In The Lord of the Rings Zoom reunion hosted by Josh Gad, Andy Serkis reveals how his characters Smeagol and Gollum, are social distancing. The gathering is part of Gad's series through COVID-19, Reunited, Apart to raise money for No Kid Hungry. Cast members from all three films, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, joined the over the hour-long call almost two decades after the first film's premiere in December 2001.
Josh Gad's YouTube channel hosted "One Zoom To Rule Them All." A highlight came when Sean Astin and Andy Serkis reenacted one of the most iconic moments from The Two Towers, "POTATOES. Boil 'em. Mash 'em. Stick 'em in a stew." Astin played hobbit Samwise Gamgee, while Serkis voiced and portrayed Gollum, the former hobbit-like creature mutated by the Ring with motion capture technology. The other cast members watched on, gleeful and applauded.
Jackson jumped in with the question on his mind:
"There's been bloody weeks of a lockdown, which I'm sure is the same for you guys, and during all of that, there is only one thing that's kept me up at night, how would social distancing work for Gollum and Smeagol?"
[Serkis] "Social distancing is for pussies. We likes to drink disinfectant, precious."
Responding to Jackson, Serkis contorts his face and performs the character that made him a recognizable star in Hollywood, despite appearing in the flesh for only one scene. His performance is a reminder of the physicality and vocal tenacity that goes into Gollum.
Source: YouTube