Andy SerkisAndy Serkis is as much a part of the story of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings movies as Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens. The actor returns as Gollum in the first of Jackson’s adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit as well as stepping into new territory as second unit director for the trilogy.

I spoke to the actor recently to talk about how his job has changed in the decade since first stepping foot in Middle-earth and how his pioneering work in the field of performance capture has led to the establishment of The Imaginarium, a studio dedicated to the art and whose first feature film, Animal Farm, is currently being worked on.

Serkis is a lovely guy, animated and enthusiastic, no mean feat considering the numerous times he has appeared to extol the virtues of Jackson’s Tolkien films.

The Hobbit is available right now on Blu-ray and DVD.