Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer.
One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received
many accolades throughout his career, including two
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, three
British Academy Film Awards, a
British Academy Television Award, two
Primetime Emmy Awards and a
Laurence Olivier Award. He has also received an
honorary Golden Globe Award and the
BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement from the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
. In 1993, he was
knighted by Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
for his services to the arts, and in 2003, he received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame for his achievements in the motion picture industry.
After graduating from the
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 1957, Hopkins trained at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He was then spotted by
Laurence Olivier who invited him to join the
Royal National Theatre in 1965. Productions at the National included ''
King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
'' (his favourite
Shakespeare play), ''
Coriolanus'', ''
Macbeth'', and ''
Antony and Cleopatra''. In 1985, he received great acclaim and a
Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in the
David Hare play ''
Pravda
''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, "Truth") is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most influential papers in the ...
''. His last stage play was a
West End production of ''
M. Butterfly
''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera ''Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. ...
'' in 1989.
In 1968, Hopkins achieved recognition in film, playing
Richard the Lionheart in ''
The Lion in Winter''. In the mid-1970s, he started a collaboration with
Richard Attenborough who called him "the greatest actor of his generation". Hopkins starred in Attenborough's ''
A Bridge Too Far'' (1977),
David Lynch's ''
The Elephant Man'' (1980), and
Jonathan Demme's ''
The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991), in which he portrayed
Hannibal Lecter, a role which earned him the
Academy Award for Best Actor. He reprised the role in ''
Hannibal'' (2001) and the prequel ''
Red Dragon'' (2002). Other notable films include ''
The Bounty'' (1984), ''
84 Charing Cross Road
''84, Charing Cross Road'' is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play, and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, loca ...
'' (1987), ''
Howards End'' (1992), ''
Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992), ''
Shadowlands'' (1993), ''
Legends of the Fall'' (1994), ''
Meet Joe Black'' (1998), ''
The Mask of Zorro'' (1998), and the
''Thor'' franchise (2011–2017), set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...
. He received four more Academy Award nominations for
James Ivory's ''
The Remains of the Day'' (1993),
Oliver Stone's ''
Nixon'' (1995),
Steven Spielberg's ''
Amistad'' (1997) and
Fernando Meirelles' ''
The Two Popes'' (2019), before winning a fourth
BAFTA Award and a second Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of an elderly man diagnosed with dementia in ''
The Father'' (2020), becoming
the oldest Best Actor Oscar winner to date.
Since making his television debut with the
BBC in 1967, Hopkins has continued to appear on television. In 1973, he received a
British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
This is a list of the British Academy Television Awards for Best Actor. The Best Actor award was initially given as an "individual honour", without credit to a particular performance, until 1962, when Rupert Davies won for his performance in ''Maig ...
for his performance in ''
War and Peace''. He received two
Primetime Emmy Awards for portraying
Richard Hauptmann in ''
The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case'' (1976) and
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
in ''
The Bunker'' (1981). In 2015, he starred in the BBC film ''
The Dresser
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
,'' and in 2018, he starred in ''
King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
,'' earning a
Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
In 2016 and 2018, he starred in the
HBO television series ''
Westworld'', for which he received a nomination for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Early life and education
Philip Anthony Hopkins was born in the
Margam district of
Port Talbot on 31 December 1937, the son of Annie Muriel (née Yeates) and baker Richard Arthur Hopkins.
[Stated in interview on '' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2007.] One of his grandfathers was from
Wiltshire, England. He stated his father's working-class values have always underscored his life, "Whenever I get a feeling that I may be special or different, I think of my father and I remember his hands – his hardened, broken hands."
His school days were unproductive; he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting and drawing, or playing the piano than attend to his studies. In 1949, to instil discipline, his parents insisted he attend
Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in
Pontypool. He remained there for five terms and was then educated at
Cowbridge Grammar School
Cowbridge Grammar School was one of the best-known schools in Wales until its closure in 1974. It was replaced by Cowbridge Comprehensive School.
Founded in the 17th century by Sir John Stradling and refounded by Sir Leoline Jenkins, it had cl ...
in the
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol ...
. In an interview in 2002, he stated, "I was a poor learner, which left me open to ridicule and gave me an inferiority complex. I grew up absolutely convinced I was stupid."
Hopkins was inspired by fellow Welsh actor
Richard Burton, whom he met at the age of 15. He later called Burton "very gracious, very nice"
but elaborated, "I don't know where everyone gets the idea we were good friends. I suppose it's because we are both Welsh and grew up near the same town. For the record, I didn't really know him at all."
He enrolled at the
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...
, from which he graduated in 1957.
He next met Burton in 1975 as Burton prepared to take over Hopkins's role as the psychiatrist in Peter Shaffer’s ''Equus'', with Hopkins stating, "He was a phenomenal actor. So was
Peter O'Toole – they were wonderful, larger-than-life characters."
After two years of his
national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
between 1958 and 1960, which he served in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
, Hopkins moved to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
to study at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Acting career
Theatre
1960–1967: Theatre debut and Royal National Theatre
Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in the
Palace Theatre, Swansea
The Palace Theatre is a Grade II listed building in Swansea, Wales, located at the northern end of High Street and recognisable for its distinctive wedge shape. It is Wales' oldest surviving theatre.
History
Originally built in 1888 as a trad ...
, in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of ''Have a Cigarette''. In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by
Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the
Royal National Theatre in London.
[Sir Anthony Hopkins portrait](_blank)
''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
''. Retrieved 6 January 2011. Hopkins became Olivier's
understudy, and filled in when Olivier was struck with
appendicitis
Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a r ...
during a 1967 production of
August Strindberg's ''The Dance of Death''. Olivier later noted in his memoir, ''Confessions of an Actor'', that
Up until that night, Hopkins was always nervous prior to going on stage. This has since changed, and Hopkins quoted his mentor as saying: "He
liviersaid: 'Remember: nerves is
icvanity – you're wondering what people think of you; to hell with them, just jump off the edge'. It was great advice."
Despite the success he’d seen at the National, Hopkins tired of repeating the same roles nightly and yearned to be in films. As a result, he gradually distanced himself from the stage to become a more experienced television and film actor.
1983–1989: ''Pravda'' and ''Antony and Cleopatra''
In 1983, Hopkins also became a company member of
The Mirror Theater Ltd's Repertory Company. In 1985, Hopkins starred opposite
Colin Firth in the
Arthur Schnitzler play ''The Lonely Road'' at
The Old Vic. That same year, he featured in the
National Theatre production of ''
Pravda
''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, "Truth") is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most influential papers in the ...
'' as Lambert Le Roux by
David Hare and
Howard Brenton.
Frank Rich, in his ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' review, praised the performance writing, "Mr. Hopkins creates a memorable image of a perversely brilliant modern-day barbarian." In 1986 he starred in David Hare’s production of ''
King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
'', Hopkins's favourite
Shakespeare play, at the National Theatre.
The next year, he starred as Antony in the National Theatre production of ''
Antony and Cleopatra'' opposite
Judi Dench, and in 1989, Hopkins made his last appearance on stage in a
West End production of ''
M. Butterfly
''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera ''Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. ...
''. "It was a torment", he claimed in a later interview. Of a matinee where nobody laughed, there was, he said "not a titter”. When the lights came up, the cast realised the entire audience was Japanese. "Oh God," he recalled, "You’d go to your dressing room and someone would pop their head round the door and say, ‘Coffee? Tea?’ And I’d think, ‘An open razor, please.’"
Film
1968–1978: Film debut and Attenborough collaborations
In 1968, Hopkins got his break in ''
The Lion in Winter'' playing
Richard the Lionheart, a performance which saw him nominated for the
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Making a name for himself as a screen actor, he appeared in
Frank Pierson's
neo-noir action thriller ''
The Looking Glass War'' (1970), and
Étienne Périer's ''
When Eight Bells Toll
''When Eight Bells Toll'' is a first-person narrative novel written by Scottish author Alistair MacLean and published in 1966. It marked MacLean's return after a three-year gap, following the publication of ''Ice Station Zebra'' (1963), durin ...
'' (1971). The first of five collaborations with director
Richard Attenborough, in 1972 Hopkins starred as British politician
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for lea ...
in ''
Young Winston'', and in 1977 he played British Army officer
John Frost in Attenborough's World War II-set film ''
A Bridge Too Far''.
Hopkins starred in a film adaptation of the
Henrik Ibsen play ''
A Doll's House'' (1973) alongside
Claire Bloom,
Ralph Richardson,
Denholm Elliott, and
Edith Evans. He then appeared in the comedy ''
The Girl from Petrovka'' (1974) with
Goldie Hawn and
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...
and also starred in the
Richard Lester suspense film ''
Juggernaut'' opposite
Richard Harris and
Omar Sharif. In 1978 he starred in the sequel to ''
National Velvet'' (1944), entitled ''
International Velvet'' with
Tatum O'Neal,
Christopher Plummer, which was directed by
Bryan Forbes. In 1978 he also starred in Attenborough's psychological horror film ''
Magic'' about a demonic ventriloquist's puppet with
Gene Siskel adding it as one of the best films of the year.
1980–1989: ''The Elephant Man'' and other roles
In 1980, he starred in
David Lynch's ''
The Elephant Man'' as the English doctor
Sir Frederick Treves, who attends to
Joseph Merrick (portrayed by
John Hurt), a severely deformed man in 19th century London. The film received critical praise and attention from critics and received eight
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations including for
Best Picture. That year he also starred opposite
Shirley MacLaine in ''
A Change of Seasons'' and famously didn't get along with MacLaine, adding "she was the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with."
The film was an immense box office and critical failure. In 1984, he starred opposite
Mel Gibson
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apoca ...
in ''
The Bounty'' as
William Bligh, captain of the Royal Navy ship , in a more accurate retelling of the
mutiny on the ''Bounty''.
1990–1998: Hannibal Lecter and Merchant-Ivory films
Hopkins won acclaim among critics and audiences as the
cannibalistic serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Hannibal Lecter in ''
The Silence of the Lambs'', for which he won the
Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991, with
Jodie Foster as
Clarice Starling, who also won for
Best Actress. The film won
Best Picture,
Best Director and
Best Adapted Screenplay
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
, and Hopkins also picked up his first
BAFTA for Best Actor. Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice; in
Ridley Scott's ''
Hannibal'' (2001), and ''
Red Dragon'' (2002). His original portrayal of the character in ''The Silence of the Lambs'' has been labelled by the
AFI as the
number-one film villain. Director Jonathan Demme wanted a British actor for the role, with Jodie Foster stating, "Lecter is a manipulator and has a way of using language to keep people at bay. You wanted to see that Shakespearean monster." At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing in ''
M. Butterfly
''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera ''Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. ...
''. He had come back to Britain after living for a number of years in Hollywood, having all but given up on a career there, saying, "Well that part of my life's over; it's a chapter closed. I suppose I'll just have to settle for being a respectable actor poncing around the West End and doing respectable BBC work for the rest of my life."
Hopkins played the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by
Thomas Harris. The author was reportedly pleased with Hopkins's portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that ''
Red Dragon'' would feature his final performance as the character and that he would not reprise even a narrative role in the latest addition to the series, ''
Hannibal Rising
''Hannibal Rising'' is a psychological horror novel by American author Thomas Harris, published in 2006. It is a prequel to his three previous books featuring his most famous character, the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The ...
''. Hopkins played
Professor Van Helsing in
Francis Ford Coppola's ''
Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992).
In 1992, Hopkins starred in
Merchant-Ivory
Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant (1936–2005) and director James Ivory (b. 1928). Merchant and Ivory were life and business partners from 1961 until Merchant's death in 2005. During their ...
's period film based on the
E. M. Forster novel ''
Howards End''. Hopkins acted alongside
Emma Thompson and
Helena Bonham Carter where he played the cold businessman Henry Wilcox. The film received enormous critical acclaim, with critic
Leonard Maltin calling it "extraordinarily good on every level." The following year, Hopkins reunited with Merchant-Ivory and Emma Thompson in ''
The Remains of the Day'' (1993), a film set in 1950s post-war Britain based on the novel by
Kazuo Ishiguro
Sir Kazuo Ishiguro ( ; born 8 November 1954) is a British novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and moved to Britain in 1960 with his parents when he was five.
He is one of the most cr ...
. The film was ranked by the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
as one of the
64th greatest British film of the 20th century. Starring as the butler Stevens, Hopkins named it among his favourite films. He was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, and received the
BAFTA Award for Best Actor
Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.
Superlatives
Note: ...
.
Hopkins portrayed Oxford academic
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univer ...
in the 1993 British biographical film ''
Shadowlands'', for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor.
During the 1990s, Hopkins had the chance to work with
Bart the Bear in two films: ''
Legends of the Fall'' (1994) and ''
The Edge'' (1997). According to trainer, Lynn Seus, "Tony Hopkins was absolutely brilliant with Bart...He acknowledged and respected him like a fellow actor. He would spend hours just looking at Bart and admiring him. He did so many of his own scenes with Bart." Hopkins was Britain's highest paid performer in 1998, starring in ''
The Mask of Zorro'' and ''
Meet Joe Black'', and also agreed to reprise his role as Dr Hannibal Lecter for a fee of
£15 million.
2000–2009: Independent films and studio films
In 2000, Hopkins narrated
Ron Howard
Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...
's live action remake of ''
How the Grinch Stole Christmas''. He then reprised the role of
Hannibal Lecter in the long awaited return from ''The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991) in its sequel simply entitled ''
Hannibal'' (2001). Director
Ridley Scott and actress
Julianne Moore replaced Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster who declined to participate in the sequel. Hopkins agreed to do the role approving of the script. In the book, Lecter uses bandages to disguise himself as a
plastic surgery patient. This was left out of the film because Scott and Hopkins agreed to leave the face alone.
Hopkins said: "It's as if he's making a statement—'catch me if you can'. With his big hat, he's so obvious that nobody thinks he's Hannibal Lecter. I've always thought he's a very elegant man, a
Renaissance man."
In the film, Lecter is first seen in Florence "as the classical Lecter, lecturing and being smooth", according to Hopkins.
When the film moves to the U.S., Hopkins changed his appearance by building up muscle and cropping his hair short "to make him like a
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any ...
, that he would be so fit and so strong that he could just snap somebody in two if they got ... in his way".
The film broke international
box office records receiving $351 million dollars.
but received mixed reviews from critics.
Hopkins starred in the third film in the series ''
Red Dragon'' (2002) alongside
Ralph Fiennes,
Edward Norton,
Harvey Keitel,
Emily Watson
Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of '' Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar W ...
, and
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produc ...
. The film received favourable reviews and was a box office hit.
In 2003, Hopkins received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
[Happy birthday Sir Anthony Hopkins](_blank)
'' ''. Retrieved 5 February 2011 Hopkins stated that his role as
Burt Munro, whom he portrayed in his 2005 film ''
The World's Fastest Indian'', was his favourite. He also asserted that Munro was the easiest role that he had played because both men have a similar outlook on life. In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the
Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. In 2008, he received the
BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award
The BAFTA Fellowship, or the Academy Fellowship, is a lifetime achievement award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in recognition of "outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image". The award is t ...
, the highest award the
British Film Academy
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
can bestow.
[Bafta Film Awards 2008: The winners](_blank)
''BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
'' (10 February 2008) In a 2003 poll conducted by
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
Hopkins was ranked seventh on their list of the
100 Greatest Movie Stars.
2010–2017: ''Thor'' franchise and action films
On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in ''
The Rite'', which was released on 28 January 2011. He played a priest who is "an expert in exorcisms and whose methods are not necessarily traditional".
Hopkins, an agnostic who is quoted as saying "I don't know what I believe, myself personally", reportedly wrote a line—"Some days I don't know if I believe in God or Santa Claus or Tinkerbell"—into his character to identify with it.
[Anthony Hopkins reveals the secret atheist message he put into ''The Rite''](_blank)
Retrieved 29 September 2014. In 2011, Hopkins has said, "what I enjoy is uncertainty. … I don't know. You don't know."
CNN ''Piers Morgan Tonight''. (5 February 2011). Retrieved 19 May 2018. On 21 September 2011,
Peter R. de Vries
Peter Rudolf de Vries (14 November 1956 – 15 July 2021) was a Dutch investigative journalist and crime reporter. His television program (''Crime Reporter''; 1995−2012) covered high-profile cases and set a Dutch television viewing record. F ...
cast Hopkins in the role of the
Heineken owner
Freddy Heineken, in the film about his kidnapping. ''
Kidnapping Freddy Heineken'', was released in 2015.
Hopkins portrayed
Odin, the Allfather or "king" of Asgard, in the 2011 film adaptation of Marvel Comics' ''
Thor'' and would go on to reprise his role as Odin in ''
Thor: The Dark World'' in 2013, and again in 2017's ''
Thor: Ragnarok''.
Hopkins portrayed
Alfred Hitchcock in
Sacha Gervasi's biopic ''
Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
'' alongside
Helen Mirren who played Hitchcock's wife,
Alma Reville. The film focuses on the film of ''
Psycho'' and that which followed. He starred in the comedy action film ''
Red 2'' (2013) as the main antagonist Edward Bailey. In 2014, he portrayed
Methuselah in
Darren Aronofsky's ''
Noah''. Hopkins played Autobot ally Sir Edmund Burton in ''
Transformers: The Last Knight'', which was released in June 2017.
2019–2021: Career resurgence and awards success
In 2019, Hopkins portrayed
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...
opposite
Jonathan Pryce as
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...
in
Fernando Meirelles's ''
The Two Popes''. He stated, "The great treasure was working with – apart from
irectorMeirelles – Pryce. We’re both from Wales. He’s from the north, and I’m from the south".
The film is set in the
Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
in the aftermath of the
Vatican leaks scandal
The Vatican leaks scandal, also known as Vati-Leaks, is a scandal beginning in 2012 initially involving leaked Vatican documents, exposing corruption; in addition, an internal Vatican investigation has purportedly uncovered the blackmailing of ho ...
and follows Pope Benedict XVI as he attempts to convince
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop as he confides his own intentions to
abdicate the papacy. In August 2019, the film premiered at the
Telluride Film Festival to critical acclaim. The film started streaming on December 20, 2019, by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
. The performances of Pryce and Hopkins, as well as McCarten's screenplay, received high praise from critics, and all three men received nominations for their work at the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
,
Golden Globes
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
and
British Academy Film Awards.
In 2020, Hopkins played a man struggling with his memory in ''
The Father''. The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival where it received critical acclaim, with many critics praising Hopkins's performance and calling him a standout and Oscar frontrunner. The film also stars
Olivia Colman as his daughter. It is based on a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
nominated play ''
Le Père
''Le Père'' (''The Father'') is a play by the French playwright Florian Zeller that won in 2014 the Molière Award for Best Play. It premiered in September 2012 at the Théâtre Hébertot, Paris, with Robert Hirsch (André) and Isabelle Gélin ...
'' by
Florian Zeller
Florian Zeller (; born 28 June 1979) is a French novelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film director. He won the Prix Interallié for his 2004 novel ''The Fascination of Evil'' and several awards for his plays. He wrote and ...
, who also directed the film. ''The Father'' was released on 18 December 2020 by
Sony Pictures Classics. In a Q&A at the
Telluride Film Festival Hopkins praised both Colman and Zeller saying comparing the working experience saying it "might've been the highlight of my life". Hopkins mentioned how lucky he's been over the past five years working with
Ian McKellen in ''The Dresser'',
Emma Thompson in ''King Lear'', and
Jonathan Pryce in ''The Two Popes''. Hopkins won the
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in ''The Father'', making it his fourth BAFTA and his third for Best Actor.
He also won a second
Academy Award for Best Actor for his role, becoming the oldest person to win an acting Oscar.
Hopkins did not attend the Oscars ceremony, but accepted the award in a video posted on social media, from Wales, the following day, saying: "Here I am in my homeland in Wales. And at 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn't and am very grateful to the Academy and thank you." He also paid tribute to fellow nominee
Chadwick Boseman, who had died the previous year.
Television
1967–1973: Television debut and Masterpiece theatre
He made his small-screen debut in a 1967
BBC broadcast of ''
A Flea in Her Ear''. His first starring role in a film came in 1964 in ''Changes'', a short directed by
Drewe Henley, written and produced by
James Scott and co-starring
Jacqueline Pearce.
Hopkins portrayed
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
in the BBC television film ''
The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens
''The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens'' is a 1970 British television film about the life of Charles Dickens directed by Ned Sherrin and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jenny Agutter and Arthur Lowe.Pointer, Michael (1996) ''Charles Dickens on the screen: t ...
'' in 1970, and
Pierre Bezukhov in the BBC's mini series ''
War and Peace'' (1972), receiving the
British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
This is a list of the British Academy Television Awards for Best Actor. The Best Actor award was initially given as an "individual honour", without credit to a particular performance, until 1962, when Rupert Davies won for his performance in ''Maig ...
for his performance in the latter.
In 1973 he again portrayed David Lloyd George in the BBC miniseries ''
The Edwardians'' which aired in the US in 1974 on ''
Masterpiece Theatre''.
1981–1993: Miniseries and awards success
In 1981 he starred in the
CBS television movie ''
The Bunker'' portraying
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
during weeks in and around his underground bunker in Berlin before and during the Battle of Berlin. John O'Connor praised Hopkins in his ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' review: "The portrait becomes all the more riveting through an extraordinarily powerful performance from Anthony Hopkins. His Hitler is mad, often contemptible, but always understandable. Part of the problem, perhaps, is that the monster becomes a little too understandable. He is not made sympathetic, exactly, but he is given decidedly pathetic dimensions, making him just that much more ''acceptable'' as a dramatic and historical character." For his performance he received a
Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. That same year he starred as
Paul the Apostle opposite
Robert Foxworth as
Saint Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupat ...
in the biblical drama and miniseries ''
Peter and Paul'' (1981).
The following year he starred as
Quasimodo in the CBS television movie ''
The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1982). The movie also starred
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as '' Hamlet'', '' Much Ado About Nothing'', '' Macbeth'', '' Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ' ...
,
David Suchet,
Tim Pigott-Smith
Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith, (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was an English film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series '' The Jewel in the Crown'', for which he wo ...
,
Nigel Hawthorne, and
John Gielgud. He also starred in ''
Strangers and Brothers'' (1984), ''
Arch of Triumph'' (1984), ''
Guilty Conscience'' (1985), ''
Mussolini and I'' (1985), and ''
The Tenth Man'' (1988).
In 1989 he starred as
Abel Magwitch in the miniseries ''
Great Expectations'' which was broadcast on
ITV in the UK and
The Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Com ...
in the US. The adaptation of the
Dickens’ novel also starred
Jean Simmons and
John Rhys-Davies. He received his fourth
Primetime Emmy Award nomination, this time for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
2015–2018: ''The Dresser'', ''Westworld'' and ''King Lear''
In October 2015, Hopkins appeared as Sir in a
BBC Two production of
Ronald Harwood
Sir Ronald Harwood (né Horwitz; 9 November 1934 – 8 September 2020) was a South African-born British author, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for his plays for the British stage as well as the screenplays for ''The Dresser'' (for wh ...
's ''
The Dresser
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', alongside
Ian McKellen,
Edward Fox and
Emily Watson
Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of '' Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar W ...
.
''The Dresser'' is set in a London theatre during
the Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'.
The Germa ...
, where an aging actor-manager, Sir, prepares for his starring role in ''
King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...
'' with the help of his devoted dresser, Norman.
Hopkins described his role as Sir as "the highlight of my life. It was a chance to work with the actors I had run away from. To play another actor is fun because you know the ins and outs of their thinking – especially with someone like Sir, who is a diabolically insecure, egotistical man."
He spoke again on the impact the role had on him in 2018, "When I was at the Royal National Theatre all those years ago, I knew I had something in me, but I didn’t have the discipline. I had a Welsh temperament and didn’t have that 'fitting in' mechanism. I would fight, I would rebel. I thought, 'Well, I don’t belong here.' And for almost 50 years afterwards, I felt that edge of, 'I don’t belong anywhere, I’m a loner.' But in ''The Dresser'', when Ian
cKellenresponded, it was wonderful. We got on so well and I suddenly felt at home, as though that lack of belonging was all in my imagination, all in my vanity".
Beginning in October 2016, Hopkins starred as Robert Ford in the
HBO sci-fi series ''
Westworld'' where he received a
Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance. Hopkins starred as
Lear
Lear or Leir may refer to:
Acronyms
* Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios, a Mexican association of revolutionary artists and writers
* Low Energy Ion Ring, an ion pre-accelerator of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN
** Low Energy Antipr ...
in the 2018
television film ''King Lear'' acting alongside
Emma Thompson,
Florence Pugh, and
Jim Broadbent which was broadcast on
BBC Two on 28 May 2018. Hopkins received a
Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his performance. ''
Vulture'' stated the film "capture
the heart of the classic Shakespeare tragedy", and described Hopkins' performance as "devastating".
Composing
Single
In a 2012 interview, Hopkins stated, "I've been composing music all my life and if I'd been clever enough at school I would like to have gone to music college. As it was I had to settle for being an actor."
In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world. Hopkins has also written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator. These compositions include ''The Masque of Time'', given its world premiere with the
Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008, and ''Schizoid Salsa''.
Albums
On 31 October 2011,
André Rieu
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (; is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra.
Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He r ...
released an album including a waltz which Hopkins had composed in 1964, at the age of 26. Hopkins had never heard his composition, "
And the Waltz Goes On", before it was premiered by Rieu's orchestra in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
;
Rieu's album was given the same name as Hopkins's piece.
In January 2012, Hopkins released an album of classical music, entitled ''Composer'', performed by the
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and released on CD via the UK radio station
Classic FM.
The album consists of nine of his original works and film scores, with one of the pieces titled "Margam" in tribute to his home town near
Port Talbot in Wales.
Directing
In 1990, Hopkins directed a film about his Welsh compatriot, poet
Dylan Thomas, titled ''Dylan Thomas: Return Journey'', which was his directing debut for the screen. In the same year, as part of the restoration process for the
Stanley Kubrick film ''
Spartacus'', Hopkins was approached to re-record lines from a scene that was being added back to the film; this scene featured
Laurence Olivier and
Tony Curtis, with Hopkins recommended by Olivier's widow,
Joan Plowright to perform her late husband's part thanks to his talent for mimicry.
In 1995, he directed ''
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named '' Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month i ...
'', an adaptation of
Chekhov's ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the di ...
'' set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called ''
Slipstream'', which he also directed and scored, premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival in 2007. In 1997, Hopkins narrated the
BBC natural documentary series, ''Killing for a Living'', which showed predatory behaviour in nature. He narrated episode 1 through 3 before being replaced by
John Shrapnel
John Morley Shrapnel (27 April 1942 – 14 February 2020) was an English actor. He is known mainly for his stage work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre in the United Kingdom and for his many television appearances. ...
.
Reception and acting style
Hopkins is renowned for his preparation for roles. He indicated in interviews that once he has committed to a project, he will go over his lines as many times as is needed (sometimes upwards of 200) until the lines sound natural to him, so that he can "do it without thinking". This leads to an almost casual style of delivery that belies the amount of groundwork done beforehand. While it can allow for some careful improvisation, it has also brought him into conflict with the occasional director who departs from the script, or demands what the actor views as an excessive number of takes. Hopkins has stated that after he is finished with a scene, he simply discards the lines, not remembering them later on. This is unlike others who usually remember their lines from a film, even years later.
Richard Attenborough, who directed Hopkins on five occasions, found himself going to great lengths during the filming of ''
Shadowlands'' (1993) to accommodate the differing approaches of his two stars (Hopkins and
Debra Winger), who shared many scenes. Whereas Hopkins preferred the spontaneity of a fresh take and liked to keep rehearsals to a minimum, Winger rehearsed continuously. To allow for this, Attenborough stood in for Hopkins during Winger's rehearsals, only bringing him in for the last one before a take. The director praised Hopkins for "this extraordinary ability to make you believe when you hear him that it is the very first time he has ever said that line. It's an incredible gift."
Renowned for his ability to remember lines, Hopkins keeps his memory supple by learning things by heart such as poetry and Shakespeare. In Steven Spielberg's ''
Amistad'' (1997), Hopkins astounded the crew with his memorisation of a seven-page courtroom speech, delivering it in one go. An overawed Spielberg could not bring himself to call Hopkins "Tony", and insisted on addressing him as Sir Anthony throughout the shoot.
In a 2016 interview with the ''
Radio Times'', Hopkins spoke of his ability to frighten people since he was a boy growing up in Port Talbot, Wales. "I don't know why but I've always known what scares people. When I was a kid I'd tell the girls around the street the story about
Dracula and I'd go 'th-th-th' (the sucking noise which he reproduced in ''The Silence of the Lambs''). As a result, they'd run away screaming."
["Anthony Hopkins reveals his scary Hannibal Lecter was born on the streets of Port Talbot when he was a boy"](_blank)
Wales Online. Retrieved 1 March 2018 He recalled going through the script of ''Silence of the Lambs'' for the first time with fellow cast members. "I didn't know what they were going to make of it but I'd prepared it—my first line to Jodie Foster was: 'Good morning. You're one of
Jack Crawford's aren't you?' Everyone froze. There was a silence. Then one of the producers said, 'Holy crap, don't change a thing'."
On Hopkins's approach to playing villains,
Miranda Sawyer
Miranda Caroline Sawyer (born January 1967) is an English author, journalist and broadcaster.
Education and early life
Sawyer was born in Bristol and grew up in Wilmslow, Cheshire with her brother Toby, who is an actor. Sawyer was educated at ...
in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' writes, "When he portrays deliberately scary people, he plays them quietly, emphasising their sinister control."
Hopkins is a well-known
mimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. In the 1991 restoration of ''
Spartacus'', he recreated the voice of his late mentor
Laurence Olivier in a scene for which the soundtrack had been lost. His interview on the 1998 relaunch edition of the British television talk show ''
Parkinson'' featured an impersonation of comedian
Tommy Cooper. Hopkins has said acting "like a submarine" has helped him to deliver credible performances in his thrillers. He said, "It's very difficult for an actor to avoid, you want to show a bit. But I think the less one shows the better."
Acting credits
Awards, honours and legacy
Hopkins was appointed a
CBE in 1987 and was
knighted by Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
for "services to the arts" at Buckingham Palace in 1993. In 1988, he was awarded an honorary
D.Litt. degree and in 1992 received an honorary fellowship from the
University of Wales, Lampeter.
He was made a
freeman of his home town,
Port Talbot, in 1996.
Hopkins has also been honored with various life time achievement awards for his work in film and television. In 2006,
Gwyneth Paltrow presented him with the
Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille award In 2008,
Richard Attenborough presented Hopkins with the
BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement from the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
. Hopkins has also received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. In 2021, Hopkins won the Oscar for the Best Actor for ''The Father''. He became the
oldest nominee and winner of the award.
Personal life
Hopkins resides in
Malibu, California. He had moved to the United States once before, during the late 1970s, to pursue his film career, but returned to London in the late 1980s. However, he decided to return to the US following his 1990s success. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a naturalised American citizen on 12 April 2000, with Hopkins stating: "I have dual citizenship; it just so happens I live in America".
Hopkins has been married three times. He was married to actress
Petronella Barker from 1966 to 1972, Jennifer Lynton from 1973 to 2002, and Stella Arroyave since 2003. Hopkins met Arroyave, a Colombian-born antiques dealer in the early 2000s, and he credits her with helping him overcome his feelings of depression at the time. On Christmas Eve 2013, he celebrated his 10th wedding anniversary by having a blessing at a private service at
St Davids Cathedral in
St Davids. He has a daughter from his first marriage. The two are
estranged; when asked if he had any grandchildren, he said, "I don't have any idea. People break up. Families split and, you know, 'Get on with your life.' People make choices. I don't care one way or the other."
Hopkins previously suffered from alcoholism; he has stayed sober since he stopped drinking just after Christmas 1975. He said, "I made that quantum leap when I asked for help. I just found something and a woman talked to me and she said, just trust in God. And I said, well, why not?" When asked, "Did you literally pray?" Hopkins responded: "No, I didn't. I think because I asked for help, which is a form of prayer."
In January 2020, when asked if he was still agnostic, he responded, "Agnosticism is a bit strange. An agnostic doubts and atheism denies. I'm not a holy Joe; I'm just an old sinner like everyone else. I do believe more than ever now that there is a vast area of our own lives that we know nothing about. As I get older, I can cry at the drop of a hat because the wonderful, terrible passion of life is so short. I have to believe there's something bigger than me. I'm just a microbe. That, for me, is the biggest feeling of relief – acknowledging that I am really nothing. I'm compelled to say, whoever's running the show, thank you very much."
Hopkins quit smoking using the
Allen Carr
Allen John Carr (2 September 1934 – 29 November 2006) was a British author of books about stopping smoking and other psychological dependencies including alcohol addiction.
Biography
Born in Putney, London, Carr started smoking cigarettes ...
method. In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss programme, and by 2010, he had lost 5
st 10 lb (80 lb or 36 kg). In January 2017, in an interview with ''
The Desert Sun'', Hopkins reported that he had been diagnosed with
Asperger syndrome, but that he was
"high end". Hopkins has a pet cat named Niblo, which he adopted in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
.
Hopkins is a fan of the BBC sitcom ''
Only Fools and Horses'', and once remarked in an interview how he would love to appear in the series. Writer
John Sullivan saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the character
Danny Driscoll, a local villain. However, filming of the new series coincided with the filming of ''The Silence of the Lambs'', making Hopkins unavailable. The role instead went to
Roy Marsden. In 2021, he revealed that he was diagnosed with
autism.
Philanthropy
Hopkins has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the
National Trust's
Snowdonia
Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951.
Name and extent
It was a commonly held belief that the na ...
Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of
Snowdonia National Park in north Wales. In 1998 he donated
£1 million towards the £3 million needed to aid the Trust's efforts in purchasing parts of
Snowdon.
["Anthony Hopkins gives pounds 1m to Snowdon"](_blank)
''The Independent''. Retrieved 19 October 2011.["Hopkins gives a million to save Snowdonia"](_blank)
BBC. Retrieved 19 October 2011. Prior to the campaign, Hopkins authored ''Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia'', which was published in 1995. Due to his contributions to Snowdonia, in addition to his film career, in 2004 Hopkins was named among the
100 Welsh Heroes in a Welsh poll.
Hopkins has been a patron of the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
centre in his home town of
Port Talbot, South Wales, for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s. He supports other various philanthropic groups. He was a Guest of Honour at a Gala Fundraiser for Women in Recovery, Inc., a
Venice, California-based non-profit organisation offering rehabilitation assistance to women in recovery from substance abuse. He is also a volunteer teacher at the Ruskin School of Acting in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
. Hopkins served as the Honorary Patron of The New Heritage Theatre Company in
Boise, Idaho from 1997 to 2007, participating in fundraising and marketing efforts for the repertory theatre.
Hopkins contributed toward the refurbishment of a £2.3 million wing at his alma mater, the
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, named the Anthony Hopkins Centre. It opened in 1999.
Hopkins is a prominent member of environmental protection group
Greenpeace and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns about
Japan's continuing annual whale hunt. He has also been a patron of
RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) since its early days and in 1992 helped open their first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit at
Downview (HM Prison), a women's prison in Surrey, England.
Hopkins is an admirer of the late Welsh comedian
Tommy Cooper. On 23 February 2008, as patron of the Tommy Cooper Society, he unveiled a commemorative statue in the entertainer's home town of
Caerphilly. For the ceremony, he donned Cooper's trademark
fez and performed a comic routine.
See also
*
List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
*
List of British Academy Award nominees and winners
This article is a list of British Academy Award winners and nominees. This list details the filmmakers, actors, actresses, and others born and working in the United Kingdom who have been nominated for or have won an Academy Award.
Best Actor in ...
*
List of actors with Academy Awards nominations
*
List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
*
List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, Anthony
1937 births
Living people
20th-century Welsh male actors
21st-century Welsh male actors
Actors awarded knighthoods
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
American people of Welsh descent
BAFTA fellows
Best Actor Academy Award winners
Best Actor BAFTA Award winners
Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners
British expatriate male actors in the United States
Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Cool Cymru
Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners
David di Donatello winners
Drama Desk Award winners
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music
Knights Bachelor
Laurence Olivier Award winners
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
People educated at Cowbridge Grammar School
People educated at West Monmouth School
People from Port Talbot
People with Asperger syndrome
Welsh expatriates in the United States
Welsh male film actors
Welsh male Shakespearean actors
Welsh male stage actors
Welsh male television actors