Via Mirror.co.uk:

He is widely regarded as one of the nicest blokes in showbusiness. And, at the moment, everything is going right for Andy Serkis.

He has fulfilled a boyhood dream to star in Star Wars and he also appears in the forthcoming Avengers movie.

His new studio, Imaginarium, also worked on both these big movies as part of the performance capture filming process.

The studio is well advanced in pre-production of a new adaptation of The Jungle Book where Serkis will direct Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris and Benedict Cumberbatch.

And he gives a critically praised performance as Caesar, leader of the apes, in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, which recently got a digital release.

He is clearly excited at how things are turning out.

Serkis, 50, says, “2014 was the first year the studio really took off in the direction we wanted. It is thrilling.

“It’s a creative lab in London furthering the art and craft of performance capture, but it’s also a production company. It is everything I really wanted it to be.”

Serkis is happy to talk about his work as a consultant on Star Wars: The Force Awakens which is being shot in the UK at the moment.

But he laughs when we try to break the shroud of secrecy over who – or what – he plays in the film.

“As if I can tell you! I can’t tell you anything,” he chortles.

“It’s going to be brilliant. The director, JJ Abrams, is doing an amazing job.

“He is such a big fan of the original movies and it is a great script and a very, very good story. It’s amazing to be a part of it.”

Serkis will make his directorial debut with The Jungle Book. But The Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson gave him the best training possible when he made him second unit director on The Hobbit films.

“That was amazing,” says Andy. “I learnt so much from him and had the most incredible time.”