Andy Serkis almost refused to play Gollum in Lord of the Rings

London: Actor Andy Serkis has revealed he nearly turned down the iconic role of Gollum from the Lord of the Rings films.

The 53-year-old actor said he did not want to just voice act a character, reported The Guardian newspaper.

"When I started doing Lord of the Rings, I liked the gamble. Originally, I heard it was going to be like doing a voice for a digital character, and I wasn't interested, but then I met Peter Jackson and he said, 'We want an actor to play the role, be on set and make decisions for that character'," Serkis said.

Since featuring in the hit Peter Jackson-directed film franchise, he has been Hollywood's most sought-after actor for roles powered by CGI (computer generated imagery).

Other blockbuster voice act roles to Serkis' credit are - the title part as the giant ape in King Kong and the intelligent chimpanzee Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy.

The actor added he had an "epiphany" while playing King Kong.

"That was the epiphany because it was like: you can now play anything. Then, as the technology evolved and facial capture came into play, and (it became) total performance capture, not just motion, I realised how important it is as an actor's tool in the 21st century," he said.

Previously, Serkis said the idea of making movies with live animals is "cruel" now that Hollywood has moved light years ahead in terms of technology.