The actor Woody Harrelson said had no equal: “One of the greatest I have ever seen”
Woody Harrelson is one of the most unconventional and cooly detached actors in Hollywood, somehow seeming immune to the typical trappings of the industry and instead focussing on doing what he enjoys most. The actor has played a range of unbothered weirdos and misfits throughout his career, dipping into high-budget franchises and reprising limited but scene-stealing characters in bizarre independent movies like Triangle of Sadness and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
From his early roots in the industry in projects like White Men Can’t Jump, Indecent Proposal and Natural Born Killers, the actor found his niche as the loveable rogue and weathered outcast, starring in cult classic films like Seven Psychopaths, The Hunger Games and Zombieland. However, throughout his career on the silver screen, he has worked with everyone from Swedish auteurs to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jennifer Lawrence, with the actor naming the one co-star who took his breath away.
Over the years, many actors have become associated with a whole new brand of acting, whether it be Lily-Rose Depp’s horrifying performance in Nosferatu or Gena Rowlands’s groundbreaking vulnerability in Woman Under the Influence. However, one actor opened the gateway to a new era of performing, with the rise of motion capture roles sparking decades of computer-generated characters and films.
There is perhaps one actor who is most renowned for his work within this area, with Andy Serkis being critically recognised for his role as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings franchise, as well as supporting roles in films like Batman, King Kong and the recent Star Wars films.
However, it is his work in motion capture roles that have been most acclaimed, with endless accounts of his genre-bending performances and incredible commitment becoming associated with the technical achievements of the franchise. As a result, he created a terrifying and creepy character who is perhaps the most recognised from The Lord of the Rings, with audiences quoting his most iconic line and copying mannerisms that he created from scratch.
This was not lost on Harrelson, with both actors working together in War for the Planet of the Apes and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Harrelson had the highest praise for Serkis, saying, “I think Andy is one of the greatest actors I have ever seen. I think his ability to express himself as an actor is almost unparalleled. I loved working with him.”
Many people look down on actors who perform in front of a green screen or with digital technology, but this is objectively a much more challenging way of performing, with no tangible prompts or background to inspire your character or immerse them in this greatly fantastical world. Because of this, the creativity that conjures these characters in such limited environments must be praised and recognised. It is an incredibly demanding thing to be able to create the world of your character and find authenticity in front of a screen, which is perhaps why Harrelson is so admiring of Serkis and his insurmountable creativity.
