Think of the first time you saw Andy Serkis perform. For many of us he was like Gollum/Sméagol The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For others it was like Caesar’s Planet of the Apes films. Then there Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel moviesSnoke in Star Wars sequel trilogy And most recently, Kino Loy at Disney Plus Indoor Series. No matter what role he plays, Serkis always brings compelling depth to the characters he plays.
His latest role is that of serial killer David Roby in the Netflix movie Luther: The Fallen Sun. The new movie sees Idris Elba reprise the role he played over five seasons in the crime thriller Luther.
“We live in a time when we see horror, and we are desensitized to the real horror that we see through footage from a cop camera to a true crime show that we watch on TV. It is part of our psyche to watch horror,” Serkis said in an interview with CNET via video call. In a way, the monster that David Robbie represents is, in a sense, a reflection of the world we live in.”
The new movie is a continuation of a series that has some amazing villains. Serkis said he’s taking on that mantle but it’s all on a larger scale because it’s a movie this time around. Although Serkis is no stranger to playing the “bad guy,” he loses himself in the role with glee.
“Some actors are able to express themselves more by being versions of themselves,” said Serkis. “I’m quite the opposite of that. In a sense, I can express the truth about a character more the more I distance myself from myself, I think. And that’s always been the case. I don’t know why that is. I find it interesting. I think the actor’s processes constantly fascinate me.”
Luther: The Fallen Sun is now streaming on Netflix. If you’re anything like me, you might be drawn to Serkis’ hair in the movie, which I thought was a wig. But the chameleon, even without motion capture, Serkis explained, “It’s all about me. The makeup team spent hours putting peroxide in my hair and giving the comb its due.”
Andy Serkis as David Roby.
Netflix