Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood as Frodo
Date of Birth:
January 28 1981
Place:
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.A.
Nickname:
Elwood, Lij, Monkey, 'The Funny'
Height 5' 7" (1.68 m)
Education:
Enrolled in modelling school at Avant Studios in Cedar Rapids.
Tattoos: #9 tattoo in Elvish
on his torso
Family:
Warren and Deborah Wood, older brother Zachariah and younger sister Hannah
Elijah was born on January 28th, 1981 in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the second son of Deborah and Warren Wood. During his
first years nothing most uncommon happened--at least not that it was ever being
noticed by the public. His "talents," of which acting is just the best known,
began showing shortly after he started school.
In particular, he was, in 1987, in the
chorus of "The Sound Of Music," the annual festival of his elementary school. In
the next year, he was cast the lead role in "The Wizard Of Oz," another musical
production at his school, which was part of the festival "Hooray for Hollywood."
Also, he was a choir boy in the Marion Creative Council's production called "See
How They Run."
Different resources reported that, when she once saw a commercial, Elijah's
mother thought that Elijah could "do" some TV-related jobs, as well. Thus, at
the age of seven, she enrolled him in a local modelling school, at Avant Studios
(also known as Avant Models & Talent), Cedar Rapids. Half a year later, she
travelled with her son to the International Modelling and Talent Association
convention, in Los Angeles, which was actually the first time for Elijah being
in California--this maybe makes it even more understandable why Elijah claims
his mother having played a very, very important role in his career.
Later, Gary Scalzo, a talent manager, said that he reluctantly had agreed being
a judge at this convention. Totally, there were more than 200 children, as well
as about 300 hopeful talents up to the age of 30, at this event. When Gary was
suggested, by some of his friends, to watch Elijah's
performance, he took quite some time to take a closer look at him. Gary himself
put it into words, "(...) I watched him for two whole days without opening my
mouth. He was packed with personality and nervous energy. The big question I
asked myself was whether I could control his energy."
Mr. David Guillod, one of those friends, who had suggested Elijah to Gary Scalzo,
recalls "Oh!, he was such a cutie! I think what struck us was the
simple fact that (...) when he walked out on stage, the room was silent. Elijah
had this stage presence, and he commanded the stage with his smile.
He did it with a natural charm and charisma, and he won the hearts of the
people. It was just a quality."
Further, Gary Scalzo told, "It was only a few days before his eighth birthday
when I saw him perform his monologue. It was evident that Elijah
was talented and enjoyed what he was doing, which is important. After the
competition I talked to his mother and asked if Elijah would like to come to my
office with her the next day and talk about the possibilities of an acting
career. Elijah and I read some scenes together and he was wonderful.
He read brilliantly. He's also very directable."
Elijah himself recalls, "When my mom brought me to Hollywood for the convention,
I didn't think of acting because I was just a model. But when
Gary asked me if I wanted to be an actor, I said, 'Yeah, sure. I'll be an
actor.' Gary was one of the judges in the talent auditions and my mom said
it was OK with her. He said, 'I believe in you' and asked my mom if we could
move out."
One month after these events, the Wood family relocated to L.A.; although it
might have seemed a little "hasty," the events that happened next had shown the
correctness of this step! Guided by Mr. Scalzo, who represented Elijah during
the next three years, the career of young Mr. Wood had begun. So, only six weeks
had passed with auditions when Elijah had his first professional job: taking
part in Paula Abdul's music video production
"Forever Your Girl."
Very soon followed Elijah's first appearances in movies, where he got to know
several high-class, well-known directors and actors: Michael J. Fox in
Robert Zemeckie's production "Back To The Future II;" Richard Gere in "Internal
Affairs." But his big break-through came in late 1990, when
"Avalon" (with Armin Mueller Stahl) was released. Finally, critics started
noticing what others had known from their first encounter with this young,
energetic boy. "What Elijah always did was, he jumped off the screen, because he
enjoyed himself and he enjoyed the business," recalls Mr.
Guillod. "And you can see it. You can certainly see it." Gary Scalzo put it this
way, saying "Elijah's personality is just right for the screen. When he
walks in, the whole room lights up."
In 1993, Wood co-starred with Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son,
which was a failure both at the box office and with filmgoers who couldn't
stomach the idea of the little blond boy from Home Alone as a pre-teen
psychopath. In casting Wood as the good to Culkin's evil, the film helped
further establish the kind of characters Wood was to become known for:
thoughtful, well meaning, and perhaps a bit confused. Wood's next film, the same
year's The Adventures of Huck Finn, provided a departure from this type of
character, but The War (1994) with Kevin Costner marked something of a return.
Also in 1994, Wood had the title role in North, a film remarkable for the volume
of bad reviews and bad box office it received, but also for the fact that
practically every bad review contained a positive assessment of Wood's
performance. Wood's follow-up, the 1996 Flipper, was hardly an improvement, but
the subsequent critical and financial success of Ang Lee's The Ice Storm (1997)
provided a positive development in the young actor's career. As the soulfully
dazed and confused Mikey Carver, Wood gave a portrayal remarkable for its
rendering of the thoughtfulness and exquisite hopelessness inherent in the
character. 1998's Deep Impact and The Faculty did not allow Wood the same degree
of character development, but were great financial successes and further
stepping stones in Wood's evolution from winsome child star to impressive young
actor.
Following a brief turn as the boyfriend of a wannabe hip-hop
groupie in James Toback's problematic Black and White (1999), Wood further
evolved as an actor in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first
installation of director Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of
the Rings trilogy. His most hotly anticipated project, the 2001 film gave Wood
top billing as Frodo Baggins alongside a glittering cast that included Ian
McKellen, Cate Blanchett, and Liv Tyler. That same year the young actor could be
seen in less mystical surroundings courtesy of Ed Burns' Ash Wednesday, a crime
drama that also featured Oliver Platt and Rosario Dawson. In 2002, Wood let his
vocal chords for Disney's straight-to-video release of The Adventures of Tom
Thumb and Thumbelina. Of course, his most substantial role of 2002 is unarguably
his return to the role of hobbit Frodo Baggins in the second installment of
Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy; specifically, Lord of the Rings: The Two
Towers.
2003 proved to be a similar year for Wood -- after two
relatively small jobs (his role credited only as "The Guy" in Spy Kids 3-D: Game
Over and his stint as First Assistant Director in Sean Astin's The Long and
Short of It served purely as a break for Elijah), the young actor once again
resumed his role for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Though
Return of the King is the last in the Tolkien trilogy, 2004 nonetheless looks to
be a significant year for Wood, as he is slated to star in soccer flick
Hooligans, as well work alongside Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in director Michel
Gondry's fantasy feature Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. (Source, Rebecca
Flint, All Movie Guide)
Random facts
-
Hobbies: Reading, fencing, photography,
rollerblading, swimming, hockey, cooking, surfing, collecting Star Wars
memorabilia, basketball and singing
-
Bad Habits: Smokes Clove Cigarrettes and
bites his fingernails and toenails
-
Car: Mini Cooper
-
Motto: "There's nothing noble in being
superior to your fellow man; true
nobility is being superior to your former self" - Ernest Hemingway
-
Favourites
Colour: Blue
Books: The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien and The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor
Hugo
Subjects: English and History
Movies: Star Wars Trilogy, Heavenly Creatures, Pulp Fiction, Braveheart
Music: Is there anything he doesn't like!? He's obsessed with music apparantly,
so he likes mostly everything. But he does likes The Smashing
Pumpkins, Massive Attack, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix
Food: Homemade Potato Salad
Actor: Tim Roth
Actress: Emma Thompson
-
Other Facts
If he wasn't an actor he would be a Secret Agent
He learnt singing professionally
He'd love to start his own record label
Elijah says that he is really interested in the film making process and
would like to be a director one day.
He wears glasses but not all the time
He now owns the one ring and keeps it in a box at home
He loves animals
Elijah loves playing video games
To get the role of Frodo Baggins, Elijah hired a hobbit costume, went out
into the hills with his friends and shot some scenes from the book.
Filmography
Bobby (2006)
Yank, The (2005)
Happy Feet (2006)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) ....
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, The (2003/II) (VG) (voice)
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)
Try Seventeen (2002)
Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina, The (2002)
Lord of the Piercing (2002) (TV)
Ash Wednesday (2002) .... Sean Sullivan
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)
Chain of Fools (2000)
Bumblebee Flies Anyway, The (1999)
Black and White (1999)
Faculty, The (1998)
Deep Impact (1998)
Oliver Twist (1997) (TV)
Ice Storm, The (1997)
Flipper (1996)
War, The (1994)
North (1994)
Good Son, The (1993)
Adventures of Huck Finn, The (1993)
Witness, The (1992) (TV)
Forever Young (1992)
Day-O (1992) (TV)
Radio Flyer (1992)
Paradise (1991)
Avalon (1990)
Child in the Night (1990)
Internal Affairs (1990)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
All letters should be sent to:
Elijah Wood
c/o Nicole David
William Morris Agency
151 El Camino Drive
Beverly Hills
California 90212
USA
Contributed by
and Elril Galia
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David Wenham
David Wenham
as
Faramir
Date of Birth:
21 September 1965
Place:
Marrickville, Sydney, Australia
Height:
6'
Education: University of Western Australia
Family: one
daughter, Eliza Jane (born 2003) with his girlfriend Kate Agnew (actress)
David Wenham is the youngest of seven siblings, having one
brother and five sisters, which may have helped with his first notable
television outing Sons and Daughters in the mid ‘80’s. After playing an
embittered ex-convict in the Griffin Street Theatre Company production of The
Boys, Wenham started to be offered film roles, such as Green Keeping and No
Escape. He transferred his role as a pyromaniac in Cosi from stage to screen in
1996, and in 1998 he recreated The Boys on screen.
On television he won awards for his role in the television drama series Simone
De Beauvoir’s Babies, but in Australia he is probably best known as Diver Dan,
in ABC TV’s comedy drama series Seachange, a role which earned him a reputation
as a reluctant sex symbol.
Roles started to come thick and fast; Mokokai: The Story of Father Damien,
Better Than Sex and Russian Doll all receiving international critical acclaim,
but it was his role in Moulin Rouge that really brought him wider international
recognition. The Bank, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course and Pure followed
in quick succession and then he was cast as Faramir in The Two Towers. This was
almost immediately followed by an Australian television mini-series After the
Deluge and the crime comedy Gettin’ Square before returning to Middle Earth (or
New Zealand) to film Return of the King. With Van Helsing and three other films
opening in 2004 and another one already in production, we are likely to see a
lot more of this actor.
Random facts
- 2001 - David Wenham on stage at Adelaide's Festival Theatre
narrated historical Australian texts, accompanied by the city's symphony
orchestra. The pieces included the former prime minister's famous 1992 Redfern
speech on the need for Aboriginal reconciliation and native title laws.
- March 13, 2002 - David sighed up as an "Ancient Forest
Guardian" in Sydney, together with some more Australian actors, e.g. Sam Neill
or Toni Collette
Before acting, David used to call bingo in Sydney's Marrickville Town hall,
then was an insurance clerk.
- In the cave scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(2002) where Faramir lifts the Ring from under Frodo's shirt, he was afraid of
accidentally stabbing Elijah Wood, so a swordsman was called on to do the
scene.
- Was cast in The Lord of the Rings because of his
resemblance to his on-screen brother, Sean Bean. As Wenham notes, they both
have big noses.
- Has been voted Australia's sexiest man alive.
- Although he only appears in two of the Lord of the Rings
films, he appeared in a Best Picture nominee for three years in a row. In
2001, it was Moulin Rouge. In 2002 and 2003, they were The Two Towers and The
Return of the King.
- Was for some odd reason nicknamed "Daisy" by his sister
(she first shortened his name to Daze... which became Daisy) and it was
adopted by his fellow cast members on the set of Lord of The Rings.
Filmography
300 (2006) (filming)
Answered by Fire (2006) (filming)
The Proposition (2005)
Three Dollars (2004)
The Brush-Off (2004)
Stiff (2004) (TV)
Van Helsing (2004)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Basilisk Stare (2003)
Gettin' Square (2003)
After the Deluge (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Pure (2002)
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002)
Dust (2001/I)
The Bank (2001)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Russian Doll (2001)
Better Than Sex (2000)
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (1999)
SeaChange (1998)
A Little Bit of Soul (1998)
Dark City (1998)
The Boys (1998)
Simone de Beauvoir's Babies (1997)
Return to Jupiter (1997)
Idiot Box (1996)
Cosi (1996)
Gino (1994)
Heartland (1994)
Tran the Man (1994)
No Escape (1994)
Greenkeeping (1992)
Seeing Red (1992)
Come in Spinner (1990)
The Heroes (1988) (TV) .... Horrie Young
"Poor Man's Orange" (1987) (mini) TV Series .... Party Youth
"Sons and Daughters" (1982) TV Series
All letters should be sent to:
David Wenham
c/o Artists Independent Network
Vanessa Pereira
32 Tavistock Street
London, WC2E 7PB
United Kingdom
Contributed by
Anne
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Liv Tyler
Liv Tyler as Arwen
Date of Birth:
1 July 1977
Place:
Portland, Maine, USA
Height: 5' 10"
Education:
High School
Family:
Father Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith fame) and Bebe Buell (former model).
Husband Royston Langdon and son Milo William Langdon born, December 14, 2004
Liv Tyler was born July 1, 1977, in Portland, Maine. Her
unique first name can be traced after her mother, model and former rock groupie
Bebe Buell, saw Liv Ullmann on the cover of a TV Guide the week Liv was born. As
for the roots of her last name, Liv always believed that her father was musician
Todd Rundgren, who her mother had a long-term relationship with and who helped
raise her.
Although her birth certificate stated that Rundgren was indeed
her father, a 10-year-old Liv became suspicious after meeting Aerosmith's Steven
Tyler at a Rundgren concert, and even more suspicious after seeing Tyler's
daughter Mia, who could have passed for Liv's twin, at an Aerosmith concert. Liv
confronted her mother about the topic, and her mother told her the truth: Steven
Tyler was her father (Liv was the product of an 8-month relationship between
Tyler and Buell). Liv made her biological father's name her own at the age
of 12, and 2 years later, mother and daughter headed to New York.
While Liv grew into a statuesque, blue-eyed beauty (she had
her father's unmistakable pouty, Mick Jagger-like lips), she claims she was
chubby and awkward while growing up. But family friend Paulina Porizkova saw the
beauty in Liv (as does everyone today), and encouraged her to start modelling.
Indeed Liv did, and soon appeared in magazines such as Seventeen, YM and
Mirabella. But modelling became boring, and Liv wanted to start acting.
She made her film debut in 1994, as the sister of an autistic
boy in Bruce Beresford's Silent Fall, appearing in the mystery alongside Richard
Dreyfuss and Linda Hamilton. Following this fairly auspicious debut, Tyler's
next project, 1995's Empire Records, proved a disappointment on both commercial
and critical levels.
Tyler kept at it, next starring as the unrequited love
interest of a reclusive pizza maker (Pruitt Taylor Vince) in James Mangold's
Heavy that same year. Her work in the critically hailed film won her wide praise
and her career began to take off. Tyler's breakthrough came the following year
in Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty. Starring as a 19-year-old who comes to
Italy to find her father and lose her virginity, she suddenly became Hollywood's
new "It" Girl, appearing on magazine covers and as one of People's "50 Most
Beautiful" in 1997.
After a lead as one of the titular Abbott sisters in Inventing
the Abbotts (1997) and a brief cameo in U-Turn the same year, Tyler stepped into
the realm of bloated budgets and even more bloated box-office returns with her
role as Bruce Willis' daughter and Ben Affleck's girlfriend in Armageddon
(1998). The following year, she returned to the art house circuit with Robert
Altman's Cookie's Fortune. The film was widely praised, as was its ensemble
cast, which included Tyler, Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Charles S. Dutton,
Chris O'Donnell, and Ned Beatty. The same year, Tyler lent her talents to the
18th century road movie genre, starring opposite Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee
Miller in Plunkett and Macleane. She also had a leading role as the object of
Ralph Fiennes' jaded affections in Martha Fiennes' Onegin, which premiered at
the Toronto Film Festival.
After taking the role of an irresistibly destructive
seductress in the 2001 comedy One Night at McCool's, Tyler took another trip
back in time, this time putting her pixyish beauty to ideal use as Arwen, an elf
faced with the daunting dilemma of choosing between love and immortality in
director Peter Jackson's grandiose, three-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolken's
Lord of the Rings.
Random Facts
- Liv's mother named her after Liv Ullmann because she was on
the cover of TV Guide the week Liv was born.
- Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful
People in the World. [1997]
- A cameo role in Everyone Says I Love You (1996), a musical
directed by Woody Allen was cut; Allen was impressed enough by her performance
to write a personal letter explaining that her part was cut in editing.
- Her half-sister, Mia Tyler, is a fashion model for Lane
Bryant.
- Is dyslexic.
- Aerosmith's video for "Crazy", in which Liv co-starred with
Alicia Silverstone, was voted #23 in VH1's top 100 music videos of all time.
- Is a vegetarian.
- Godmother to
Keith Richards's son, Marlon Richards.
- During filming for
The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring (2001) she left her pair of prosthetic ears on the
dashboard of her car. When she returned, they had melted.
- Wears a size 10 shoe.
- Hates piercings and tattoos.
- Quit smoking after starting at age 14 [2002]
- Voted the 6th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian
Empire Magazine. September 2002.
- Measurements: 34B-25-38 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
- Didn't meet her father until 1988.
- Was nicknamed Liv Taylor by film critics and the media when
she first began acting because her dark hair and striking blue eyes reminded
them of Elizabeth Taylor.
- The decision to cast her in the video for "Crazy" was based
on seeing her Pantene commercial, with absolutely no knowledge her father was
in the band.
- Born at 06:08 AM
- She is a spokesperson for Givenchy Perfume and Cosmetics.
- Has three half-siblings: Chelsea Anna Tyler, Taj Monroe
Tyler and Mia Tyler.
- She got married in Barbados.
- Voted #2 in TheAge.com's Top 100: Natural Beauties of all
time. (Audrey Hepburn took
the top spot)
- Sister-in-law of
Dave Buckner.
- Gave birth to an 8 lb. son named Milo William Langdon on
December 14, 2004 in Manhattan.
- Her son Milo was born on the same day as the release of the
Platinum Series Special Extended Edition of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
(Dec. 14th 2004)
- She has never taken acting lessons.
Filmography
Coin Locker Babies (2006)
Lonesome Jim (2005)
Jersey Girl (2004)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
One Night at McCool's (2001)
Dr. T & the Women (2000)
Onegin (1999)
Cookie's Fortune (1999)
Plunkett & Macleane (1999)
Armageddon (1998)
Can't Hardly Wait (1998) (voice) (uncredited)
U Turn (1997)
Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
That Thing You Do! (1996)
Stealing Beauty (1996)
Empire Records (1995)
Heavy (1995)
Silent Fall (1994)
All letters should be sent to:
Liv Tyler
c/o CAA
9830 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills
CA 90212
USA
Contributed by
Elril
Galia
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Karl Urban
Karl Urban as Eomer
Date of Birth: 7
June 1972
Place:
Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 6’ 1”
Education:
Victoria
University for one year
Family: Natalie
(Girlfriend) Hunter (son born 2000)
Tattoo:
heart on the left ring finger
Karl is 6’1’' with hazel eyes and brown hair. He now lives in
Auckland NZ and is the son of a leather manufacturer who wanted Karl to follow
into the family business. His first acting job was at the age of 8 but he
declined to continue preferring to get on with his school life.
He resumed his acting career in 1992 in a television series
called Shortland Street. After appearing on the show for the 1993-1994 season he
attended the university for one year, then left to pursue his acting career.
Over the next few years, he landed several theater roles in the Wellington area.
Eventually, he moved to Auckland where a number of guest roles in NZ television
followed.
One of his first roles was that of a heroin addict in the drama
"Shark In the Park" (1989). He was in a movie as well, entitled Chunuck
Bair based on the book Once in Chunuck Bair (1992). Other television roles followed, including a guest starring
role in the series "White Fang" (1993). Karl's biggest role yet is Éomer in the
Lord of the Rings trilogy.
He is and always has been very active. He worked on his aunt and
uncle’s farm for years doing odd jobs. He is a fairly good horseman which helped
when he filmed a children’s show about horses called Riding High. In addition,
Karl also enjoys indoor rock climbing.
His girlfriend is Natalie and they have a son called Hunter who
was born in November 2000. He is a stalwart of the New Zealand acting scene
both on the stage and on the screen.
Random Facts
- Karl had four different roles in Xena. Mael, Kor, Cupid and
Julius Caesar
- He had an episode especially written for him as he was
unable to film one episode as Cupid because he was filming lotr
- Primary school classmate of Jack Yan.
- His favourite films are science fiction of which the best
according to Karl are Blade Runner, The Matrix and Star Wars.
- His favourite hobbies are Fishing, surfing, golf, gardening
- At about the age of 11/12 Karl had a beret and coat so he
could perform the self-written Frank Spencer skits at school assemblies.
- Karl has a black labrador called Irie after a song by Bob
Marley who is a favourite artist of his along with such people as , Miles
Davis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Cave, Pixies, Carole King, Lauryn Hill.
- He was digitally replaced in the final scenes of The Two
Towers, where the group gather on their horses on top of the hill after the
battle of Helm's Deep is over, much to his dismay. He could not be at
the filming of that scene because he was attending the birth of his son.
- [On his fondest memory of working with Peter Jackson while
shooting the Lord of the rings trilogy]: "Peter's really open to the humor in
the day-to-day. One time we were referencing a line in the book 'We counted
all the slain and despoiled them, then we piled the carcasses and burned
them.' Of course we went on all sorts of disgusting tangents about what else
these Rohan soldiers did to the poor orcs."
Filmography
Outlander (2006)
Pathfinder (2006)
Doom (2005)
The Bourne Supremacy· (2004)
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
The· Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Lord of the· Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Ghost Ship (2002)
The Privateers (2000) (TV)
The Price of Milk· (2000)
The Irrefutable Truth About Demons (2000)
Amazon High (1999)
Via Satellite (1998)
Heaven (1998)
"Riding High" (1995)· TV Series
"Shortland Street" (1992) TV Series
Chunuk Bair (1992)
"Homeward Bound" (1992) TV Series
All letters should be sent to:
Karl Urban
c/o Graham Dunster
P O Box 56 - 460
Dominion Road
Auckland, NZ
Contributed by
Lessa
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Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis as Gollum and Smeagol
Date of Birth:
20 April 1964
Place:
Ruislip Manor, West London, UK
Height: 5’ 9”
Education:
St Benedict's School, London, Lancaster University.
Family:
Lorraine Ashbourne, 2 sons Sonny and Louis George, Daughter Ruby
Official Website:
http://www.serkis.com/
Andy now lives in London UK with his wife and 3 children. He is
the son of a doctor who worked for a time in Baghdad and a mother who taught
handicapped children. For 10 years growing up he and his 4 siblings visited
Baghdad Iraq where is father worked frequently.
Growing up in Ruislip he wanted to paint and so chose a course at
Lancaster University which concentrated on all the visual arts. He second year
required him to do a second course so he picked Theatre Studies which took him
into all aspects of the theatre both in front of house and behind the scenes.
Andy said that doing a production of a play called Gotcha, by Barrie Keefe.The
role he played in this play really that changed his life. In fact he says ‘'…..
it just literally transformed my life. I hadn't felt anything as powerful as
that – in painting, even. It was just a real calling.’'
Andy began his acting career in theatre. He has appeared on
almost every renowned British stage -- the Royal Court, the Royal Exchange
Manchester, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Hull Truck, Dukes Lancaster, the
Nuffield Studio, and Donmar Warehouse -- and in a host of popular plays.
The actor has fashioned a television career as prolific as his
stage work. In 1987, Serkis made his small-screen debut in two episodes of the
Rik Mayall vehicle The New Statesman. He then signed on as Sparky Plugs in the
BBC series Morris Minor's Marvelous Motors (1989), a comedy about eccentric
mechanics that specialize in fixing a type of car that no one in town owns. The
next decade saw Serkis acting in several of Britain's heralded miniseries. In
1994, he appeared in the murder-mystery Finney. In 1996, he played Sergeant
Corrigan in a television adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse. In
1999, he starred in the Mystery! production Touching Evil as a grief counselor
who tends to the husbands of women murdered by a brutal serial killer. In 2000,
Masterpiece Theatre opened its 30th season with an adaptation of Oliver Twist
that featured Serkis as Charles Dickens' terrifying loose cannon, Bill Sykes.
That same year, the actor joined the international cast of Hallmark Hall of
Fame's Arabian Nights, which included Dougray Scott, Mili Avital, and Rufus
Sewell.
In between juggling theater and television work, Serkis made
his feature-film debut in the thriller Grushko (1993). His big-screen
performances include a part in Mike Leigh's Career Girls (1997), a memorable
turn as a wacky choreographer in the director's Topsy Turvy (1999), and the
portrayal of 18th century English poet John Thelwall in Julian Temple's raucous
Pandaemonium (2000). Serkis' most demanding role, however, did not require him
to appear onscreen. Serkis supplied the voice and movement for the
computer-animated creature Gollum in all three installments of Peter Jackson's
trilogy The Lord of the Rings -- The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two
Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). Serkis worked closely
with technicians from Weta Workshop and Digital to produce an empathetic and
palpable representation of Tolkien's character. He performed in a suit covered
in reflectors that were tracked by a computer-driven camera. Animation was then
superimposed over his movement, producing one of the most realistic
computer-generated images in modern cinema.
After completing The Lord of the Rings, Serkis quickly
returned to the London stage. In the summer of 2001, he starred with Sinead
Cusack and Catherine McCormack in the U.K. production of Sam Shepard's A Lie of
the Mind at the Donmar Warehouse. The play was one of the last productions
overseen by the Donmar's former artistic director, Oscar winner Sam Mendes. The
actor also began filming a WWI film with Billy Elliot's Jamie Bell, and wrote
and directed his first short film, Snake. Besides starring his Hurly Burly
co-star, Rupert Graves, Snake features Serkis' longtime partner, actress
Lorraine Ashbourne.
Random Facts
- He is a vegetarian
- He was originally only cast for 3 weeks as the voice of
Gollum but the LOTR crew were so impressed with his facial expressions and
acting when making the voice that he eventually got to play the whole
character.
- His last day of filming on the Lord of the Rings trilogy
was only a few weeks before the theatrical release of
The Lord of the Rings: The
Return of the King (2003). On the carpet of
Peter Jackson's living room,
they filmed the facial reaction of Smeagol/Gollum when he realizes Frodo
intends to destroy the ring. The resulting video was e-mailed to Weta Digital
so the animators could replicate the shot with the CGI character.
- Andy made a guest appearance on the popular TV show The
Simpsons In the episode, he reprised his role as a Gollum-like character who
called garbage his "precious".
- Andy loves mountaineering, so he was especially pleased to
meet Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest, during
principal photography for Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.
- Andy has also worked as Assistant Location Manager
- Owns one of two prop rings used in "Lord of the Rings".
- The voice Andy used for Gollum was inspired by his cat
trying to cough up a hairball.
- Was required to don a wetsuit and flail around in literally
freezing water during reshoots for "The Two Towers."
- He was ruled ineligible for a Best Supporting Actor
nomination at the 2003 Academy Awards because his character Gollum in Lord of
the Rings onscreen was computer generated
- September 2004 - Attended the Armaggeddon Pulp Culture Expo
Convention in Wellington, New Zealand as a Lord of the Rings guest.
- His
hobbies are mountaineering and painting
Filmography
Flushed Away (2006) (pre-production) (voice)
King Kong (2005) (filming)
Blessed (2004)
13 Going On 30 (2004)
Standing Room Only (2004/I)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Deathwatch (2002)
24 Hour Party People (2002)
The Escapist (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Jump (2000/I)
Shiner (2000)
Pandaemonium (2000)
The Jolly Boys' Last Stand (2000)
Arabian Nights (2000) (TV)
Five Seconds to Spare (1999)
"Touching Evil III" (1999) (mini) TV Series
"Oliver Twist" (1999) (mini) TV Series
Topsy-Turvy (1999)
Shooting the Past (1999) (TV)
Clueless (1998)
Insomnia (1998)
The Tale of Sweety Barrett (1998)
The Jump (1998) (TV)
Among Giants (1998)
Loop (1997/I)
Mojo (1997)
The Pale Horse (1997) (TV)
Career Girls (1997)
Stella Does Tricks (1996)
The Near Room (1995)
"Finney" (1994) TV Series
Grushko (1994) (TV)
Prince of Jutland (1994)
"Streetwise" (1989) TV Series
"Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors" (1989) TV Series
All letters should be sent to:
Andy Serkis
c/o Lou Coulson
37 Berwick Street, 1 Floor
London, W1F 8RS
United Kingdom
Contributed by
Lessa
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