The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Hobbit, The Adventures of Tin Tin, Planet of the Apes, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens: If someone could name for me the ONE actor that has been in each and every one of these films, I would be extremely surprised. His name his Andy Serkis, and he has had absolutely tremendous performances in these films, and most people would not even recognize him. This is because Serkis is primarily a Motion Capture actor; he is the man who makes non-human characters come alive on screen, Such as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in Planet of the Apes. So why don’t more people know about Andy Serkis and Motion Capture?
Simply put, motion capture performances do not allow the audience to see the actor’s real face, just the expressions they are trying to convey for the screen (see below). Motion capture is a technology that has come leaps and bounds in recent years, allowing film makers to include characters they only had thought of in their dreams in their movies now. It is motion capture performances that brought King Kong to life, brought Gollum to his precious, and made Caesar the king of the Planet of the Apes. This technology is brought to life through actors such as Serkis wearing full body suits with little points all over them that are seen by the camera, and registered by the computer. These points are then used as the basis of the graphic artists’ characters, and the motion capture is complete. What is most important in all of this is, each and every actor is truly acting in their motion capture suits, not simply a stand in or being told what to do.
Acting, as defined by the Webster’s dictionary, is “the art or profession of performing the role of a character in a play, movie, etc.” Motion capture actors and actresses like Andy Serkis are all, by definition, acting in their respective movies, even though the audience cannot see them. While this seem obvious to some, it does not seem to be obvious to the academy of motion picture arts and sciences, the academy that holds the Oscars. The Academy has yet to nominate a single motion capture actor or actress in their best acting categories, and I find this simply outrageous. Andy Serkis alone has had a string of incredible performances as King Kong, Gollum, Caesar, and Snoke that each should be recognized for the masterful enactments they are.
The opposition feels that because their faces are not on screen, they should not be considered in awards shows like the academy awards for best actor or actress. If that is how you feel, then consider this: How is extensive makeup and costuming any different than motion capture? The answer is, it isn’t. Motion capture suits are almost like a costume without the costume. Instead wearing a full monkey suit to play Caesar in Planet of the Apes, Andy Serkis wears a motion capture suit which, arguably, looks better than wearing a monkey suit. The academy needs to give credit where credit is due, and they have been overlooking motion capture for far too long, and should change that as fast as they can.
Should Andy Serkis ever win an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, or any other major award for acting, it will essentially vindicate motion capture as a form of art and acting in the film industry an also introduce more actors to a wider audience. His performances as Gollum, King Kong, and Caesar are lauded by fans and critics alike, but he still has yet to win any of the most prestigious awards. The only major award that Andy Serkis has won for his motion capture acting is an Empire Award for Best Actor in his performance as Caesar in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, beating out Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne for that year. The case of Motion Capture and Andy Serkis vs. the Academy Awards is at an impasse; credit needs to be given where credit is due, and credit is due to Andy Serkis and the entire motion capture industry for giving audiences amazing performances as a slew of different characters, weather the audience knows who the actors are or not.
