13. Andy Serkis changed the way Gollum was filmed
The role of Gollum was initially only advertised as a voice-acting role. There were a number of auditions.
Andy Serkis was quickly cast as Gollum
Andy Serkis was even a little reluctant to take the role at first, thinking that it’d be boring. It wasn’t until he picked up the novel that he realized just how amazing a character Gollum was.
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He quickly arranged an audition, and Jackson knew he was right for the part immediately.
His facial expressions really captured the character
Obviously Serkis’ Gollum voice is one of a kind. But it was also his facial expressions that grabbed Jackson’s attention.
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In fact, he was so impressed that he asked Serkis to come and act the role in New Zealand, so that they could capture his facial expressions and movement using motion capture.
He is and always will be Gollum
Serkis agreed, and the rest is history. He did have a difficult time maintaining the voice throughout shooting, however. He even drank special “Gollum Juice” by the bucket-load to soothe his throat. Apparently this was a mixture of warm honey, lemon and ginger. It sounds exactly like the kind of drink you have when you get a sore throat, huh?
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