The Lord of the Rings has been a successful trilogy since its first release in 2001 and is still appreciated. The franchise is considered one of the most critically acclaimed movies ever made winning 17 out of 30 Academy Awards it was nominated for. The fame and success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy made Peter Jackson a major figure in the Hollywood industry.
The trilogy introduced its fans to numerous memorable characters from hobbits like Frodo, Bilbo, the king in exile- Aragorn, the elf dwarf duo- Legolas and Gimli, and creatures like Gollum. These characters became memorable that even cult classic sitcoms like ‘The Office’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ drew references and featured them in a few episodes.
Related: ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
The Actor Behind Gollum Character In ‘Lord Of The Rings’
‘Lord of the Rings’ fans are aware of what a Gollum is, but for those who are not aware, Gollum is the grotesque cave-dwelling creature who had an obsession with the One Ring. And if you are wondering, no Gollum was not created through VFX, but it was a real actor playing the role of Gollum. Rose to fame for his work in ‘Lord of Rings’, was Andy Serkis who played the grotesque creature. And seems like his hard work paid off- Serkis is now the embodiment of Gollum.
Andy Serkis played his role as Gollum with dedication and absolute seriousness. In an interview with The Guardian the actor revealed that after shoots, he would practice walking on all fours just in preparation for the role. He said, “I used to walk on all fours off set when we were filming ‘Lord of the Rings. I spent a lot of time in preparation for that; I would go off for walks on all fours for hours. I did occasionally come into contact with other people, so I just had to pretend I was looking for something. It’s fair to say that’s a pretty method.”
In case you missed: Marvel on the Way to Make a New Avengers Trilogy
Andy Serkis Took Home The One Ring After Filming The Trilogy
It is a ritual or perhaps a routine for the actors to keep a prop from the set in remembrance of their character. As expected Andy Serkis kept something precious to him from the sets of ‘The Lord of The Rings’. In an interview with Tara Hitchcock, Serkis revealed that he took home the One Ring (the ring Gollum was obsessed with) while Elijah Wood has also kept the ring. The actor confessed, “Well, I can tell you that from a very great friend of the director, I was actually given one of the rings from The Lord of the Rings. So, the Precious came to me, and that was a pretty special gift.”
And to think about it, it makes sense for Andy Serkis to take home the One Ring. His character, Gollum was obsessed with it since the start and it was the only driving source for him throughout the series. In the climax of the last film ‘The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King’, Frodo tries to keep the One Ring for himself, but Gollum bites it off of his hand before tumbling down into the fires of Mount Doom, unintentionally saving Middle-earth. Gollum’s final shot of the trilogy was him slumping into the molten lava, holding the Ring high up in his hand to protect it to his very last breath.
You would also like to read: Is Anne Fletcher’s Directorial ’27 Dresses’ Based On A True Story ?
