Hobbit stars Andy Serkis and Richard Armitage reunited in Salford

The Hobbit stars Andy Serkis and Richard Armitage were reunited in Salford this morning.

The pair were both on the BBC Breakfast couch to promote their latest projects, including the third and final instalment of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the JRR Tolkien classic.

Serkis, who played Gollum in the first Hobbit film and the earlier Lord of the Rings trilogy, is working as a second unit director on The Battle of the Five Armies, which is set to be released at Christmas.

Armitage, who plays the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield, told presenters Bill Turnbull and Louise Minchin the pair had high-fived in the corridor in between their separate appearances on the show.

He added: “We would never have met if he hadn’t been the second unit director because my character didn’t work with Gollum.

“But we spent a lot of time together and he is a great director. He is really fun to work with.”



Serkis, who met his wife Lorraine Ashbourne, from Manchester, when they were performing together at the city's Royal Exchange theatre, later tweeted a photo of himself and Armitage at the MediaCityUK studio.

He was there mainly to promote his new summer blockbuster, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, in which he reprises his role as ape leader Caesar.

But Bill and Louise couldn’t resist asking about the forthcoming Star Wars Episode VII, in which Serkis has been cast in a major but as-yet undisclosed role.

Dodging the question, he replied: “I can’t tell you. There are stormtroopers all around.”

Armitage later told the presenters about his return to the stage in London theatre the Old Vic’s new production of Arthur Miller’s seminal play The Crucible, as well as his forthcoming tornado movie Into The Storm.

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