The Character: Andy Serkis’ mo-cap creation marked a turning point for digital effects, as his performance - matched by Weta’s pixel power - allowed audiences to invest in a shrivelled CG halfling.

Which is just as well, as it’s the ring-crazed Gollum who provides much of the drama and tension in the final two movies of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, as he guides Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom.

He’s even treated to a prologue story in The Return Of The King, which goes to prove it was all over for his mental state as soon as he set eyes on that golden hoop. Shame really, as Serkis’ sensitive portrayal never leaves us in any doubt that there’s still a shred of humanity under that withered surface.

Craziest Moment: Although the finger-biting comes close, it has to be the masterful sequence in which the two conflicting halves of Gollum’s psyche battle it out in a riverside debate.