Serkis: CGI actors do not need special awards

Advertisement

Watch a clip of Zoe Saldana's performance in Avatar

By Tim Masters
Entertainment correspondent, BBC News

Serkis has played Gollum and King Kong

Lord of the Rings star Andy Serkis has said he does not see a need for a separate Oscar category for "performance capture" actors.

Serkis, who played Gollum in Peter Jackson's fantasy trilogy, said the increasing use of the film-making tool had sparked an "interesting debate".

Performance capture is when an actor's movements are translated into CGI.

Movie fans were watching this year to see if Zoe Saldana would get an Oscar nod for her role as an alien in Avatar.

In the end, Saldana - who only appears in computer-generated form - did not make the shortlist.

But it reignited the debate on whether motion capture actors are able to compete on a level playing field during awards season.

"It's a very interesting debate," Serkis told the BBC. "The industry is going to be using performance capture more and more in films.

"Personally I've never believed there should be a separate category because the essence of the performance is pure acting."

Digital realm

Serkis is an expert in the field, having played Gollum and King Kong via a performance capture suit.

He will be seen as Captain Haddock in Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's Tintin trilogy using the same technology.

Serkis was seen most recently in cinemas playing a CGI-free Ian Dury in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.

"It's ultimately whether whoever's voting for the awards thinks the performance is a genuinely moving character," Serkis said.

"I don't really think there should a special acting in a digital realm award or anything. From an acting standpoint, it's the same."