Gollum was once a creature not unlike a hobbit. His name then was Sméogol, and he came not from the homely Shire, but was a Stoor, from the lands to the east which border the River of Anduin where it runs through the battleground of the Gladden Field. It was here that Orcs ambushed and overcame Isildur who carried with him the One Rings. There the Rings was lost, fallen into the mud at the bottom of the river, and there it lay undisturbed for thousands of years, until the day that Sméagol and his friend Déagol went fishing. Déagol hooked a great fish that pulled him under the water. He saw a shining object under the water and took it and a handfull of dirt. When he resurfaced he found that it was a shiny gold ring that he had picked up. Sméagol wanted this ring but Déagol refused to give it to him. They faught and faught until finally Sméagol had strangled Déagol to death. He took the Ring for his own. The Ring began to work its evil influence on the hobbit, making him mutter and gurgle in his throat, so that he became known as 'Gollum'. It caused him to fear the light and open air, and drove him out of the sight of the sun into the caves beneath the Misty Mountains. He lived on raw fish and other things that he caught in its lightless pools. There Gollum stayed, alone except for the Ring, which he called his Precious. One day Bilbo Baggins came upon the Ring and took it with him to his home of the Shire. Gollum was forced to leave his dark retreat and come out into the world to pursue his obsession. He followed it and came upon Frodo and Sam. He then became the guide to the two of them on their way to Mordor, but he was always secretly plotting to get the Ring back for himself. This led to his death in the fires of Mount Doom.

The voice of Gollum was done by Any Serkis.

Andy Serkis most recently appeared as the eccentric choreographer in Topsy Turvy, and as the coked up yuppie in Career Girls. He will soon be seen opposite Michael Caine in Shiner. Other film credits include leading roles in Mojo, Among Giants, Loop, Sweety Barrett, The Jolly Boys, Last Stand, as well as major roles in Stella Does Tricks, Five Seconds To Spare, The Near Room, and the forthcoming Pandemonium.

His extensive television works include a highly acclaimed performance in a recent adaptation of "Oliver Twist," and lead roles in "The Jump" and the series "Finner" along with many guest appearances in "Shooting The Past" and "Touching Evil."

Serkis has played a huge range of parts in theatres in London and across the UK. Recent critically acclaimed roles include Potts in the original cast of "Mojo" by Jez Butterworth, "King Lear," and "Hush" all for the Royal Court Theatre, "Hurlyburly" at the Old Vic and Queens Theatre, "Decadence" at the Bolon Octagon, and "Cabaret" at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

Biography from lordoftherings.net