Andy Serkis says Michael Sheen’s daughter once mistook him for her father

‘She ran up to me thinking I was her dad,’ said actor

Dark curly hair, a mischievous expression, a salt and pepper beard – these are attributes shared by both the actors Andy Serkis and Michael Sheen.

The pair’s similar appearances have led to much confusion over the years, with many fans mistaking one for the other. They look so alike, in fact, that one of Sheen’s daughters actually mistook Serkis for her own father.

In a new interview in The Guardian, Serkis – best known for playing Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films – was asked by a reader if anyone has ever asked him for Sheen’s autograph, to which Serkis replied: “Ha! No. But a funny thing did once happen…

“I got off a plane coming back from LA and the child of Kate Beckinsale [Lily Mo, now 22, who she shares with ex-husband Sheen] ran up to me, thinking I was her dad. I’d love to do something with Michael. There’s a Man United manager too – Ole Gunnar Solskjær – who people have said I look like.”

Many have confused the pair over the years. In 2019, Sheen said that he was once “chased down the street” by Serkis fans who were shouting “Gollum! Gollum!”.

Andy Serkis, Michael Sheen (Shutterstock)

When asked who would portray him in a play about his life, Sheen once said: “Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis would play it in rotation as I already spend a fair amount of time being asked if I’m one or other of them and this would nicely add to the confusion.”