New Andy Serkis Role Features His Own Face Reproduced Through Performance-Capture CGI

Andy Serkis is Hollywood's go-to-guy   for performance-capture characters in the world of fantasy and sci-fi. The computer wizards at Peter Jackson's WETA special effects outfit in New Zealand may bring a realistic appearance to their digitally animated characters with layers upon layers of rendered shades and textures, but it is Andy who truly makes those characters real. His digitized face-acting brought "King Kong" to life, and us to tears. He played Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy to great acclaim, and is slated to reprise the role in the upcoming two-part prequel, "The Hobbit." Currently he can be seen... er, virtually... as Caesar, the chimpanzee leader of the ape mercenaries who rise up against their human masters in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." These prominent roles have rebooted the actors career and made him the first choice in digital virtual acting. And his prodigious talents were not lost on Kenneth Branaugh, who sought Andy for his upcoming indie production of "Macbeth." "No hobbits or simians in this one, I'm afraid," said Branaugh, the noted Shakespearian exponent, "and when the audience sees Andy as Malcolm, son of King Duncan, they're going to see a human," he added, "they're going to see Andy." Always up for a challenge, Serkis leapt at the chance to use his special talent to interpret the Scot prince as only he can, with digital performance-capture characterization.





"Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell;

Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace,

Yet grace must still look so."



Wearing a skin-tight suit covered in reference dots for digital cameras to record his every subtle move, Serkis spoke to us between shots. "I realize that the final manifestation won't look exactly like me," the actor confided. "I mean, for starters, the character will be wearing ruffs and doublets and codpieces, not a wetsuit with ping pong balls velcro'd on," Serkis explained, "but I have to trust that my face, and its most subtle expressions, will not be lost in the digital animation and rendering processes. I must have faith that a director of Kenneth's calibre, perhaps the most esteemed interpreter of Shakespeare alive today, in the final edit will want to retain my performance and faithfully reproduce my real face, as it was meant to be seen." he concluded.