Sir Anthony Hopkins has played a variety of parts, each of which is iconic in its own way. His love for performing is palpable in the audience, and it is this that distinguishes him as one of the best performers who has ever lived.
Among the several characters he has done throughout the years, Hannibal Lecter is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and strong. It earned him an Academy Award and catapulted his career.
Hopkins recalls in an interview with Variety how he was approached to be a part of The Silence of the Lambs:
“I’m overjoyed that the film was a success. I’m honored to be a part of it. I was in the theater in London when my agent contacted me— his name was Jeremy Conway— and said, “I’m sending a script to the theater called The Silence of the Lambs.”
“Is it a children’s story?” I inquired. I had no idea. ‘No,’ he replied. ‘It’s with Jodie Foster,’ says the narrator. ‘Oh,’ I said.
“Actually, I believe Jodie recently got the Oscar for The Accused. So I went into the dressing room and began reading it, getting through approximately ten pages. “I thought, ‘Ooh, that’s it,’ when [FBI agent] Crawford said, ‘You don’t want Hannibal Lecter inside your skull,'” he continued. “I called my agent and asked, ‘Is this an offer?’” she said. This is the best bit I’ve ever written…’ ‘Well, it’s not a significant portion,’ he explained. “I don’t care,” I responded.”
Hopkins received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement from the Golden Globes in 2006, and he won another Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film The Father in 2021.
Hopkins has been married three times in his personal life. Hopkin married his first wife, actress Petronella Barker, in 1966, and their daughter Abigail, Hopkin’s sole child, was born two years later. He and his daughter, on the other hand, are not on speaking terms and haven’t communicated in over 20 years.
“I accepted it a long time ago. He remarked to his daughter, “It’s her choice, and she has to live her life.”
“If your parents are causing you problems, move out,” I advise young people. You have to let go. You don’t have to kill your parents, but if they’re holding you back, simply leave.”
Hopkins married Jennifer Lynton in 1973, a year after divorcing his first wife. They were married for nearly thirty years, and a year after their divorce was finalized, he married Stella Arroyave, his current wife, who is 18 years his junior.
Their first meeting was a happy accident. He happened to walk into her antique shop, which she owned, with the hopes of locating some furniture. He instead discovered love.
Stella grew up in New York before relocating to California to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. However, she was not fortunate enough to land a job in Hollywood at the moment and had to abandon her goal. Everything changed when she met Hopkins. Stella had the chance to work with him and Nicole Kidman in films such as The Human Stain, and she is now a prominent director and screenwriter.
“At UCLA, I took a lot of writing, directing, and filmmaking classes. Stella told Yahoo, “I did some music videos.” “I created the [2007] film Slipstream when I married Tony. I’ve always wanted to direct, produce, and write. It was something I studied and nurtured.”
In 2020, she made her directorial debut with the film Elyse, which starred her husband.
Stella told Variety about working with Hopkins, saying, “He’s a great professional.” He treated the set, me, and the actors the same way he treated any other film set. He knew what he was doing and asked me what I thought, and we had a few nice ideas and exchanges.”
Stella said before the film that she chatted with Hopkin’s elementary school teacher, who told her something unusual about the actor.
“He stated he wouldn’t have expected Anthony would reach this level of accomplishment out of all the children in the school since Anthony was a loner,” she said.
“The only thing he noticed was that he liked to doodle and play the piano. It established Tony’s status as a reclusive individual who cherishes his solitude. He is, nevertheless, a genius.
“His passion — art, music, movies, and theater — is his concentration. She went on to say, “He’s enjoying his life to the fullest, being himself to the fullest extent of his enthusiasm.” ” I believe you understand.”