It's the Late Show Pot Show with Stephen Colbert. -♪ Folks, my next guest tonight is an actor and director you know as a gorilla, a chimpanzee, a demented hobbit, and occasionally a human being. Please welcome back to the Late Show Andy Serkis. -♪ Wow. You still got it. As agile as ever. Good to see you again. Oh, it's so nice to see you. Listen, we know you as an actor who can portray anyone and if need be, anything. But you're also a director. You're about to start filming shooting the Hunt for Golem down in New Zealand, which I'm very excited about. You're directing yourself in the title role of Golem, and I'm just curious, you're a great actor. What does Andy Serkis director make of Andy Serkis actor? Well, you know, funny enough, we were doing some camera tests not so long ago with Golem and Smeagol, and they went back to their trailer, and it was very difficult because I had to knock on the trailer. I was like, Golem, Smeagol, hello, hello, and there was no answer. And then Golem comes up to the room and he says, Oh, for God's sake, Serkis, what do you want? I said, please, can you just come back and do one more take Smeagol then pops up from behind him and says, please, doesn't work, did you have another one, please? Please, don't do it, we've given you all places. And then Golem turns around to me and says, Take me a proper director like Peter F. Jackson. Wow. So it's an honest, it's a frank exchange of ideas, is what you're saying. So honesty is all you can, here's the thing, obviously we all love that voice that you do, or voices that you do. It sounds very painful. Like you must be like just shredding your voice when you do that. It doesn't at all, I mean. I mean. So I heard you have a remedy for that. Which we made some for, can you tell me what is, and then we'll serve it. Well, we've used it for years now, 25 years, going back to the day, and it's called golly juice. And golly juice is basically honey, lemon, and ginger. But I've always felt it lacked to. And what did it lack? It lacked a little certain something, which you know, I mean, there's plenty of things one could put in with honey, lemon, and ginger. Right. I'm just wondering. Just to keep it sterile. Nice. Stares. Thank you. That is the real deal. You know, I could use this because at least for the next few weeks I've got a voice I do that is terrible. Yeah. And I'll tell you what Andy. And it does absolutely, it ravages my larynx. Come to me, my precious. OK. You have just directed an animated version of George Orwell's Animal Farm. This is not only a famous story, but a famous cautionary tale but abuse of power. And what made you want to tell this story? I mean, I read the book when I was about 12 going on the Buster School, the 273 Buster Ealing, where I went to school. And I just remember reading this incredible tale, this fairy tale, which obviously had dark themes underneath. I didn't fully understand what they were at the time, but I just knew it hit me in so many different ways. And it made me want to, eventually, when I would be in a position to, retell that tale. We have a clip here. Is there anything we need to know? OK. So a crucial thing is that the lead character in this, because in the book, it's a very objective tale. But we wanted to see it through the eyes of a young piglet who believes himself to be one of the animals at the beginning of the story, but then gets corrupted by Napoleon, who's played by Seth Rogen brilliantly. But he sees himself as an animal, and he lives in a stall with his horse friend, played by Woody Harrelson. And this is Gaten Matarazzo playing this young innocent piglet. And Boxer. And Boxer, the great Shire horse who has got such a strong work ethic. And this is a story where you see their relationship. Ivan. I thought you were a surprise, Boxer. Mm. It's extra milk. Oh. Aren't we supposed to share everything? There's no more supposed to's anymore. Besides, I milk them, and you work hard. So here you go. Oh, I don't know. I don't. I mean, it gives me a weird feeling in my heart. Well, like I'm doing a terrible thing by drinking milk that isn't mine. I mean, I guess that's just me. I don't know, Boxer. Everything's just so different, and new, and confusing now. It's hard to know what to do. You worry too much, Lucky. Remember what I always say. Just look up at the stars. They take all our worries away. Put all Boxer. Oh, Boxer. Let's spoil this. I found out recently, I actually found out from a mutual friend of ours who told us this, and we have some photos here to prove it. You have a very, you have a hobby or a pastime, an adventure that holds no charm for me. You climb mountains. Yeah. How did you become a mountaineer? What got you into this? Again, this is the 273 bus going to school. It was a very profound experience, that bus. I read a book. I read a book about the first Ascent of Everest, and it just completely encapsulated me and made me want to climb mountains. And then I just started doing some rock climbing and some local practice. Well, down in New Zealand, did you ever meet Edmund Hillary? Well, I did meet Edmund Hillary. He came down to set when we were filming, and we sat and had lunch with him. And in actual fact, he signed his autobiography to Gollum, Lots of Love, Edmund. I mean, it was, I have to say, I have never been so starstruck in my life. So here you are at the Matterhorn. Did you ever send the Matterhorn? I did the solo Ascent of the Matterhorn. No, thank you. Solo? Yeah. Didn't have any friends? All right. Where are you here? I'm on the very summit of the Matterhorn. That's the very summit of the Matterhorn? What's the view like, Andy? It's quite terrifying, but quite wonderful. And you like the terror. I find it keeps you on edge. It keeps you kind of sharp. Yeah. And where are we here? That's on a trek with my family, actually, to Everest Base Camp. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. My wife once signed up me and my boys to go climbing in the Tetons. Have you ever climbed in the Tetons? They're very beautiful. I did not care for it. Well, Andy, always lovely to see you. Thank you so much. Can I just, before you go, I just want to give you a little gift from our little Animal Farm film, which I thought you might like. Ha ha ha. Yeah, I'll put it on. You read what it says. OK, it actually reads, make Animal Farm fictional again. Animal Farm is in theaters May 1st. Andy Serkis, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to the Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. When beloved family patriarch Gary Ferris went missing, his family looked everywhere on their property until they came across something horrifying. It's a homicide. Absolutely. The blame game in this family went round and round. This is Blood is Thicker, the Ferris Wheel. I would don't see how anyone can look at this story and think they were happy. Binge the full series, Blood is Thicker, the Ferris Wheel, on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
