EXCLUSIVE: Andy Serkis Says Star Wars Villain Snoke is ‘Deeply Wounded’

Tom Regan
Movies Star Wars
Movies Star Wars

There’s been a lot of speculation about Episode VIIIs enigmatic new villain. With Supreme Leader Snoke only appearing briefly in The Force Awakens, rumours have been rife about who he is and what he wants, but now it looks like we might have our answer.

Speaking to the voice behind him and motion capture actor playing him, Andy Serkis, the actor hinted that Snoke might be a more complex villain than fans expect.

” Snoke’s an awesome character. In this [movie] we get to see him in the flesh more, rather than him just being a 25 foot hologram!

There’s a real darkness to the character..he’s very deeply wounded.. and sort of manipulative and aggressive because of that. He’s a great character.”

Until now we’ve known little about Snoke, with the latest Last Jedi trailer only hinting that he’s trying to recruit a new apprentice.

Now, however, Serkis’ comments help paint a clear picture, revealing that something tragic in Snoke’s past has shaped who he is and helped fuel his dark and mysterious motivations.

After praising Rian Johnson and saying what an “honour” it was to work on The Last Jedi, we asked Serkis how it felt to be going up against classic Star Wars villains like Vader and Palpatine.

“With all of these sorts of chracters like Kong and Gollum people always assume that you’re under this big pressure because there’s something to live up to..

but when you go in you have to think “ this is my take” on the character.

It’s like any classic role. If you’re in the theatre playing Hamlet [of course] thosuands of people have played Hamlet.. or King Lear or Macbeth..

[but] your interpretation is what’s happening for you in this particular moment and so you try and bring  [that character] to life.. bring your own spin to it.”

For more on Supreme Leader Snoke (updated with Star Wars: The Last Jedi), click below:

Tom Regan
Having written for everyone from Trusted Reviews to The Guardian, Tom is a London based writer who can't stop talking about games.