Andy Serkis Talks About Bringing Snoke to Life with EW
Andy Serkis is a truly unique talent. Long underappreciated (outside of those obsessed with the many franchises he has been an integral part of) for his motion capture performances, over the last few years he has started to become somewhat more of a household name.
Serkis’s performance as the scenery chewing Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars: The Last Jedi was a bit of a departure from the creatures and characters he is typically known for. Snoke is a loathsome but powerful being who, at least from what we have seen of him, seems to be an irredeemable monster.
How did Serkis develop that character? Who is this man who would bring such destruction to a galaxy that had finally achieved some level of peace? Serkis discussed what he could with EW.
Serkis on the physical attributes of Snoke and how they impacted his performance:
Another thing I notice about your physicality is how you tilt to one side, and there’s almost a slouching quality to Snoke, rather than someone who is stiff and formal.
I always imagined that he had a scoliosis of the spine, so that his body was contorted like he’s corkscrewed up. He is withered and slightly twisted in his spine, so that gave him that lurch. Those injuries are things that he has carried for a long time, and it’s almost like a form of arthritis.
Are we allowed to know what kind of damage that is? What was it that messed him up so badly?
It is to do with previous battles. It’s a sort of decay as well. He’s quite an old character, and those battle scars are affecting his recovery and his body’s started to break down as well.
Beyond the physical, Star Wars fans everywhere long to know just who Snoke is, how he came to power, and why he is so obsessed with oppressing the galaxy. While not all that relevant to the plot of the Sequel Trilogy, a backstory would obviously have still been worked out. But only a few know the details.
The fans continue to be fascinated with Snoke and his history. I wondered if you were privy to any insight into his past that the movies don’t address, and whether you can shed any light on that?
We wanted him to have a great deal of mystery, but we did … J.J. [Abrams] and I discussed it, and Rian [Johnson] and I did discuss backstories to him, where he came from. I’ve been asked to not shed anything, should we want to bring him back in any way whether [in a] prequel or whatever. I think there’s something cool about that. It still does remain a mystery for people. I know that some people find it incredibly frustrating, but I think it allows for further exploration and layering at a further point.
So will we ever get any additional glimpses into that backstory?
Do you anticipate a return for Snoke in some future stories?
Yeah, I would love to think that there is room for him to come back. I think anything’s possible in a Star Wars movie. I’d be all up for it. I think there’s a lot more to be had from the character for sure, but I’m not in discussions with anybody at all about it.
But even if we can’t know the specifics of Snoke’s history, Serkis does let us in on a bit of his motivations anyway.
For now, Supreme Leader Snoke is no more. What else should we know about him?
I played him as incredibly threatened by this female, which he’s not used to or doesn’t understand. He completely underestimates Rey, obviously, but he can sense that there’s a strength there that certainly Kylo Ren doesn’t have. I would say he’s pretty misogynistic in that respect. Interestingly. For our time.
It seems inevitable that we will someday learn more about who Snoke was. Either in the next animated series, a novel or comic, or maybe even a future theatrical release. Until that time, we can just enjoy the fantastic performance for what it was and the evils of past generations he represented in The Last Jedi.
Head over to EW for the full article, including more info on what it took for Serkis to create this performance. And check out the video below of Serkis performing some of that great throne room scene without the effects in place.
Grammar police. Bringing Snoke to *life.
That voice!
“RAW!”
The Last Jedi novel has a few sections from Snoke’s perspective and he thinks of his rise to power.
Could Rian Johnson’s redemption and saving grace into Star Wars lore be that his next trilogy will be a Prequel Trilogy giving us Luke in his prime, showing the creation of the New Jedi Order and the rise to power of Snoke and the First Order? Just as many people saw the mirroring similarities between TFA and the OT, maybe we are seeing “Episodes 4-6” of the New Trilogy and then Rian will be directing the Prequels? Do we find out who Rey’s parents really are in Episode 9 and then see her born and hidden in “Episode 3”?
Rian Johnson isn’t in need of redemption for anything related to Star Wars but, to answer your questions, no. It’s already been stated that his trilogy will not involve any time, place or characters that have previously appeared in a Star Wars movie. Also, you’re discribing what would be part of the main saga and there aren’t any whole number between 6 and 7.
True, but they removed the numbering from the new trilogy. So stories between RoTJ & TFA could be told and fit in the saga.
…from a certain point of view 😉
The numbers are still at the beginning of the title crawls. :Â)
Andy brought Snoke to life…
Rian took Snoke’s life away…
Just like bringing balance to the Force!
I’ll admit. I wasn’t a fan of Snoke in TFA. He was OK – and that seemed like a big missed opportunity. Having the new villain for a Star Wars trilogy be just another old guy in a robe seemed like a lack of imagination. However, Serkis elevated that character in just a few scenes and definitely made me eager for 8.
His scenes in 8 are some of the best ”villainy’ performance in the whole saga. I also loved they gave him the gold robe and a different feel to the Emperor. Honestly, I really like that they killed him, because it gave us just enough to see who he was, without needing him to fulfill a role we’ve seen before. The performance from Serkis totally makes that character. It tells me everything I want to know at the moment. He was an overconfident, nasty peice of work who appears to have an ancient and powerful history with the Force. At some point, he took control of the First Order and turned Ben Solo. But just like the Emperor, he underestimated the Skywalker line. Perhaps hubris? I like to think that they found him on some Unknown Regions planet where he was essentially a self-declared God. But I also like that I don’t know – he’s mysterious.
The backstory may be touched on in 9 or elsewhere, but I think he stands alone quite well for now. In Ben and Rey’s story, he has served his purpose. He brings them together not realising the chain reaction that would set off. It’s all great stuff in my opinion, given the genre.
Yeah snoke was getting really good and i liked his alchemy with Ben. So odd choices in the TLJ
I often find that Non-English-as-first-language speakers use grammar a great deal better than primary English users!
I attribute the improved grammar relative to English users in the US is because typically tests for those who want to get US citizenship or VIsas tend to be really challenging. The exams are a strong incentive for these people to learn English and the proper rules of grammar to pass.
And it is funny to see US citizens take this these tests and most of them don’t do well on them.
Whan I saw this scene it looked exactly the same, as a movie studio with red screens around, very cheap
God! I love watching Serkis act. It’s so detailed and perfect. His voice is like a gift. I really wish snoke didn’t die. I hope he can come back some way or we do get his origins. I have a snoke poster and just love that character. So evil and powerful.
It was presented that he really mattered IMO. The secret behind the organizing that rose out of the ashes of the empire. The powerful Force user who lured Ben away from our heroes with a mysterious connection to Luke. Except… he doesn’t matter. He’s dead, like a chump.So that contradiction annoys me. Was he a mastermind and powerful Force user or not?
Right now… he seems like a lucky idiot. Which honestly I’m not that interested in exploring now. I sure was one movie ago though. If Snoke didn’t matter in the new trilogy I don’t see why we should care now. Clearly we’re supposed to focus on Rey and Ben.
Unless they plan to somehow flesh him out more in 9. Then by all means.
Count dooku died like a chump. Darth Maul did too. Lots of star wars baddies died that way. Why are you getting yourself upset over it. He was just a plot device. He didn’t matter as much as other characters
Right… but you’re acting like I think Dooku or Darth Maul were handled properly. Far from it. Dooku wasn’t even needed. Maul was absolutely wasted. Believe me, criticizing something in a recent movie does not mean I excuse it in any of the older movies. Especially the PT.
I’d ignore this individual for they lack a cogent argument on this matter. Using Dooku or Maul are horrendous examples for as you said; they were handled poorly and really for the latter was a blatant example of rule of cool if we go strictly by the movies as opposed to any substantive threat.
Like Vader and even the Emperor. Snoke’s death irritated a lot of people just by the fact he was built up so much. I mean Han and Leia had a discussion about Snoke’s very influence In The Force Awakens.
And considering what we’ve seen of him in The Last Jedi and how he was arguably one of the strongest dark side users we’ve seen from a movie perspective. I believe the crowning achievement to how bad Snoke was handled was RedLetterMedia’s take.
Note; I’m not a fan of theres. I find a lot of their stuff vapid. But the joke about subverting expectations just for the sake of doing so really just hammers in just how badly Rian Johnson, Kathleen Kennedy and LucasFilm at large overestimated themselves.
Franchises should always be pushing/ seeking to change. For not to do so, they end up being stale. But there is a way to do it without loosing the core of what made that franchise great.
While I don’t really agree with them on Rogue One. I must admit (I just watched it) they nailed the take on The Last Jedi.
I disagree that the universe is bankrupt… There’s a lot that could be done but sadly they aren’t willing to really do it.
For as much as people like to say the TLJ subverted expectations… as the one guy pointed out. It’s a dude in black armor with an army fighting a small rebellion who has an inexperienced Force user to help them.
I definitely want to break that mold.
It’s not really the same thing, they were both always intended as disposable bad guys. It’s not Maul’s fault that he looked so damn cool that it felt like a waste when he was killed.
How do you know Snoke wasn’t intended to be a disposable bad guy?
So who is the big evil here? Two out of three Kylo doesn’t look like material for the villain of the trilogy…but that’s just me..
No one said he was the secret behind the First Order’s rising.
Yes, he lured Ben away and he was a mastermind and Force user…and he is gone so it doesn’t matter now where he came from.
It is always nice to hear Andy Serkis talk. The guy seems really genuine and nice. And I argue is genuinely an amazing actor both in Mokap and outside of Mokap. And his performance as Snoke in The Last Jedi was amazing. I just hated how he died. What a waste of Serkis. But I guess he follows the Christopher Lee school of thought with Star Wars. Sigh…
At least, Klaw(SPOILERS BLACK PANTHER) from Black Panther had his moment to shine in Age of Ultron and the movie before he died. Which on a side note; is Andy Serkis becoming the new Sean Bean in terms of character deaths? Seriously, if that’s the case, then I feel bad.
For like Bean(who is actually my favorite actor), he pulls some excellent performances but I always think that Hollywood producers probably have somewhere written in his contract that if they want, they can kill Sean Bean’s characters.
The whining about Snoke dying is silly. He had a better death than Plagueis. If he had lived people would be complaining that he is a rip off of Palpatine, an Evil Emperor type chcharacter. Also, He lasted longer than Maul. Again, Darth Plagueis died a sillier death, getting killed in his sleep. Snoke was just a character to move the plot along. He wasn’t meant to be another Palpatine. Many of the people criticising this are people who criticised TLJ and TFA before they even came out.
I’m fine with Snoke’s demise in TLJ, thought it was an interesting twist. Still feel more background of his character was needed, yes it will be detailed in books or whatever, but a couple of lines of dialogue from Kylo to Ren would of been suffice. Not everyone reads all the rest of the stuff used to generate money.
Its a brave new world. Film series are following the gaming industry and have introduced DLC.
Maybe one day in the future we will have a choice of the basic film, a version with a few added scenes or the full unadulterated experience for a few pounds (or dollars) more.
It’s the same old world: you don’t need the origin story of Snoke to understand this story, same way you didn’t need the origin of the Emperor to understand the OT.
I think you are in danger of taking my comment too seriously 🙂
Probably haha
I agree – problem is it will encourage more pirate copies/streaming. I prefer a hardcopy blu-ray, but rarely purchase more than one version. I did for LotR, but held off for The Hobbit extended versions.
The movies generate far more money, so that’s an odd way to put it.
It can’t be denied that leaving such elements out off a film for books, etc, to instead cover helps to generate sales in those areas.
It actually can because that’s not why they leave those elements out.
JJ Abrams doesn’t care about book sales, he was telling HIS story and Snoke’s origin had place in it. Simple as that.
My post was about TLJ, nothing to do with TFA.
I also don’t understand though “he was telling HIS story and Snoke’s origin had place in it” TFA had nothing on Snoke’s origin, other than he corrupted Ben.
Its a point of view anyway. I believe once films were expanded upon, because there was a demand, now they are planned together to maximise the profit.
You think otherwise – leave it at that.
It’s the same point.
Sorry, should have been “Snoke’s origin had NO place in it.”
Rian Johnson didn’t need Snoke’s story for his movie., either.
The big Hollywood writers and directors are not leaving things for books. They are telling their story and LFL is looking at what they didn’t tell and filling it in.
That’s how it works.
No problem – thanks for coming back.
Most likely right, its just that if I was in charge of a big franchise holding back aspects from a film (during its development) to increase revenue later would be something I would consider. I guess I’m saying if I’ve thought of a way to generate money, the men in suits have as well.
Right, but the men in suits don’t generate the story.
Might like this….
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/grammar-pedant-who-made-one-mistake-will-never-regain-moral-high-ground-20180307145454
There’s some good theories on why they do it. They of course blame lazy writing, but there is a lot more to grammar correction at a subconscious level.
He’s being hard on Snoke, it’s impossible to overestimate Rey.