Andy Serkis - Andy Serkis Thanks James Franco For Oscars Backing

Actor Andy Serkis has publicly thanked James Franco for championing him as a Best Actor Oscar nominee, branding his support "extraordinarily bold".

Serkis shot to fame when he was transformed into the creepy Gollum in the Lord of The Rings trilogy and he has since given King Kong and Rise of the Planet of The Apes' Caesar a face.

Franco recently insisted Serkis' pioneering work in motion capture technology would revolutionise Hollywood, saying, "It seems like such a shame that Andy doesn't get recognised now, because this is the moment when he's really broken through... He's doing it (motion picture) better than anyone else on the planet... What he does is real acting."

He also urged Academy Awards voters to consider his Rise of the Planet of the Apes co-star for a Best Actor honour - and Serkis is overjoyed with Franco's support.

Serkis tells Movieline, "I thought it was extraordinarily bold and honest, and quite frankly I was thrilled that James had written it. It just goes to show that an actor who is in pursuit of creating drama isn't prejudiced against live-action or performance capture or any method of performing.

"(Franco) is one of the first actors who has been bold enough to really state, and in such a humble way, that the weight of the movie lies in Caesar's hands. I thought it was incredibly articulate."