Andy Serkis teased his version of Baloo the bear is "quite tough".
The 53-year-old actor and filmmaker has helmed a new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s iconic novel ‘The Jungle Book’ and will voice the beloved bear in the CGI remake named ‘Mowgli’ – which is separate from the Disney live-action reboot.
However, despite having a career playing villains including Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise, Supreme Leader Snoke in ‘Star Wars’ and Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Serkis admitted he loves playing the bad guy and has even given a darker twist on Baloo.
Speaking on ‘Good Morning Britain’ on Thursday (08.02.18), Serkis said: "It’s quite fun being the villain, actually. Especially when finding ways to make the villain appealing in some ways and so, I mean, look, it’s all about the character. But you’ll see me being Baloo. He is quite nice. He is actually quite tough in this one. A dark Baloo. ‘Mowgli’ that’s the one I’ve been directing which is coming out later this year."
Now, Serkis is back reprising his role as Klaue in the highly anticipated ‘Black Panther’ movie and admitted he had to train like an athlete for the film.
He said: "I did workout. I was aware I had to be fit for the movie. For these movies you have to be quite fit and I do keep myself fit. I think I was eating well at the time. You have to be athletic for these movies. The amount of stunts you are doing and the amount of training that you do. It’s like being an athlete for these movies particularly like Chadwick Boseman who plays Black Panther."
‘Black Panther’ has been highly praised for having a predominately all black cast and Serkis said it was "overdue" and the "right time to make it".
He said: "It’s overdue, but it’s the right time to make it. If ever there was the right time to make this film, it is now. And that’s why I think it’s resonating across the world and will do. It’s a ground-breaking movie and the great thing is, to have this film on this scale of blockbuster material, having a predominately black cast has never been done before."
Andy Serkis teases a darker Baloo the bear in Mowgli
