Curiosidades

Reads each script 250 times out loud before filming, and to exercise his memory, memorizes one new poem a week.

Is proud of his improvisational touches as Hannibal Lecter in El silencio de los corderos (1991) such as: the unnerving effect on Jodie Foster when he mocked her character's West Virginia accent; the distorion of the word "chianti" and the vile slurping sound he makes after he describes eating the "census-taker." Hopkins also notes that Hannibal never blinked his eyes when he spoke.

Though dyslexic, he's always possessed a great memory for scripts.

Had a brush with death while shooting El desafío (1997) in Alberta, Canada. He fell in a river, and was rushed to hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

Volunteers at the Ruskins School of Acting in Santa Monica, California, where he teaches everything from Shakespeare to scenes, theory, and monologues.

1975: Conquered his alcoholic addiction.

He included some unusual touches for Hannibal Lecter during his preparation for the role, among which were making Lecter's voice similar to the cutting warble of Katharine Hepburn and almost never blinking, a characteristic he picked up from watching tapes of convicted murderer Charles Manson.

4/12/00: Became a U.S. citizen, but is allowed to retain his British knighthood and the title of Sir.

During filming of Amistad (1997), he astounded the cast and crew by memorizing a seven page speech in one go. Steven Spielberg was so impressed that he insisted on calling him "Sir Anthony" throughout the shoot rather than Tony.

His early ambition was to be a concert pianist.

Likes to be called "Tony."

Piano virtuoso.

Was offered the lead role in Gandhi (1982) by Richard Attenborough. When Hopkins called his father to tell him, his father responded with: "Oh, its a comedy then is it!?".

His Oscar-winning performance as Hannibal Lecter in El silencio de los corderos (1991) was ranked #1 on the American Film Institute's Villains list in its compilation of the 100 Years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains.

An accomplished painter, he has allowed some of his landscape paintings to be exhibited in San Antonio, Texas.

Turned down the role of Alfred Pennyworth in Batman Begins (2005).

Is on the autistic spectrum and stimulates his senses by rubbing his hands together.

Diagnosed late in life as having Asperger's.

Served in the British Army's Royal Artillery regiment, as part of his 'National Service', where all young men aged 18-21 had to.join the armed forces for two years, after WW2 and was known as "Gunner Hopkins".

His performance as Hannibal Lecter in El silencio de los corderos (1991) is ranked #15 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

His favorite horror film is La semilla del diablo (1968).

He chose to play Prof. Van Helsing in Drácula de Bram Stoker (1992) because he was still riding the success of his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in El silencio de los corderos (1991) and wanted to pick a role as far removed from Lecter as possible.

One of his greatest pleasures in past years on his frequent visits to the USA was to get in a car and drive across the country, enjoying its immensity as well as his own anonymity.

9/99: Was selected by an Entertainment Weekly on-line movie poll as the Best Modern Actor and the Best Villain for his role as Hannibal Lecter.

Became the oldest person to win an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role when he won for his performance for El padre (2020). Hopkins was 83 years old at the time of the ceremony.

Is related to the poet William Butler Yeats on his mother's side of the family.

Pledged $1.6 million to help preserve 4,000 acres of Mt. Snowdon, Wales' highest peak.

9/24/03: Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He has been wanted very much in the James Bond franchise. First, he was in talks to play a villain in Timothy Dalton's unmade third film. Then he was the first choice of the villains in both Goldeneye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Then he was rumored for Albert Finney's role in Skyfall (2012).

As a child, he was very close to his maternal grandfather, who for some reason called him "George", while his father called him "Charlie".

1/01: He ranked second in the Orange Film Survey of the greatest British films actors.

He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1993 New Year Honours List for his services to drama.

He's the only child of a couple who ran a bakery.

9/20/05: On The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), he said that he is most proud of El silencio de los corderos (1991), Lo que queda del día (1993) and La verdad oculta (Proof) (2005).

He often accompanied his father, who always whistled while on his bakery rounds and he put that into his character in Burt Munro. Un sueño, una leyenda (2005).

Has played a King of England (Richard I, the Lionheart), a Prime Minister of England (David Lloyd George), and two U.S. Presidents (John Quincy Adams and Richard Nixon).

He gave life to many historical figures in many movies and miniseries from presidents to writers and military leaders. His gallery of characters includes Alfred Hitchcock, Richard Nixon, John Quincy Adams, Charles Dickens, Adolf Hitler, Yitzhak Rabin, Pablo Picasso, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, David Lloyd George, Frederick Treves, Lieutenant Colonel Frost, Lieutenant William Bligh, Frank P. Doel, C.S. Lewis, Count Galeazzo Ciano, John Harvey Kellogg and Burt Munro.

In 1964 Hopkins composed a waltz named "And The Waltz Goes On", but he kept it in a drawer for many years until his wife contacted Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu in 2010. Rieu arranged the piece and it premiered in Vienna in 2011 in the presence of Anthony Hopkins. Rieu included the waltz in his playlist for his next tour and produced a CD named after the waltz.

Into the 1991 restoration of Espartaco (1960), scenes were reintroduced which had been cut from the picture's 1967 reissue. One such segment has Laurence Olivier, in the role of Marcus Crassus, attempting to seduce the slave Antoninus (played by Tony Curtis). But the original soundtrack for this segment had become lost. And so, Olivier having died in 1989, Anthony Hopkins imitated the voice of Olivier (whom Hopkins had understudied at the Old Vic) for the scene's re-created soundtrack. (The surviving Tony Curtis presumably supplied his own voice.)

His parents were of half Welsh and half English descent. His paternal grandfather, Richard Arthur Thomas Hopkins, and his maternal grandmother, Sophia Phillips, were Welsh. His paternal grandmother, Emma Gardner, and his maternal grandfather, Thomas Frederick Yeates, were both English.

Quit smoking cigarettes using the Allen Carr method.

After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he served two years in the British Army before beginning his acting career.

Is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Stratford-upon-Avon, England, where he spent three seasons after graduating from RADA.

Admitted that he felt very intimidated by the real Lt. Col. John Frost, who he played in the movie Un puente lejano (1977) when Frost visited the set one day to see how things were going.

Studied at the The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London,England. (1961-63). His fellow students included John Hurt, Ian McShane and David Warner.

10/97: Ranked #57 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

He appeared in five films directed by Richard Attenborough: El joven Winston (1972), Un puente lejano (1977), Magic - El muñeco diabólico (1978), Chaplin (1992) and Tierras de penumbra (1993).

Resides in Santa Monica, California.

He has appeared in six films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: El león en invierno (1968), El hombre elefante (1980), El silencio de los corderos (1991), Regreso a Howards End (1992), Lo que queda del día (1993) and El padre (2020). The Silence of the Lambs won in the category.

Set up his own company in the late 1970s, the 'South Coast Repertory Company', designed to perform in American high schools and universities.