This Lord of the Rings actor is also lurking in Star Wars. have you noticed

First known for his role as Smeagol, aka Gollum, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then The Hobbit (a memorable character that he is preparing to reprise in 2026 in two feature films exclusively dedicated to him. ), Andy Serkis is one of those actors who has set foot in many worlds and visited various pop culture franchises.

Thus, after masterfully fitting his movements (but also his voice and expressions) to Tolkien’s dark creature, thus laying the foundation for performance capture as we know it today, Andy Serkis left the paths of Middle-earth to visit the Marvel Cinematic Universe (played by Ulysses Klaue in Black Panther), the city Gotham (as Alfred), but also a galaxy far, far away from the Star Wars saga!

In 2015’s The Force Awakens and 2017’s The Last Jedi (Episodes VII and VIII of the famous franchise), Serkis was really hiding behind the main character of the post-log. But did you know him?

Once again using his undeniable talent for the art of performance capture, he portrayed Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo Ren’s mentor and leader of the First Order, who was initially seen as the saga’s new big bad until he was killed by his apprentice. in the middle of Episode VIII, and we discover his terrifying but modest origins at the beginning of Episode IX.

It’s hard to make out behind this digital make-up, and yet, it really is our friend Andy. But Snoke’s character isn’t the latter’s one and only foray into the galaxy created by George Lucas.

So 5 years later, we were able to see him in three episodes of the excellent series Andor, in the role of Kino Loi, an inmate of an ultra-secure galactic penitentiary. Stripped of the (not so common) digital artefacts, he once again delivered an excellent performance, crafting a deep and engaging character.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Andy Serkis will soon return to Middle-earth and once again find himself playing Gollum in two feature films dedicated to him and directed by Serkis himself.

(Re)discover our video on Gollum…