Philip Anthony Hopkins was born in theMargam district ofPort Talbot, Wales, on 31 December 1937,[7] the son of Annie Muriel (née Yeates) and baker Richard Arthur Hopkins.[8] One of his grandfathers was fromWiltshire, England.[9] 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."[6] 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 attendJones' West Monmouth Boys' School inPontypool. He remained there for five terms and was then educated atCowbridge Grammar School in theVale of Glamorgan. 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."[10]
Hopkins studied atRADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London from 1961 to 1963. In 2005, a new portrait of him featured in their centenary celebrations.[11]
Hopkins was inspired by fellow Welsh actorRichard Burton, whom he met at the age of 15. He later called Burton "very gracious, very nice"[12] 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."[1] He enrolled at theRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama inCardiff, from which he graduated in 1957.[13] He next met Burton in 1975 as Burton prepared to take over Hopkins' role as the psychiatrist in Peter Shaffer'sEquus, with Hopkins stating, "He was a phenomenal actor. So wasPeter O'Toole – they were wonderful, larger-than-life characters."[12] He spent two years doing hisnational service between 1958 and 1960, which he served in theBritish Army'sRoyal Artillery regiment where he was known as "Gunner Hopkins", before moving to London to study atRADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) from where he graduated in 1963.[10]
Career
1960–1979: Theatre roles and film debut
Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in thePalace Theatre, Swansea, in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production ofHave a Cigarette.[14] In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted byLaurence Olivier, who invited him to join theRoyal National Theatre in London.[13] Hopkins became Olivier'sunderstudy, and filled in when Olivier was struck withappendicitis during a 1967 production ofAugust Strindberg'sThe Dance of Death. Olivier later noted in his memoir,Confessions of an Actor, that, "A new young actor in the company of exceptional promise named Anthony Hopkins was understudying me and walked away with the part of Edgar like a cat with a mouse between its teeth."[15] 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 [Olivier] said: 'Remember: "nerves" is vanity – you're wondering what people think of you; to hell with them, just jump off the edge'. It was great advice."[6]
Richard Attenborough directed Hopkins in five films, and in the 1970s described him as "unquestionably the greatest actor of his generation".[6]
In 1980, he starred inDavid Lynch'sThe Elephant Man as the English doctorSir Frederick Treves, who attends toJoseph Merrick (portrayed byJohn Hurt), a severely deformed man in 19th century London. The film received critical praise and attention from critics and received eightAcademy Award nominations including forBest Picture. That year he also starred oppositeShirley MacLaine inA Change of Seasons. They famously did not get along; Hopkins later called her "the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with".[24] The film was a box office and critical failure. In 1981, he starred in theCBS television filmThe Bunker portrayingAdolf Hitler during the final weeks of his life in and around his underground bunker in Berlin. John O'Connor praised Hopkins in hisNew York Times 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 moreacceptable as a dramatic and historical character."[25] For his performance, he received aPrimetime Emmy Award forOutstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. That same year he starred asPaul the Apostle oppositeRobert Foxworth asSaint Peter in the biblical drama and miniseriesPeter and Paul (1981).
He played the Soviet spyGuy Burgess in the BBC filmBlunt: the Fourth Man (1986) oppositeIan Richardson asAnthony Blunt, fellow spy and Surveyor of The King's Pictures.In 1986 he starred in David Hare's production ofKing Lear, Hopkins' favouriteShakespeare play, at the National Theatre.[12] The next year, he starred asMark Antony in the National Theatre production ofAntony and Cleopatra oppositeJudi Dench, and in 1989, Hopkins made his last appearance on stage in aWest End production ofM. Butterfly. "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.'"[32] In 1989, he starred asAbel Magwitch in the miniseriesGreat Expectations which was broadcast onITV in the UK andThe Disney Channel in the US. The adaptation of theDickens' novel also starredJean Simmons andJohn Rhys-Davies. He received his fourthPrimetime Emmy Award nomination, this time forOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
1990–1999:The Silence of the Lambs and film stardom
Hopkins won acclaim among critics and audiences as thecannibalisticserial killerHannibal Lecter inThe Silence of the Lambs, for which he won theAcademy Award for Best Actor in 1991, withJodie Foster asClarice Starling, who also won forBest Actress. The film wonBest Picture,Best Director andBest Adapted Screenplay, and Hopkins also picked up his firstBAFTA for Best Actor. Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice; inRidley Scott'sHannibal (2001), andRed Dragon (2002). His original portrayal of the character inThe Silence of the Lambs has been labelled by theAFI as thenumber-one film villain.[33] DirectorJonathan Demme wanted a British actor for the role, with 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."[34] At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing inM. Butterfly. 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."[15]
Hopkins reprised the role, returning to the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels byThomas Harris. The author was reportedly pleased with Hopkins' portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated thatRed Dragon (2002) 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 (2007).[35] The following year, Hopkins was featured inMark Joffe's filmSpotswood and the science fiction filmFreejack and also played supporting roles asCharlie Chaplin's biographer inRichard Attenborough's biographical dramaChaplin (1992) andProfessor Van Helsing inFrancis Ford Coppola's horror adaptationBram Stoker's Dracula (1992).
Hopkins portrayed Oxford academicC. S. Lewis in the 1993 British biographical filmShadowlands, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor.[41] Also that year he acted oppositeIsabella Rossellini in the dramaThe Innocent (1993) which was adapted from theIan McEwannovel of the same name. During this period, Hopkins had the chance to work withBart the Bear in two films:Legends of the Fall (1994) andThe 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."[42] Hopkins was Britain's highest-paid performer in 1998, starring inThe Mask of Zorro andMeet Joe Black, and also agreed to reprise his role as Hannibal Lecter for a fee of£15 million.[43]
In 2000, Hopkins narratedRon Howard's live action remake ofHow the Grinch Stole Christmas. He then reprised the role ofHannibal Lecter inThe Silence of the Lambs sequel simply entitledHannibal (2001). DirectorRidley Scott and actressJulianne Moore replaced Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster who declined to participate in the sequel. Hopkins, who previously starred with Moore inSurviving Picasso (1996), agreed to do the role approving of the script. In the book, Lecter uses bandages to disguise himself as aplastic surgery patient. This was left out of the film because Scott and Hopkins agreed to leave the face alone.[44] 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, aRenaissance man.":[44]
He's still the sort ofRobin Hood of killers. He kills the—what do they call them? The terminally rude.
— Hopkins on Hannibal Lecter prior to Ridley Scott'sHannibal.[45]
Lecter T-shirt worn by Hopkins inHannibal on display at theLondon Film Museum
In the film, Lecter is first seen in Florence "as the classical Lecter, lecturing and being smooth", according to Hopkins.[46] 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, that he would be so fit and so strong that he could just snap somebody in two if they got ... in his way".[46] The film broke international box office records receiving $351 million,[47] but received mixed reviews from critics.[48] Hopkins starred in the third film in the seriesRed Dragon (2002) alongsideRalph Fiennes,Edward Norton,Harvey Keitel,Emily Watson, andPhilip Seymour Hoffman. The film received generally favourable reviews and was a box office hit.[49][50]
On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast inThe 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".[56] 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.[57] In 2011, Hopkins said, "what I enjoy is uncertainty. ... I don't know. You don't know."[58] On 21 September 2011,Peter R. de Vries cast Hopkins in the role of theHeineken ownerFreddy Heineken, in the film about his kidnapping,[59]Kidnapping Freddy Heineken (2015).[60]
In October 2015, Hopkins appeared as Sir in aBBC Two production ofRonald Harwood'sThe Dresser, alongsideIan McKellen,Edward Fox andEmily Watson.[63]The Dresser is set in a London theatre duringthe Blitz, where an aging actor-manager, Sir, prepares for his starring role inKing Lear with the help of his devoted dresser, Norman.[63] 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."[6] 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 inThe Dresser, when Ian [McKellen] responded, 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".[32]
In 2020, Hopkins played a man struggling withAlzheimer's disease inThe Father. The film premiered at theSundance Film Festival where it received critical acclaim, with many critics praising Hopkins' performance and calling him a standout and Oscar frontrunner.[68] The film also starsOlivia Colman as his daughter. It is based on aTony Award nominated playLe Père byFlorian Zeller, who also directed the film.The Father was released on 18 December 2020 bySony Pictures Classics.[69] In a Q&A at theTelluride 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 withIan McKellen inThe Dresser,Emma Thompson inKing Lear, andJonathan Pryce inThe Two Popes.[70] Hopkins won theBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance inThe Father, making it his fourth BAFTA and his third for Best Actor.[71] He also won a secondAcademy Award for Best Actor for his role, becoming the oldest person to win an acting Oscar.[72] 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 nomineeChadwick Boseman, who had died the previous year.[73][74]
Panorama ofSnowdonia in north Wales which Hopkins described as "one of the most beautiful places in the world and Snowdon is the jewel that lies at its heart. It must be cherished and protected."[82]
Hopkins has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of theNational Trust'sSnowdonia Appeal, raising funds for the preservation ofSnowdonia 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 ofSnowdon.[43][82] Prior to the campaign, Hopkins wroteAnthony Hopkins' Snowdonia, which was published in 1995.[83] Due to his contributions to Snowdonia, in addition to his film career, in 2004 Hopkins was named among the100 Welsh Heroes in a Welsh poll.[84]
Hopkins has been a patron of theYMCA centre in his home town ofPort Talbot, south Wales, for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s.[85] He supports other various philanthropic groups. He was a Guest of Honour at a Gala Fundraiser for Women in Recovery, Inc., aVenice, 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 inSanta Monica, California. Hopkins served as the Honorary Patron of The New Heritage Theatre Company inBoise, Idaho from 1997 to 2007, participating in fundraising and marketing efforts for the repertory theatre.[86]
Hopkins contributed toward the refurbishment of a £2.3 million wing at his alma mater, theRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, named the Anthony Hopkins Centre. It opened in 1999.[87][88]
Hopkins is a prominent member of the environmental protection groupGreenpeace and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns aboutwhaling in Japan.[89] He has also been a patron ofRAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) since its early days and in 1992 helped open their first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit atDownview (HM Prison), a women's prison in Surrey, England.[90]
Hopkins is an admirer of the late Welsh comedianTommy Cooper. On 23 February 2008, as patron of the Tommy Cooper Society, he unveiled a commemorative statue in the entertainer's home town ofCaerphilly. For the ceremony, he donned Cooper's trademarkfez and performed a comic routine.[91]
In an 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."[1] In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in theUK singles chart.[92]
In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world.[93] Hopkins has also written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator. These compositions includeThe Masque of Time, given its world premiere with theDallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008, andSchizoid Salsa.[94]
On 31 October 2011,André Rieu 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 inVienna;[95][96] Rieu's album was given the same name as Hopkins' piece.[97]
In January 2012, Hopkins released an album of classical music, entitledComposer, performed by theCity of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and released on CD via the UK radio stationClassic FM.[98] 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 nearPort Talbot in Wales.[98]
In 1990, Hopkins directed a film about his Welsh compatriot, poetDylan Thomas, titledDylan Thomas: Return Journey, which was his directing debut for the screen. In the same year, as part of the restoration process for theStanley Kubrick filmSpartacus, Hopkins was approached to re-record lines from a scene that was being added back to the film; this scene featuredLaurence Olivier andTony Curtis, with Hopkins recommended by Olivier's widow,Joan Plowright to perform her late husband's part thanks to his talent for mimicry.[100]
In 1995, he directedAugust, an adaptation ofChekhov'sUncle Vanya set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama calledSlipstream, which he also directed and scored, premiered at theSundance Film Festival in 2007. In 1997, Hopkins narrated theBBC natural documentary series,Killing for a Living, which showed predatory behaviour in nature. He narrated episode 1 through 3 before being replaced byJohn Shrapnel.
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.[101]
In the mid-1970s, he started a collaboration withRichard Attenborough who called him "the greatest actor of his generation". Attenborough, who directed Hopkins on five occasions, found himself going to great lengths during the filming ofShadowlands (1993) to accommodate the differing approaches of his two stars (Hopkins andDebra 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."[15]
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'sAmistad (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.[102]
In a 2016 interview with theRadio 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 aboutDracula and I'd go 'th-th-th' (the sucking noise which he reproduced inThe Silence of the Lambs). As a result, they'd run away screaming."[103] He recalled going through the script ofSilence 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 ofJack Crawford's aren't you?' Everyone froze. There was a silence. Then one of the producers said, 'Holy crap, don't change a thing'."[103] On Hopkins' approach to playing villains,Miranda Sawyer inThe Guardian writes, "When he portrays deliberately scary people, he plays them quietly, emphasising their sinister control."[32]
Speaking on his favourite performances which inspired him in his own approach to acting,Morgan Freeman mentioned Hopkins' portrayal of the butler Stevens inThe Remains of the Day.[104] Discussing how he learnt "stillness" fromJosé Ferrer, Freeman continued, "It’s what I learn from the great actors that I work with. Stillness. That’s all and that’s the hardest thing. The other actor still like that is Anthony Hopkins. Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen–that stillness becomes a radiance. It’s all about eloquent stillness. I’ve told Hopkins that that performance was one of the great lessons for me as an actor."[104]
Hopkins is a well-knownmimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. In the 1991 restoration ofSpartacus, he recreated the voice of his late mentorLaurence Olivier in a scene for which the soundtrack had been lost. His interview on the 1998 relaunch edition of the British television talk showParkinson featured an impersonation of comedianTommy 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."[105]
Personal life
Hopkins has a residence inMalibu, California.[106] In January 2025, his two neighbouring homes inPacific Palisades, Los Angeles, were destroyed by thePalisades Fire.[107][108] He 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".[109][110]
Hopkins has been married three times. He was married to actressPetronella 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.[111] On Christmas Eve 2013, he celebrated his 10th wedding anniversary by having a blessing at a private service atSt Davids Cathedral inSt Davids.[112] He has a daughter from his first marriage. The two areestranged; 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."[113] In another interview, he said, "I guess I am selfish. I have not been a good husband or father."[114]
Hopkins is a recoveringalcoholic; he has stayed sober since just after Christmas 1975.[115][116] 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."[58] 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."[66]
Hopkins quit smoking using theAllen Carr method.[117] In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss programme, and by 2010, he had lost 5st 10 lb (80 lb or 36 kg).[118] In January 2017, in an interview withThe Desert Sun, Hopkins said that he had been diagnosed withAsperger syndrome three years earlier, but that he was "high end".[119][120] In 2020, he said that "it's a great gift, actually".[121]
He has a pet cat named Niblo, which he adopted inBudapest.[122] Hopkins eschews meat and prefers apescatarian diet.[123]
He is a fan of the BBC sitcomOnly Fools and Horses, and once remarked in an interview how he would love to appear in the series. WriterJohn Sullivan saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the characterDanny Driscoll, a local villain. However, filming of the new series coincided with the filming ofThe Silence of the Lambs, making Hopkins unavailable. The role instead went toRoy Marsden.[124]
Commenting on the loss of his Los Angeles home in the 2025 Palisades fire, Hopkins posted a message onInstagram, supporting those affected, and saying "the only thing we take with us is the love we give".[125]
^abcCrace, John (23 January 2012)."Anthony Hopkins: 'I've never really been close to anyone'".The Guardian. Retrieved23 January 2015.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 [Port Talbot]. I once went up to his sister's house to ask for his autograph which he gave me and the only other time I met him was in his dressing room in New York when he was performing in Equus.
^"Magic (1978)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved25 April 2022.Magic was also well received by critics, with Gene Siskel placing the film at number 9 on his list of Top 10 Films of 1978
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