The Planet of the Apes franchise will make its big screen comeback this year with a new installment set in the same universe, where Andy Serkis’ Caesar first led an uprising of the mutated and enhanced apes. While Serkis won’t be a part of the new installment, his performance as Caesar and its legacy will certainly cast a shadow on it.
Andy Serkis played the role of Caesar in three installments of the Planet of the Apes franchise. During an interview, Serkis revealed an unlikely inspiration behind his role. Serkis stated that he modeled his performance on a real-life leader, and his answer would leave many fans confused. Here is what Andy Serkis revealed about the inspirations behind his Planet of the Apes role.
Andy Serkis Based His Planet of the Apes Role on Mahatma Gandhi
2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes marked the second reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise, following the mixed reception of the 2001 reboot. The 2011 film introduces Andy Serkis as Caesar, a chimpanzee whose intelligence is increased after exposure to a virus. Serkis reprised the role in two further installments, which were a critical and commercial success.
Speaking with Bombay Times, ahead of the release of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, Serkis spoke about what inspired his performance as Caesar in the third installment. Serkis revealed that he modeled his performance on Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi.
“He was a strong example of the empathetic nature of a leader and the ability to not necessarily lead with force, but to lead by listening and empowering troops.”
Serkis made the above statement (via First Post), explaining that he was looking for a real-world leader, who represented the same values as Caesar. Considering Caesar takes on a larger leadership role in the third installment and is humanized to a greater degree, it makes sense that Serkis would want to base his performance on the values of Mahatma Gandhi.
Andy Serkis Also Took Inspiration From a Real Chimpanzee For His Planet of the Apes Role
During a separate interview, Serkis also spoke about some of the other inspirations behind his role as Caesar. While speaking with USA Today, about Caesar’s three film journey and evolution, Serkis revealed that his initial performance was supposed to be more grounded and realistic. Therefore, he drew inspiration from Oliver, a real-life chimpanzee with a humanoid appearance.
“Oliver was bipedal, rarely walked on all fours. He would sit in chairs. His facial expressions were very human-like. People believed he was almost the missing link. I based Caesar on Oliver.”
Serkis made the above statement, explaining the inspiration behind his performance as Young Caesar in the first installment. Serkis added that he was grateful for the opportunity to play a character who grows and evolves across three films and found the entire experience fascinating.
Thus, it is evident that Caesar’s evolution by the third film warranted a different inspiration and the values of Mahatma Gandhi were ideal for the chimpanzee’s revolutionary phase. The next installment in the franchise, titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is set to release on May 10, 2024. It will focus on Noa, a young chimpanzee living 300 years after Caesar’s time.
Most of the films in the Planet of the Apes franchise are streaming on Max.
