Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis (born April 20, 1964) is an English actor of Armenian heritage who was born and brought up in Ruislip, London, England. He is best known for portraying the voice of the Witch-king and 'playing' Gollum/Sméagol by providing the voice and movements for the CGI character in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (2001–2003). His acclaimed work on the trilogy set off a debate on the legitimacy of CGI-assisted acting. Some critics felt Serkis should have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance but the Academy ruled that he did not qualify. Serkis will once again portray Gollum in the two part film adaptation of The Hobbit, and is also a second unit director for both the movies.