Andy Serkis has revealed the lengths he went to stay in character as Gollum while making The Lord Of The Rings.

The actor brought the iconic creature to life through motion capture in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, before reprising it a decade later for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

• READ MORE: Lord Of The Rings TV series: everything we know so far

However, Serkis has admitted to The Guardian that he went “pretty method” while making the films, retaining the character’s physicality even when he wasn’t on set.

“I used to walk on all fours off set when we were filming Lord of the Rings,” he said. “I spent a lot of time in preparation for that [as Gollum]; I would go off for walks on all fours for hours. I did occasionally come into contact with other people, so I just had to pretend I was looking for something. It’s fair to say that’s pretty method.”

The actor also reflected on shooting to fame thanks to the films, admitting that he may have struggled more had he been younger.

“I don’t think I could have handled the sort of fame Lord of the Rings sparked if I’d been younger,” Serkis added.

“I was in my late 30s when it exploded. I’m grateful it happened when it did. It was an extraordinary time; so many things came out of that experience and whether I like it or not that role lives with me on a daily basis. It will never go away.”

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the cast of The Lord Of The Rings are set to reunite for a series of fundraisers with Stephen Colbert to help raise money for cinemas struggling due to COVID-19.

Main stars Serkis, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Peter Jackson, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler will all take part.