Gollum Haunts Andy Serkis at Night as Actor Reflects on How the Role Changed His Life

Andy Serkis says returning to Gollum has left him holding imaginary conversations with the character in the middle of the night.

Serkis will reprise the role in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which he is also directing. In a recent conversation with USA Today about his memoir, the actor said every character he plays changes how he sees himself or the world around him in some way. He had already suspected that Gollum would never leave him alone. Now, having returned to the character he first played 26 years ago, he told The Times:

“I’ve lived with Gollum for so long. I don’t sleep well as it is, and my mind is always busy with something. And now I’ve returned to a character I started playing 26 years ago. It’s madness. I wake up at night now, although I don’t even know whether I’m asleep at that point or awake. And I think, ‘Am I in charge of you, Gollum, or are you in charge of me? Are we arguing?’ My brain is very busy.”

Andy Serkis

Голлум преследует Энди Серкиса по ночам — актёр рассказал, как культовая роль изменила его жизнь — Image source: Warner Bros.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will follow Aragorn as he sets out at Gandalf’s request to find Gollum before Sauron can reach him and learn the secret of the One Ring. Alongside Serkis, Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen will return to their roles. New cast members include Kate Winslet, Lee Pace, Anya Taylor-Joy and Jamie Dornan, who will play a young Aragorn.

The film is scheduled to premiere on December 17, 2027.

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