LORD OF THE RINGS Standout Serkis, DOCTOR WHO & SMALLVILLE Stars Added To Fan Expo NOLA

As if the biggest reunion of the Back to the Future trilogy stars plus "Firefly," Star Wars, "Buffy" and "Superman & Lois" guests weren't enough, FAN EXPO New Orleans revealed the latest additions to the pop culture extravaganza, and the haul for big franchise fans is impressive. Andy Serkis, the actor/director/producer known most for his work using motion capture in hits like Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes, the "Doctor Who" tandem of Mandip Gill and Catherine Tate and "Smallville" duo of Erica Durance and Laura Vandervoort are now on board, making this New Orleans's most star-studded convention ever.

Gill and Tate fill out a trio of "Doctor Who" female standouts alongside Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker attending FAN EXPO New Orleans. Durance and Vandervoort make it five "Smallville" cast members appearing, joining Michael Rosenbaum, Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk at the event.

Serkis has done a variety of acting, animation and voice work in the world of motion capture, with roles like "Gollum" in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, the lead character "Caesar" in the reboot of Planet of the Apes and several Star Wars trilogy films, among more than 100 acting credits. He is an executive producer on the current NBC series "Brilliant Minds" and directed the 2021 feature film Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Gill appeared as "Yasmin Khan" on the iconic BBC series "Doctor Who" from 2018-2022. She first gained attention of audiences in the British soap opera "Hollyoaks," appearing on the show for three seasons and more than 240 episodes as "Phoebe."

Tate portrayed "Donna Noble" during several seasons of "Doctor Who," also gaining fame as "Nellie Bertram" in the NBC hit "The Office." She hosted the British variety/sketch comedy "The Catherine Tate Show" and also co-starred in the full run of "Big School," highlighting her body of work in the U.K. and U.S.

Best known for her role as "Lois Lane" in "Smallville," Durance followed up her successful seven-year run on the DC series with an even bigger project -- the lead on the five-year run of the NBC and CTV drama "Saving Hope," which she also produced. She is now a regular on the popular holiday TV movie circuit.

The versatile Vandervoort, for whom "Supergirl" on "Smallville" and "Lisa" on "V" are the most popular roles, also had a three-year run as the headliner on the werewolf drama "Bitten" and has had a variety of other acting and voice acting roles, including spots on "The Handmaid's Tale," "Sullivan's Crossing" and numerous holiday TV movies.

The five join 11 Back to the Future trilogy stars, headlined by Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Tom Wilson in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the first installment in the franchise at FAN EXPO New Orleans, plus "Firefly" standout Alan Tudyk, original Star Wars standout Anthony Daniels, "Superman & Lois" headliners Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch, "The Mandalorian" star Giancarlo Esposito,"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star James Marsters, "Resident Alien" standouts Alice Wetterlund and Sara Tomko and teen romance "High School Musical" regulars Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel), in addition to the "Smallville" and "Doctor Who" stars already committed to the event.

FAN EXPO New Orleans features the biggest and best in pop culture: movies, TV, music, artists, writers, exhibitors, cosplay, with three full days of themed programming to satisfy every fandom.

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