Apes Quote by Andy Serkis
![“When I first was offered the role on Rise [of the Planet of the Apes], I always played Caesar as a human being within ape skin.” quote by Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85a/andy-serkis-1548_apes_when-i-first-was-offered-the-role-on-ris_3015417.jpg)
“When I first was offered the role on Rise [of the Planet of the Apes], I always played Caesar as a human being within ape skin.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2011
The actor approached Caesar as a human within an ape body, emphasizing emotional depth beyond the exterior.
In simple terms: Human emotions drive the character.
Key Takeaway
Focus on inner humanity.
Themes
character development
empathy
performance
Mood
thoughtful
inspired
Type
creative
analytical
When to use this quote
- casting
- character study
- workshop
- storytelling
Key Concepts
film
acting
method acting
Questions to Reflect On
- How to blend human and animal traits?
- What limits this approach?
A Different Perspective
Some roles demand purely animal traits.
![“Caesar [from the Rise of the Planet of the Apes] was brought up with human beings and because of the drug he had pretty much grown up with his whole life, he felt like an outsider, he felt trapped in an ape's body but he didn't really feel like an ape and that was my way into the character. So…” quote by Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1f9/andy-serkis-1548_apes_caesar-from-the-rise-of-the-planet-of-th_577142.jpg)
![“There's this whole grey area seemingly every time it's talked about animators and who takes ultimate responsibility for the characters [of the Planet of the apes] but without question and I'll go down saying this year after year, these characters are authored by what we do on set. They are not…” quote by Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3c3/andy-serkis-1548_animator_there-s-this-whole-grey-area-seemingly-e_2543632.jpg)
![“There is always that potential in the same way - Roddy McDowall ended up playing Cornelius to Caesar [in the Planet of the Apes]. Two different characters. That's the joy of the craft. Bring it on I say.” quote by Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d60/andy-serkis-1548_apes_there-is-always-that-potential-in-the-sa_2314892.jpg)
![“Animators do amazing working translating and interpolating the characters [in the Planet of the apes], the facial performances. What we're creating on set - if you don't get it on the day, in the moment, on set, in front of the camera, with the director and the actors. The emotional content of the…” quote by Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/939/andy-serkis-1548_acting_animators-do-amazing-working-translating_1303787.jpg)
![“What I thought was so great about Rise [of the Planet of the Apes ] was that it wasn't a retelling; it was an entering of the universe at a different point. So it's Planet of the Apes. We already know the ending. There's no mystery in that! It becomes Planet of the Apes. So it's not about what is…” quote by Matt Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1a1/matt-reeves-19952_apes_what-i-thought-was-so-great-about-rise-o_678103.jpg)
![“I remember once, I read in a horoscope, because I'm an Aries, I read this terrible thing, which really affected me, which said, "You will never be original. You will always be an interpreter." (Laughs) I thought, "Oh my God." You know, I had to live with that on my back for [all my life].” quote by Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/745/andy-serkis-1548_affected_i-remember-once-i-read-in-a-horoscope-be_196174.jpg)
![“Rather than something like King Kong where I really went after studying gorillas in the wild and captivity. I based Caesar [ from the Rise of the Planet of the Apes] on a real chimpanzee and I worked with Terry [Notary] on a lot of chimpanzee movement.” quote by Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f09/andy-serkis-1548_apes_rather-than-something-like-king-kong-whe_234956.jpg)
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
