sequences. I’m very pleased to be at this point.

Read the rest of the interview in which Serkis discusses the motion capture technology and his role in ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’.