Why Andy Serkis Long Dreamt Of Bringing George Orwell's "Animal Farm" To The Big Screen

0:01 [music]

0:03 Welcome back, everybody.

0:07 [cheering]

0:08 Folks, my next guest tonight [cheering] is

0:10 an actor and director you know as a gorilla,

0:14 a chimpanzee, a demented hobbit, and occasionally a human being.

0:18 Please welcome back to the Late Show, Andy Serkis.

0:23 [music] [music] [music]

0:40 Wow, you still got it.

0:42 As agile as ever.

0:44 [laughter]

0:44 Uh good to see you again.

0:45 Oh, it's so nice to see you.

0:46 Uh listen, uh we know you as an actor

0:49 who can portray anyone and if need be anything.

0:53 Um but you're also a director.

0:55 You're about to start filming,

0:56 shooting uh The Hunt for Gollum down in New Zealand,

0:59 which I'm very excited about.

1:01 Um you'll [cheering]

1:03 you're directing yourself in the in the in the title role of Gollum,

1:08 and I'm just curious, uh you're a great actor.

1:12 What does Andy Serkis director make of Andy Serkis actor?

1:17 Well, you know, funny enough,

1:18 I was we were doing some camera tests

1:20 uh not so long ago with Gollum and Sméagol,

1:22 and they went back to their trailer and it was

1:24 very difficult because I had to knock on the trailer.

1:27 I was I was like, "Gollum, Sméagol, hello?

1:29 Hello?" And there was no no answer.

1:31 And then Gollum comes up to the door and he says,

1:32 "AH, FOR GOD'S SAKE, SERKIS, WHAT DO YOU WANT?" I SAID, "PLEASE,

1:37 can you just come back and do one more

1:39 take?" Sméagol then pops out from behind him and says,

1:41 "He doesn't want to do another impression.

1:44 WE'VE DONE IT.

1:45 WE'VE DONE IT.

1:46 Wrong impression." And then Gollum turns around to me and says,

1:49 "Get my PUPPET DIRECTOR, PETER JACKSON."

1:55 [cheering] WOW.

1:55 SO, it's an honest and frank exchange of ideas is what you're saying.

1:59 So, honesty is all you can Here's the thing,

2:02 obviously we all love that voice that you do or voices that you do.

2:05 It sounds very painful.

2:08 Like it's it that you must be like just shredding your voice when you do that.

2:12 at all.

2:12 I I mean, I But I heard you have a you have

2:15 a remedy for that, [snorts] which we we we made some for.

2:18 Can you tell people what it is and then we'll then we'll serve it.

2:21 it's we've used it for years now, 25 years, you know,

2:23 going back to the day, and it's called Gollum juice.

2:26 And Gollum juice is basically honey, lemon,

2:29 and ginger, but I always felt it lacked a

2:35 [laughter] And what did it What did it lack?

2:36 It lacked a little certain something, which, you know, I mean,

2:40 [snorts]

2:40 there's plenty of things one could put in with honey, lemon, and ginger.

2:42 I'm just wondering.

2:43 Just to keep it sterile.

2:44 Nice.

2:45 Cheers.

2:46 Thank you.

2:48 [cheering] [applause] That is the real deal.

2:52 You know, I could I could use this because at least

2:55 for the next few weeks I've got a voice I do that is terrible.

2:57 Yeah.

2:58 And I'll tell you what, Andy,

3:02 [laughter] it it does absolutely it ravages my larynx.

3:07 [laughter] [clears throat] Come to me, my precious.

3:11 Oh.

3:13 Okay.

3:14 You you have just directed an animated version of George Orwell's Animal Farm.

3:19 I have.

3:19 It's not only a famous story, but a famous cautionary tale about abuse of power.

3:24 And what what made you want to tell this story?

3:26 I mean, I I I read the book when I was about 12 going on the bus to school,

3:31 the 273 bus to Ealing,

3:32 where I went to school, and I just remember reading this incredible tale,

3:36 this fairy tale, which was obviously had dark themes underneath.

3:40 I didn't fully understand what they were at the time,

3:42 but I just knew it hit me in so many different ways,

3:45 and and it made me want to, eventually when

3:48 I would be in a position to, retell that tale.

3:51 We have clip here.

3:52 Is there anything we need to know before we go?

3:54 Oh, so okay.

3:54 So, one of the a crucial thing is that the one of the lead

3:57 character in this, cuz in the book it's a very objective tale,

4:00 but we wanted to see it through the eyes of a young piglet who believes

4:03 himself to be one of the animals at the at the beginning of the story,

4:05 but then gets corrupted by Napoleon,

4:07 who's played by excuse me, by by Seth Rogen, brilliantly.

4:11 Yeah.

4:11 Um but this is but he sees himself as an animal

4:13 and he lives within a stall with his horse friend,

4:16 played by Woody Harrelson.

4:17 And this is Gaten Matarazzo playing this young innocent piglet.

4:20 And and Boxer That's Boxer.

4:21 And Boxer the the great shire horse who is who's got such a strong work ethic.

4:26 And this is and this is a story where where you see their relationship.

4:30 You've won.

4:32 I thought you were surprised, Boxer.

4:36 It's extra milk.

4:37 Oh.

4:40 Aren't we supposed to uh share everything?

4:45 There's no more supposed to's anymore.

4:48 Besides, I milked them and you work hard, so here you go.

4:52 Oh, I I I don't know.

4:53 I don't I mean, it gives me a weird feeling in my heart like I I well,

4:59 like I'm doing a terrible thing by drinking milk that isn't mine.

5:04 I mean, I guess that's just me.

5:05 I I don't know, Boxer.

5:10 Everything's just so different and new and and confusing now.

5:15 It's hard to know what to do.

5:17 You worry too much, Lucky.

5:19 Remember what I always say.

5:22 Just look up at the stars.

5:25 They take all our worries away.

5:34 [applause] Good old Boxer.

5:34 Aw, Boxer.

5:35 No spoilers.

5:40 [applause] I I found out recently.

5:41 I actually found out from a mutual friend of ours who

5:44 told us this and we have some photos here to prove it.

5:46 You have a very um you have a hobby or pastime,

5:52 an adventure that holds no charm for me.

5:54 You climb mountains.

5:57 Yeah.

5:57 How did you How did you become a mountaineer?

5:59 What got you into this?

6:00 I I again, this is the 273 bus going to school.

6:03 It was a very profound experience, that bus.

6:05 Um I read a book I read a book about the first ascent of Everest,

6:10 and it just completely encapsulated me and made me want to climb mountains.

6:14 And then I just started doing some rock climbing with some local Well,

6:17 down in New Zealand, do you ever meet Edmund Hillary?

6:20 Well, I did meet Edmund Hillary.

6:21 He came down to set when we were filming, and we we sat and had lunch with him.

6:25 And in in actual fact,

6:26 he he signed his autobiography to Gollum, lots of love Edmund.

6:30 I mean, it was I have to say, I have never been so starstruck in my life.

6:35 So, here here you are at the Matterhorn.

6:37 Did you ascend the Matterhorn?

6:38 I did a solo ascent of the Matterhorn.

6:39 No, thank you.

6:40 Solo?

6:41 Yeah.

6:41 Okay.

6:42 Didn't have any friends?

6:43 All right.

6:45 Where are you here?

6:46 Uh I'm on the very summit of the Matterhorn.

6:48 That's the very summit of the Matterhorn?

6:49 What's the view like, Andy?

6:51 It's quite it was quite terrifying and but quite wonderful.

6:54 And you like the terror.

6:56 I find it keeps you on edge, you know, it keeps you kind of sharp and uh

7:00 And where are we here?

7:01 That's on a trek with my family, actually, to to Everest base camp.

7:05 Uh-huh.

7:06 Uh-huh.

7:07 My [laughter] wife my wife once signed up me

7:10 and my boys to go climbing in the Tetons.

7:12 Have you ever climbed in the Tetons?

7:14 They're very beautiful.

7:15 I did not care for it.

7:18 [laughter] Well, Andy, always lovely to see you.

7:21 Thank you so much.

7:21 you go, I just want to give you

7:23 a little gift from from our little Animal Farm film,

7:26 which I thought you might like.

7:29 [laughter] Yeah, I like I'll put it on.

7:32 You read what it says.

7:33 Okay.

7:33 It actually reads, "Make Animal Farm fictional

7:36 again." Animal Farm is in theaters May 1st.

7:42 Andy Serkis, everybody.

7:44 We'll be right back.

7:57 [music] [cheering and applause]