Once Again, Should Oscar Consider Andy Serkis?

Over at the Daily Beast, Marlow Stern wonders about Andy Serkis’ chances at a nod for his wonderful turn in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

There are so many would-be, might-be, could-bes this year – from Bridesmaids to Harry Potter to Drive to Rise of the Planet of the Apes. And probably the one at the top of that list is Andy Serkis — whose Caeser really was one of the most memorable characters of the year. But there is still a long way to go for actors to think of performance capture as acting. It’s a slippery slope for them; their face is their business.  It is one of the most threatening things for actors, I feel certain.  Nonetheless, it is always a great debate to put forth – what is acting and who decided what acting is?  The Academy will decide on their awards, of course, and unless they create a separate category for performance capture and voice over that shit ain’t gonna fly. Here’s Marlow:

Serkis’ performance capture—as it’s called now—turn as Caesar is so captivating it’s left many awards pundits debating whether Serkis should receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Twentieth Century Fox, the studio behind Apes, has revved up an aggressive Oscar campaign on behalf of Serkis’s performance, taking out ‘For Your Consideration’ ads in the major Hollywood trades. So far, it’s proven mildly successful—Serkis received a Critic’s Choice award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, though he was shunned by the more prestigious SAG and Golden Globe awards. But the award everyone really cares about is the Oscar, so should Serkis, for his performance capture accomplishment, be nominated for an Academy Award? And, as Ebert asked, where does the human end and the effects begin?