Andy Serkis, British actor and director, has been reading The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien live for charity.
The actor best know for his role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie adaptations, decided to record a live stream on YouTube to raise money for Best Beginnings and NHS charities.
Writing on his Fundraiser page Serkis said:
“So many of us are struggling in isolation during the lockdown. While times are tough, I want to take you on one of the greatest fantasy adventures ever written, a 12 hour armchair marathon across Middle Earth whilst raising money for two amazing charities which are doing extraordinary work right now to help those most in need in the UK: Best Beginnings and NHS Charities Together.
Starting at 10am on Friday 8th May BST (5am EST, 2am PST), I’ll be embarking on a marathon reading of The Hobbit – from cover to cover, there and back again. The entire book. A Hobbitathon!
From an unexpected party to the last stage, join Bilbo and me on this tale of high adventure. Together we’ll face the might of the trolls, journey to the magical Rivendell, encounter the giant spiders in the labyrinths of Mirkwood, and the evil goblins living among the roots of the Misty Mountains, until we meet the dragon Smaug, and see the Battle of the Five Armies.
I will be announcing on this page how to live stream my Adventure so stay tuned and donate. If we hit our target of £100,000, there may be a special surprise later in our journey.
I’ll share the link before I start reading and will be live streaming all day, from 10am… And THANK YOU for your contribution. Any donation size is hugely appreciated.
Please share this campaign and remember the hashtag #Hobbitathon”