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My Pressures: The Bizarrely True Story of Andy Serkis
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26If Gollum, Caesar and Ulysses Klaue could hear Andy Serkis tell his story, would they choose him to play them? This is the question at the heart of his long-awaited memoir.
Beginning in a childhood split between Ruislip and Baghdad, Andy Serkis takes us – and his characters – on a journey through the early influences that shaped acting mentors, early roles at a regional repertory theatre, a passion for mountaineering, a desire for film-making and the love story with Lorraine Ashbourne that became the foundation of his life. Then, the call arrives in 1999 that changes everything. Peter Jackson is preparing to make The Lord of the Rings and Andy is asked to audition for the voice of a certain animated character.
What follows is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes journey through the fantastical worlds Andy has helped shape – The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Black Panther, Star Wars and more – as he pioneered a new form of performance that would forever redefine the possibilities of cinema.
In this book, Andy invites us into a genre-defying conversation between actor and character, imagination and reality, and provides an answer to the what would Andy’s most iconic characters make of the man that brought them to life?
Beginning in a childhood split between Ruislip and Baghdad, Andy Serkis takes us – and his characters – on a journey through the early influences that shaped acting mentors, early roles at a regional repertory theatre, a passion for mountaineering, a desire for film-making and the love story with Lorraine Ashbourne that became the foundation of his life. Then, the call arrives in 1999 that changes everything. Peter Jackson is preparing to make The Lord of the Rings and Andy is asked to audition for the voice of a certain animated character.
What follows is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes journey through the fantastical worlds Andy has helped shape – The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Black Panther, Star Wars and more – as he pioneered a new form of performance that would forever redefine the possibilities of cinema.
In this book, Andy invites us into a genre-defying conversation between actor and character, imagination and reality, and provides an answer to the what would Andy’s most iconic characters make of the man that brought them to life?
- GenresMemoir
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow. Just, wow. Reading this memoir/autobiography was absolutely incredible. I laughed, I cried, my outlook on life changed a little. It truly was more than I expected. I picked this up expecting it to be full of primarily Gollum stories, I know, I know, Andy Serkis has been so much more than just Gollum. Or at least I know that now.
The way this is written is fantastic. You get peeks into the past, while also experiencing the current day/Andy writing the novel through these amazing script breaks. The way it would switch from first person into a script was very fun and interesting.
I had no idea there was so much life behind Andy (spoiler alert: he climbed the Matterhorn solo! Who does that?!? Amazing) while he was also so intensely involved in furthering the media world as we know it (both through film and gaming).
Andy, if you ever read this review, you have lived an amazing life and are a true role model. Thank you for taking the time to write it all down, and please know it continues to help tell your truth a little at a time. It also has definitely helped me rethink how often I try to see the good in others, and their motivations, although I may not ever do it quite to your level.
All in all, I hands down recommend this book for everyone. I immediately pre-ordered an autographed copy and am about to not only hunt down the audio books for Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit, but also will be taking my family on an "Andy Serkis movie marathon" over the next few weeks.
My one, not even complaint but complaint: if youre an American like me, the lingo can take a bit to catch up to. Its worth it though!
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and my appreciation goes beyond what I can express. Thank you for sharing this masterpiece with me early!
The way this is written is fantastic. You get peeks into the past, while also experiencing the current day/Andy writing the novel through these amazing script breaks. The way it would switch from first person into a script was very fun and interesting.
I had no idea there was so much life behind Andy (spoiler alert: he climbed the Matterhorn solo! Who does that?!? Amazing) while he was also so intensely involved in furthering the media world as we know it (both through film and gaming).
Andy, if you ever read this review, you have lived an amazing life and are a true role model. Thank you for taking the time to write it all down, and please know it continues to help tell your truth a little at a time. It also has definitely helped me rethink how often I try to see the good in others, and their motivations, although I may not ever do it quite to your level.
All in all, I hands down recommend this book for everyone. I immediately pre-ordered an autographed copy and am about to not only hunt down the audio books for Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit, but also will be taking my family on an "Andy Serkis movie marathon" over the next few weeks.
My one, not even complaint but complaint: if youre an American like me, the lingo can take a bit to catch up to. Its worth it though!
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and my appreciation goes beyond what I can express. Thank you for sharing this masterpiece with me early!
Displaying 1 of 1 review