View source for Anthony Hopkins

{{Short description|Welsh actor (born 1937)}}
{{Distinguish|Antony Hopkins|A. G. Hopkins}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]]
| name               = Anthony Hopkins
| honorific_suffix   = {{postnominals|country=GBR-cats|size=100%|CBE}}
| image              = AnthonyHopkins10TIFF.jpg
| caption            = Hopkins in 2010
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1937|12|31}}
| birth_place        = [[Port Talbot]], Glamorgan, Wales
| birth_name         = Philip Anthony Hopkins
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Anthony Hopkins|Full list]]
| citizenship        = {{hlist|UK|US}}
| alma_mater         = {{ubl| [[Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama]] | [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]}}
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|director|producer}}
| years_active       = 1960–present
| works              = [[List of Anthony Hopkins performances|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list
  | {{marriage|[[Petronella Barker (actress, born 1942)|Petronella Barker]]|1966|1972|end=divorced}}
  | {{marriage|Jennifer Lynton|1973|2002|end=divorced}}
  | {{marriage|Stella Arroyave|2003}}}}
| children           = 1
}}
'''Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins''' (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh<!--As per [[MOS:BIO]]; became notable as Welsh, and self identifies as Welsh; 2012 Guardian interview; "I suppose it's because we are both Welsh" --> actor.<ref name="Guardian interview 2012"/> Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for [[List of Anthony Hopkins performances|his performances on the screen and stage]]. Hopkins has received numerous [[List of awards and nominations received by Anthony Hopkins|accolades]], including two [[Academy Awards]], four [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Awards]], two [[Primetime Emmy Awards]], and a [[Laurence Olivier Award]]. He has also received the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award|Cecil B. DeMille Award]] in 2005 and the [[BAFTA Fellowship]] for lifetime achievement in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2005/11/ap-hopkins-to-receive-cecil-b-demille-award-77646/ |title=AP: Hopkins to Receive Cecil B. DeMille Award |website=[[IndieWire]] |accessdate=28 December 2022 |archive-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228122736/https://www.indiewire.com/2005/11/ap-hopkins-to-receive-cecil-b-demille-award-77646/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] by Queen [[Elizabeth II]] for his services to drama in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/celebrities-knighted-queen-elizabeth-royal-family |title=From Lewis Hamilton to Twiggy: All the Celebrities Knighted by the British Royal Family |website=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] |date=7 November 2018 |accessdate=28 December 2022}}</ref>

After graduating from the [[Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama]] in 1957, Hopkins trained at [[RADA]] (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]]'' (his favourite [[Shakespeare play]]), ''[[Coriolanus]]'', ''[[Macbeth]]'', and ''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]''. In 1985, he received acclaim and a [[1985 Laurence Olivier Awards|Laurence Olivier Award]] for his performance in the [[David Hare (playwright)|David Hare]] play ''[[Pravda (play)|Pravda]]''. His last stage play was a [[West End theatre|West End]] production of ''[[M. Butterfly]]'' in 1989.

Hopkins's early film roles include ''[[The Lion in Winter (1968 film)|The Lion in Winter]]'' (1968), ''[[A Bridge Too Far (film)|A Bridge Too Far]]'' (1977), ''[[Magic (1978 film)|Magic]]'' (1978), and ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'' (1980). He won two [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Academy Awards for Best Actor]] for playing [[Hannibal Lecter]] in the horror thriller ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' (1991) and an octogenarian with dementia in the [[psychological drama]] ''[[The Father (2020 film)|The Father]]'' (2020).{{efn|Hopkins' win for ''The Father'' made him the [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Best Actor in a Leading Role|oldest Best Actor Oscar winner]].<ref name="wrap-oldest-nominee">{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/anthony-hopkins-becomes-oldest-best-actor-nominee-at-oscars/ |title=Anthony Hopkins Becomes Oldest Best Actor Nominee at Oscars |work=The Wrap |first=Beatrice |last=Verhoeven |date=15 March 2021|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="slate-oldest-winner">{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2021/04/anthony-hopkins-oscars-2021-best-actor-autism-aspergers.html |title=Anthony Hopkins' Age Isn't the Only Noteworthy Thing About His Oscar Win |work=Slate |first=Marissa |last=Martinelli |date=26 April 2021|access-date=12 May 2021}}</ref>}} He was also Oscar-nominated for ''[[The Remains of the Day (film)|The Remains of the Day]]'' (1993), ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995), ''[[Amistad (film)|Amistad]]'' (1997), and ''[[The Two Popes]]'' (2019). Other notable films include ''[[84 Charing Cross Road (film)|84 Charing Cross Road]]'' (1987), ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'' (1992), ''[[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]'' (1992), ''[[Shadowlands (1993 film)|Shadowlands]]'' (1993), ''[[Legends of the Fall]]'' (1994), ''[[The Mask of Zorro]]'' (1998), and the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] films (2011–2017).

For his work on television, Hopkins received a [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]] for his performance in ''[[War and Peace (1972 TV series)|War and Peace]]'' (1972). He won two [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]] for ''[[The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case]]'' (1976) and ''[[The Bunker (1981 film)|The Bunker]]'' (1981). Other notable projects include the BBC film ''[[The Dresser (2015 film)|The Dresser]]'' (2015), PBS' ''[[King Lear (2018 film)|King Lear]]'' (2018), and the [[HBO]] series ''[[Westworld (TV series)|Westworld]]'' (2016–2018).<ref name="Telegraph 2015"/>
<!--Do not add more titles to this section. It's a sample, not a complete list.-->

==Early life and education ==

Philip Anthony Hopkins was born in the [[Margam]] district of [[Port Talbot]], Wales, on 31 December 1937,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/sir-anthony-hopkins-offers-buy-2496680 |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins offers to buy Welsh childhood home |website=[[WalesOnline]] |access-date=2 January 2016 |first=Robin |last=Turner |date=5 January 2013}}</ref> the son of Annie Muriel (née Yeates) and baker Richard Arthur Hopkins.<ref name="actors">Stated in interview on ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]'', 2007.</ref> One of his grandfathers was from [[Wiltshire]], England.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/anthony-hopkins-feels-personal-connection-to-role-as-jewish-american-grandfather/ |title=Anthony Hopkins feels personal connection to role as Jewish-American grandfather |work=The Times of Israel |last=Coyle |first=Jake |date=25 October 2022 |access-date=27 October 2022}}</ref> 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."<ref name="Telegraph 2015"/> 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 [[West Monmouth School|Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School]] in [[Pontypool]]. He remained there for five terms and was then educated at [[Cowbridge Grammar School]] in the [[Vale 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."<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/movies/film-the-scenery-though-he-won-t-chew.html |title=FILM; The Scenery, Though, He Won't Chew |first=Franz |last=Lidz |author-link=Franz Lidz |date=29 September 2002 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=27 October 2017}}</ref>

[[File:RADA sign.jpg|thumb|Hopkins studied at [[RADA]] (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London from 1961 to 1963. In 2005, a new portrait of him featured in their centenary celebrations.<ref>{{cite book |title=Off Stage: 100 Portraits Celebrating the RADA Centenary, by Cambridge Jones |via=LensCulture.com |url=https://www.lensculture.com/books/4795-off-stage-100-portraits-celebrating-the-rada-centenary |access-date=2 March 2024 |quote=With a foreword by Lord Attenborough, the book includes an introduction by the Observer writer Miranda Sawyer, as well as interviews with all the actors. |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519111523/https://www.lensculture.com/books/4795-off-stage-100-portraits-celebrating-the-rada-centenary |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
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"<ref name="RadioTimes 2018"/> 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."<ref name="Guardian interview 2012">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jan/23/anthony-hopkins-composing-music |title=Anthony Hopkins: 'I've never really been close to anyone' |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=23 January 2012 |access-date=23 January 2015 |last=Crace |first=John |author-link=John Crace (writer) |quote=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.}}</ref> He enrolled at the [[Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama]] in [[Cardiff]], from which he graduated in 1957.<ref name="telegraph"/> He next met Burton in 1975 as Burton prepared to take over Hopkins' 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."<ref name="RadioTimes 2018">{{cite news |title=King Lear's Anthony Hopkins on Shakespeare, family break-ups, life&nbsp;… and death |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2018-05-28/anthony-hopkins-king-lear-madness-and-daughter/ |access-date=24 March 2020 |work=Radio Times}}</ref> He spent two years doing his [[national service]] between 1958 and 1960, which he served in the [[British Army]]'s [[Royal Artillery]] regiment where he was known as "Gunner Hopkins", before moving to London to study at [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art|RADA]] (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) from where he graduated in 1963.<ref name="NY Times"/>

==Career==
=== 1960–1979: Theatre roles and film debut ===
Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in the [[Palace Theatre, Swansea]], in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of ''Have a Cigarette''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins Biography |url=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/anthony-hopkins.html |publisher=[[Bio. (UK)|Bio.]] |access-date=14 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906065406/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/anthony-hopkins.html |archive-date= 6 September 2011}}</ref> In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by [[Laurence Olivier]], who invited him to join the [[Royal National Theatre]] in London.<ref name="telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/nationaltreasures/2193352/Sir-Anthony-Hopkins-portrait.html Sir Anthony Hopkins portrait] ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 26 June 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2011.</ref> Hopkins became Olivier's [[understudy]], and filled in when Olivier was struck with [[appendicitis]] during a 1967 production of [[August Strindberg]]'s ''[[The Dance of Death (Strindberg play)|The Dance of Death]]''. Olivier 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."<ref name="falk">{{cite book |first=Quentin |last=Falk |year=2004 |title=Anthony Hopkins: The Biography |edition=4th |publisher=Virgin Books |isbn=0-7535-0999-7}}</ref> 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."<ref name="Telegraph 2015">{{cite news |title=Anthony Hopkins: 'I don't have a single friend who is an actor' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/actors/anthony-hopkins-interview-dresser/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/actors/anthony-hopkins-interview-dresser/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=27 October 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[File:Richard Attenborough.jpg|thumb|[[Richard Attenborough]] directed Hopkins in five films, and in the 1970s described him as "unquestionably the greatest actor of his generation".<ref name="Telegraph 2015" />]]
Hopkins 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 (artist)|James Scott]] and co-starring [[Jacqueline Pearce]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Anthony Hopkins: The Authorized Biography |last=Falk |first=Quentin |publisher=Interlink Pub Group Inc |year=1994 |isbn=1566561450 |pages=24–25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Changes (1965) |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6feadd49 |website=BFI|access-date = 1 December 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208090925/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6feadd49|archive-date = 8 December 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref> In 1968, Hopkins got his break in ''[[The Lion in Winter (1968 film)|The Lion in Winter]]'' playing [[Richard I of England|Richard the Lionheart]], a performance which saw him nominated for the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]].<ref name="BAFTA Fellow">{{cite news |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins – Academy Fellow in 2008 |url=https://www.bafta.org/film/awards/sir-anthony-hopkins-academy-fellow-in-2008 |access-date=25 March 2023 |agency=BAFTA.org}}</ref> Hopkins portrayed [[Charles Dickens]] in the BBC television film ''[[The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens]]'' in 1970, and [[Pierre Bezukhov]] in the BBC's mini series ''[[War and Peace (1972 TV series)|War and Peace]]'' (1972), receiving the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]] for his performance in the latter.<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1204295/ BFI Screenonline: Sherrin, Ned (1931–2007) Biography]. BFI. Retrieved 19 January 2015</ref> Making a name for himself as a screen actor, he appeared in [[Frank Pierson]]'s [[neo-noir]] [[action thriller]] ''[[The Looking Glass War (film)|The Looking Glass War]]'' (1970), and [[Étienne Périer (director)|Étienne Périer]]'s ''[[When Eight Bells Toll (film)|When Eight Bells Toll]]'' (1971). The first of five collaborations with director [[Richard Attenborough]], in 1972 Hopkins starred as British politician [[David Lloyd George]] in ''[[Young Winston]]''.<ref name="Telegraph 2015" />

In 1973, he again portrayed David Lloyd George in the BBC miniseries ''[[The Edwardians (miniseries)|The Edwardians]]'' which aired in the US in 1974 on ''[[Masterpiece Theatre]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Trevor Griffiths: Politics, Drama, History |page=105 |author=Stanton B. Garner |year=1999 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]]}}</ref> Hopkins starred in a film adaptation of the [[Henrik Ibsen]] [[A Doll's House|play]] ''[[A Doll's House (1973 Garland film)|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]] and also starred in the [[Richard Lester]] suspense film ''[[Juggernaut (1974 film)|Juggernaut]]'' opposite [[Richard Harris]] and [[Omar Sharif]]. In October 1974, Hopkins played the psychologist Dysart in the original Broadway production of Sir [[Peter Shaffer]]'s play ''[[Equus (play)|Equus]]'', starring opposite [[Peter Firth]]. For this performance, he received the [[Drama Desk Award]] for [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play|Outstanding Actor in a Play]] for the 1974–75 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Drama Desk Award |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/equus-3484#Awards|access-date=23 June 2023 |agency=Internet Broadway Database}}</ref> In 1977, he played British Army officer [[John Frost (British Army officer)|John Frost]] in Attenborough's World War II-set film ''[[A Bridge Too Far (film)|A Bridge Too Far]]''. In 1978, he starred in the sequel to ''[[National Velvet (film)|National Velvet]]'' (1944), entitled ''[[International Velvet (film)|International Velvet]]'' with [[Tatum O'Neal]], [[Christopher Plummer]], which was directed by [[Bryan Forbes]]. That same year, he also starred in Attenborough's psychological horror film ''[[Magic (1978 film)|Magic]]'' about a demonic ventriloquist's puppet with [[Gene Siskel]] adding it as one of the best films of the year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Magic (1978) |url=https://www.tcm.com/ |access-date=25 April 2022 |agency=Turner Classic Movies |quote=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}}</ref> In 1979, Hopkins appeared as Prospero in a production of ''[[The Tempest]]'' held at the [[Mark Taper Forum]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/28/archives/stage-new-approach-to-the-tempest-on-coast-those-are-pearls.html | title=Stage: New Approach to the Tempest' on Coast | work=The New York Times | date=28 May 1979 | last1=Eder | first1=Richard }}</ref>

=== 1980–1989: National Theatre and acclaim ===
[[File:Sir Frederick Treves, Bt by Sir (Samuel) Luke Fildes.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Hopkins portrayed [[Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet|Sir Frederick Treves]] in ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'' (1980).]]
In 1980, he starred in [[David Lynch]]'s ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'' as the English doctor [[Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet|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]] nominations including for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. That year he also starred opposite [[Shirley MacLaine]] in ''[[A Change of Seasons (film)|A Change of Seasons]]''. They famously did not get along; Hopkins later called her "the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with".<ref name="Films and filming">{{cite book |title=Films and filming |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0kEbAQAAIAAJ |year=1989 |publisher=Hansom Books}}</ref> The film was a box office and critical failure. In 1981, he starred in the [[CBS]] television film ''[[The Bunker (1981 film)|The Bunker]]'' portraying [[Adolf Hitler]] during the final weeks of his life in and around his underground bunker in Berlin. John O'Connor praised Hopkins in his ''[[New 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 more ''acceptable'' as a dramatic and historical character."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/27/arts/tv-bunker-on-hitler-s-last-days.html |title=TV: 'Bunker', on Hitler's Last Days |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=27 January 1981 |accessdate=16 June 2021 |last1=O'Connor |first1=John J.}}</ref> For his performance, he received a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie]]. That same year he starred as [[Paul the Apostle]] opposite [[Robert Foxworth]] as [[Saint Peter]] in the biblical drama and miniseries ''[[Peter and Paul (film)|Peter and Paul]]'' (1981).

In 1983, Hopkins also became a company member of [[The Mirror Theater Ltd]]'s Repertory Company. In 1984, he portrayed Deeley in [[Harold Pinter]]'s play ''[[Old Times]]'' at the [[Roundabout Theatre]] in New York.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/09/theater/the-clockwork-of-old-times.html | title=The Clockwork of 'Old Times' | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=9 February 1984 | last1=Bennetts | first1=Leslie }}</ref> In 1984, he starred opposite [[Mel Gibson]] in ''[[The Bounty (1984 film)|The Bounty]]'' as [[William Bligh]], captain of the Royal Navy ship {{HMS|Bounty}}, in a more accurate retelling of the [[Mutiny on the Bounty|mutiny on the ''Bounty'']].<ref>{{cite news |title=Buoyed by Fresh Insight, "The Bounty" Sails Again |author=Stephen Farber |work=The New York Times |date=29 April 1984}}</ref> The following year, he starred as [[Quasimodo]] in the CBS television film ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1982). The film also starred [[Derek Jacobi]], [[David Suchet]], [[Tim Pigott-Smith]], [[Nigel Hawthorne]], and [[John Gielgud]]. He also starred in ''[[Strangers and Brothers (TV series)|Strangers and Brothers]]'' (1984), ''[[Arch of Triumph (1984 film)|Arch of Triumph]]'' (1984), ''[[Guilty Conscience (film)|Guilty Conscience]]'' (1985), ''[[Mussolini and I]]'' (1985), and ''[[The Tenth Man (1988 film)|The Tenth Man]]'' (1988). In 1985, Hopkins starred opposite [[Colin Firth]] in the [[Arthur Schnitzler]] play ''The Lonely Road'' at [[The Old Vic]] in London. That same year, he featured as Lambert Le Roux in the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] production of ''[[Pravda (play)|Pravda]]'' in Sir [[David Hare (playwright)|David Hare]] and [[Howard Brenton]]'s satirical play on the British newspaper industry in the [[Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher]] era.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pravda's prescience |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/pravda-s-prescience-7388642.html |access-date=23 June 2023 |work=Evening Standard}}</ref><ref>Gussow, Mel. "[https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/11/arts/theater-mirror-rep-in-a-revival-of-rain.html "Theater: Mirror Rep. in a Revival of 'Rain']." ''[[The New York Times]]'', 10 March 1984. Web. 10 January 2017.</ref> Receiving acclaim for his performance, Hopkins won the [[1985 Laurence Olivier Awards|Laurence Olivier Award]] for Outstanding Achievement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Olivier Winners 1985 |website=officiallondontheatre.com |publisher=[[Society of London Theatre]] |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1985/ |access-date=23 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119125731/https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1985/ |archive-date=19 November 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Frank Rich]] in his ''New York Times'' review wrote, "Mr. Hopkins creates a memorable image of a perversely brilliant modern-day barbarian."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/20/theater/stage-2-london-plays-touch-on-stalinization.html |title=Stage: 2 London Plays Touch on Stalinization |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=20 June 1985 |accessdate=16 June 2021 |last1=Rich |first1=Frank}}</ref>

He played the Soviet spy [[Guy Burgess]] in the BBC film ''Blunt: the Fourth Man'' (1986) opposite [[Ian Richardson]] as [[Anthony Blunt]], fellow spy and Surveyor of The King's Pictures.
In 1986 he starred in David Hare's production of ''[[King Lear]]'', Hopkins' favourite [[Shakespeare play]], at the National Theatre.<ref name="RadioTimes 2018"/> The next year, he starred as [[Mark 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 theatre|West End]] production of ''[[M. 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.'"<ref name="Guardian 2018"/> In 1989, he starred as [[Abel Magwitch]] in the miniseries ''[[Great Expectations (1989 TV series)|Great Expectations]]'' which was broadcast on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] in the UK and [[The Disney Channel]] in the US. The adaptation of the [[Great Expectations|Dickens' novel]] also starred [[Jean Simmons]] and [[John Rhys-Davies]]. He received his fourth [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nomination, this time for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie]].

=== 1990–1999: ''The Silence of the Lambs'' and film stardom ===
[[File:I Rossellini A Hopkins.jpg|thumb|[[Isabella Rossellini]] and Hopkins in Berlin to shoot scenes for ''[[The Innocent (1993 film)|The Innocent]]'' (1993)]]
Hopkins won acclaim among critics and audiences as the [[Human cannibalism|cannibalistic]] [[serial killer]] [[Hannibal Lecter]] in ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|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 [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]. The film won [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]], and Hopkins also picked up his first [[BAFTA for Best Actor]]. Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice; in [[Ridley Scott]]'s ''[[Hannibal (2001 film)|Hannibal]]'' (2001), and ''[[Red Dragon (2002 film)|Red Dragon]]'' (2002). His original portrayal of the character in ''The Silence of the Lambs'' has been labelled by the [[American Film Institute|AFI]] as the [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|number-one film villain]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/handv.aspx |publisher=AFI.com |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains |access-date=21 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070507035737/http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/handv.aspx |archive-date=7 May 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> Director [[Jonathan 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."<ref>[https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/film/news/a18346/jodie-foster-has-revealed-that/ "Robert DeNiro And Al Pacino Were In The Running To Play Hannibal Lecter"]. Esquire. Retrieved 1 March 2018</ref> At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing in ''[[M. 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."<ref name="falk" />

Hopkins reprised the role, returning to the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by [[Thomas Harris]]. The author was reportedly pleased with Hopkins' portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that ''[[Red Dragon (2002 film)|Red 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 (film)|Hannibal Rising]]'' (2007).<ref>{{cite news |title=Anthony Hopkins regrets playing Hannibal Lecter thrice. This is why |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/anthony-hopkins-regrets-playing-hannibal-lecter-thrice-this-is-why-303492-2016-01-12 |work=India Today |date=2 March 2018}}</ref> The following year, Hopkins was featured in [[Mark Joffe]]'s film ''[[Spotswood (film)|Spotswood]]'' and the science fiction film ''[[Freejack]]'' and also played supporting roles as [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s biographer in [[Richard Attenborough]]'s biographical drama ''[[Chaplin (film)|Chaplin]]'' (1992) and [[Abraham Van Helsing|Professor Van Helsing]] in [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s horror adaptation ''[[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]'' (1992).

In 1992, Hopkins starred in [[Merchant-Ivory]]'s period film based on the [[E. M. Forster]] novel ''[[Howards End (film)|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".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-howards-end-1992 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=5 June 2005 |first=Roger |last=Ebert |title=Howards End (1992) | access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Martin |first=Leonard | author-link = Leonard Maltin |title=Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide |publisher=Signet Books |year=2015 |pages=653 |isbn=978-0-451-46849-9}}</ref> The following year, Hopkins reunited with Merchant-Ivory and Emma Thompson in ''[[The Remains of the Day (film)|The Remains of the Day]]'' (1993), a film set in 1950s post-war Britain based on the novel by [[Kazuo Ishiguro]]. David Hunter of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' praised Hopkins' performance describing it as "colossal" and a "tour de force".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/remains-day-review-movie-1993-1249155/|title= 'The Remains of the Day': THR's 1993 Review|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= 5 November 2019|accessdate= August 28, 2023}}</ref> The film was ranked by the [[British Film Institute]] as the [[BFI Top 100 British films|64th greatest British film of the 20th century]].<ref>[http://www.cinemarealm.com/best-of-cinema/top-100-british-films/ ''British Film Institute – Top 100 British Films''] (1999). Retrieved 27 August 2016</ref> Starring as the butler Stevens, Hopkins named it among his favourite films.<ref>{{cite news |title=Anthony Hopkins on 'The Dresser,' 'Westworld,' & retirement |url=http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/25/anthony-hopkins-on-the-dresser-westworld-retirement |publisher=[[Ora TV]] |date=2 December 2017 |access-date=2 December 2017 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326030903/http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/2016/5/25/anthony-hopkins-on-the-dresser-westworld-retirement |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for his performance and received the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best Actor]].<ref name="bafta">{{cite news |title=Actor in a Leading Role in 1994 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1994/film/actor-in-a-leading-role |publisher=BAFTA |date=27 October 2017}}</ref>

Hopkins portrayed Oxford academic [[C. S. Lewis]] in the 1993 British biographical film ''[[Shadowlands (1993 film)|Shadowlands]]'', for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor.<ref name="bafta"/> Also that year he acted opposite [[Isabella Rossellini]] in the drama ''[[The Innocent (1993 film)|The Innocent]]'' (1993) which was adapted from the [[Ian McEwan]] [[The Innocent (McEwan novel)|novel of the same name]]. During this period, Hopkins had the chance to work with [[Bart the Bear]] in two films: ''[[Legends of the Fall]]'' (1994) and ''[[The Edge (1997 film)|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."<ref>{{cite web |last=Foy |first=Paul |title=Bart the Bear, a veteran of several films, dies at 23 |date=19 May 2000 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20000519/4021798/bart-the-bear-a-veteran-of-several-films-dies-at-23|access-date=4 January 2015}}</ref> 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 Hannibal Lecter for a fee of [[£]]15&nbsp;million.<ref name="IndependentHopkins">{{cite web|first=Michael|last=McCarthy|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/anthony-hopkins-gives-pounds-1m-to-snowdon-1171083.html|title=Anthony Hopkins gives pounds 1m to Snowdon|website=[[The Independent]]|date=11 August 2011|accessdate=19 October 2011}}</ref>

=== 2000–2015: Established actor ===
[[File:Oliver Mark - Anthony Hopkins, Berlin 2001.jpg|thumb|Hopkins photographed by [[Oliver Mark]], Berlin 2001]]
In 2000, Hopkins narrated [[Ron Howard]]'s live action remake of ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film)|How the Grinch Stole Christmas]]''. He then reprised the role of [[Hannibal Lecter]] in ''The Silence of the Lambs'' sequel simply entitled ''[[Hannibal (2001 film)|Hannibal]]'' (2001). Director [[Ridley Scott]] and actress [[Julianne Moore]] replaced Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster who declined to participate in the sequel. Hopkins, who previously starred with Moore in ''[[Surviving Picasso]]'' (1996), 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.<ref name="plshan">{{cite news |title=Movie Interview: Anthony Hopkins |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/02/12/anthony_hopkins_hannibal_120201_interview.shtml |work=BBC | access-date =9 March 2007}}</ref> 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]].":<ref name="plshan" />
{{Blockquote|He's still the sort of [[Robin Hood]] of killers. He kills the—what do they call them? The terminally rude.|Hopkins on Hannibal Lecter prior to Ridley Scott's ''[[Hannibal (2001 film)|Hannibal]]''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Charlie |last=Rose |title=60 Minutes: Actors' Take on Ridley Scott |date=30 January 2001 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/actors-take-on-ridley-scott/ |work=CBS News | access-date = 8 June 2007}}</ref>}}

[[File:London Film Museum - Hannibal (5755433470).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Lecter T-shirt worn by Hopkins in ''Hannibal'' on display at the [[London Film Museum]]]]
In the film, Lecter is first seen in Florence "as the classical Lecter, lecturing and being smooth", according to Hopkins.<ref name="actor">{{cite news |first=Charlie |last=Rose |title=60 Minutes: Actors' Take On Ridley Scott |date=30 January 2001 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/actors-take-on-ridley-scott/ |work=CBS News | access-date=8 June 2007 | archive-date=28 April 2005 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050428163357/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/01/28/60II/main267669.shtml | url-status=live}}</ref> 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".<ref name="actor" /> The film broke international box office records receiving $351&nbsp;million,<ref name="indeptaste">{{cite news |title=Taste of success |url=http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article253462.ece |work=The Independent |location=London |date=20 February 2001 |access-date=9 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930171355/http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article253462.ece |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> but received mixed reviews from critics.<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite Metacritic |title=Hannibal |id=hannibal |type=m |access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref> Hopkins starred in the third film in the series ''[[Red Dragon (2002 film)|Red Dragon]]'' (2002) alongside [[Ralph Fiennes]], [[Edward Norton]], [[Harvey Keitel]], [[Emily Watson]], and [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]]. The film received generally favourable reviews and was a box office hit.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 October 2002 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Red Dragon |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |via=RogerEbert.com |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/red-dragon-2002 |access-date=16 February 2025 |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227075706/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/red-dragon-2002 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |date=26 September 2002 |title=Red Dragon |url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/red-dragon-1200545892/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720051934/https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/red-dragon-1200545892/ |archive-date=July 20, 2023 |access-date=16 February 2025|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

[[File:Proof 001 (7288884714).jpg|thumb|Hopkins at the [[2005 Toronto International Film Festival]]]]
In 2003, Hopkins received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].<ref name="daily">[http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/happy-birthday-sir-anthony-hopkins/story-fn6ccwsa-1225978951467 Happy birthday Sir Anthony Hopkins] ''[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)| ]]''. Retrieved 5 February 2011</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.solarnavigator.net/films_movies_actors/the_worlds_fastest_indian.htm |publisher=Solarnavigator.net |title=The World's Fastest Indian| access-date=21 May 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070609023847/http://www.solarnavigator.net/films_movies_actors/the_worlds_fastest_indian.htm| archive-date= 9 June 2007 | url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award]] for lifetime achievement.<ref name="DeMille">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4444884.stm Lifetime honour for Sir Anthony] ''[[BBC News]]'' (17 November 2005)</ref> In 2008, he received the [[BAFTA Fellowship|BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award]], the highest award the [[British Film Academy]] can bestow.<ref name="baft">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7191143.stm Bafta Film Awards 2008: The winners] ''[[BBC News]]'' (10 February 2008)</ref> In a 2003 poll conducted by [[Channel 4]], Hopkins was ranked seventh on their list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest Movie Stars]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2003/05/04/Y09420001/ |title=100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest Movie Stars (Part 1)) |publisher=[[ITN Source]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221233723/http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2003/05/04/Y09420001/ |archive-date=21 February 2015 |access-date=31 May 2019}}</ref>

On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in ''[[The Rite (2011 film)|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".<ref name="the rite">{{cite web |url=http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/02/anthony-hopkins-takes-demonic-forces-in-the-rite.html |title=Anthony Hopkins takes demonic forces in 'The Rite' |date=24 February 2010 |work=HeatVision|access-date=28 February 2010|archive-date=28 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228163207/http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/02/anthony-hopkins-takes-demonic-forces-in-the-rite.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Gizmodo">{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/anthony-hopkins-reveals-the-secret-atheist-message-he-p-5744377|title=Anthony Hopkins reveals the secret atheist message he put into ''The Rite''|first= Alasdair|last= Wilkins|website=Gizmodo|date=27 January 2011|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> In 2011, Hopkins said, "what I enjoy is uncertainty. ... I don't know. You don't know."<ref name="CNN Morgan">[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1102/05/pmt.01.html An Interview with Anthony Hopkins; Discussion of Exorcism]; [[CNN]] ''Piers Morgan Tonight''. (5 February 2011). Retrieved 19 May 2018.</ref> On 21 September 2011, [[Peter R. de Vries]] cast Hopkins in the role of the [[Heineken]] owner [[Freddy Heineken]], in the film about his kidnapping,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24457439 |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins set to film Heineken kidnap movie |date=9 October 2013|access-date=7 February 2019 |work=BBC News}}</ref> ''[[Kidnapping Freddy Heineken]]'' (2015).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-kidnapping-mr-heinekin-20150306-story.html |title=Review: 'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken' brews up a B-movie crime tale |last=Abele |first=Robert |date=5 March 2015 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=28 July 2022}}</ref>

Hopkins portrayed [[Odin (Marvel Comics)|Odin]], the Allfather or "king" of Asgard, in the 2011 film adaptation of Marvel Comics' ''[[Thor (film)|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]]''.<ref name="Hopkins">{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/anthony-hopkins-cast-in-thor-1118010609/ |title=Anthony Hopkins cast in 'Thor' |first=Michael |last=Fleming |work=Variety |date=30 October 2009|access-date=31 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091101135506/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118010609.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562|archive-date=1 November 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Hopkins portrayed [[Alfred Hitchcock]] in [[Sacha Gervasi]]'s biopic ''[[Hitchcock (film)|Hitchcock]]'' alongside [[Helen Mirren]] who played Hitchcock's wife, [[Alma Reville]]. The film focuses on the filming of ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' and that which followed. He starred in the comedy action film ''[[Red 2 (film)|Red 2]]'' (2013) as the main antagonist Edward Bailey. In 2014, he portrayed [[Methuselah]] in [[Darren Aronofsky]]'s ''[[Noah (2014 film)|Noah]]''. Hopkins played [[Order of the Witwiccans]] member Sir Edmund Burton in ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight]]'' which was released in June 2017.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Transformers: The Last Knight lands Anthony Hopkins |url=https://www.empireonline.com/people/mark-wahlberg/anthony-hopkins-will-part-transformers-last-knight/|first=James|last=White |magazine=Empire |date=29 June 2016}}</ref>

In October 2015, Hopkins appeared as Sir in a [[BBC Two]] production of [[Ronald Harwood]]'s ''[[The Dresser (2015 film)|The Dresser]]'', alongside [[Ian McKellen]], [[Edward Fox (actor)|Edward Fox]] and [[Emily Watson]].<ref name="Dresser">{{cite news |date=31 October 2015 |title=Ian McKellen: 'Working with Anthony Hopkins was bliss' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34660715|access-date=31 October 2015}}</ref> ''The Dresser'' is set in a London theatre during [[the Blitz]], where an aging actor-manager, Sir, prepares for his starring role in ''[[King Lear]]'' with the help of his devoted dresser, Norman.<ref name="Dresser" /> 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."<ref name="Telegraph 2015" /> 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 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".<ref name="Guardian 2018" />

=== 2016–present: Career resurgence ===
Beginning in October 2016, Hopkins starred as Robert Ford in the [[HBO]] sci-fi series ''[[Westworld (TV series)|Westworld]]'' where he received a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nomination for his performance. Hopkins starred as [[Leir of Britain|Lear]] in the 2018 [[King Lear (2018 film)|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.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p067sjyz "Trailer: King Lear"]. BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2018.</ref> ''[[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]]'' stated the film "capture[d] the heart of the classic Shakespeare tragedy" and described Hopkins' performance as "devastating".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/king-lear-amazon-anthony-hopkins-review.html |title=Amazon's King Lear Captures the Heart of a Classic Shakespeare Tragedy |website=[[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]] |date=30 September 2018 |access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>

In 2019, Hopkins portrayed [[Pope Benedict XVI]] opposite [[Jonathan Pryce]] as [[Pope Francis]] in [[Fernando Meirelles]]' ''[[The Two Popes]]''. He stated, "The great treasure was working with – apart from [director] Meirelles – Pryce. We're both from Wales. He's from the north, and I'm from the south".<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news |title=Anthony Hopkins won't dissect his 'Two Popes' role. Here's why |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-01-30/anthony-hopkins-wont-dissect-his-two-popes-role-heres-why|first=Randee |last=Dawn|date=30 January 2020 |access-date=27 March 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> The film is set in the [[Vatican City]] in the aftermath of the [[Vatican leaks scandal]] and follows Pope Benedict XVI as he attempts to convince [[Pope Francis|Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio]] to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop as he confides his own intentions to [[Papal renunciation|abdicate the papacy]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/netflix-confirms-argentine-cast-and-production-team-on-the-pope/5123699.article |title=Netflix confirms Argentine cast and production team on 'The Pope' |last=Kay |first=Jeremy |website=Screen Daily |language=en|date=26 October 2017 |access-date=7 October 2019}}</ref> In August 2019, the film premiered at the [[Telluride Film Festival]] to critical acclaim. The film started streaming on 20 December 2019, by [[Netflix]]. 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 [[92nd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]], [[77th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globes]] and [[73rd British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards.]]<ref name="LATimes" />

In 2020, Hopkins played a man struggling with [[Alzheimer's disease]] in ''[[The Father (2020 film)|The Father]]''. The film premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] where it received critical acclaim, with many critics praising Hopkins' performance and calling him a standout and Oscar frontrunner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/09/the-father-anthony-hopkins-best-actor-race-1234586245/ |title=With 'The Father,' Anthony Hopkins Joins the Oscar Race for Best Actor |website=[[IndieWire]]|first=Anne|last=Thompson |date=14 September 2020 |access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref> The film also stars [[Olivia Colman]] as his daughter. It is based on a [[Tony Award]] nominated play ''[[Le Père]]'' by [[Florian Zeller]], who also directed the film. ''The Father'' was released on 18 December 2020 by [[Sony Pictures Classics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/olivia-colman-anthony-hopkins-father-release-date-1234769010/ |title=Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins' 'The Father' Gets Release Date |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Dave |last=McNary |date=14 September 2020 |access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref> 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''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS81ve3sFv0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211122/MS81ve3sFv0| archive-date=22 November 2021 | url-status=live |title=THE FATHER Q&A {{!}} TIFF 2020 |website=YouTube |date=15 September 2020 |access-date=11 October 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Yahoo Movies">{{cite web |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/bafta-film-awards-anthony-hopkins-best-actor-194638995.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMHaon5GYrndk7552Br9WyNFjX6dV2ofloSfJq7g0fNGhGXl0nwevSfFr4vsYXhvsqpSfkXscwNXgOfRqWylxnd0MDAfchnFc8XMqb21yEuohpWzSzBP8onYqj4fbROq7x5_fEIvaRkBzV1cvDuvX7MiBvoXK72OcwEOTyySbhc |title=Bafta Film Awards 2021: Anthony Hopkins wins fourth Bafta in surprise Best Actor victory |work=Yahoo Movies |first=Tom |last=Beasley |date=11 April 2021|access-date=11 April 2021}}</ref> He also won a second [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for his role, becoming the oldest person to win an acting Oscar.<ref name="Goldderby">{{cite web |url=https://www.goldderby.com/feature/anthony-hopkins-oscar-nominations-screen-time-1204182057/ |title=Anthony Hopkins: How long was each of his Oscar-nominated performances? |work=Gold Derby |first=Matthew |last=Stewart |date=11 April 2021|access-date=11 April 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-56892612 |title=Oscars 2021: Anthony Hopkins accepts award from Welsh countryside |date=26 April 2021 |access-date=26 April 2021 |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/i-did-not-expect-this-hopkins-sends-video-acceptance-speech-after-skipping-oscars-1.4547830 |title=VIDEO: 'I did not expect this': Hopkins sends video acceptance speech after skipping Oscars |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=26 April 2021 |access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref>

In 2022, he acted in [[James Gray (director)|James Gray]]'s semi-autobiographical coming of age drama ''[[Armageddon Time]]'' (2023). In an interview with ''[[El País]]'' he said that his performance was inspired by his grandfather who had encouraged him to become an actor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Anthony Hopkins: 'At the age of 17, I was tired of being called stupid. I said, "I'm going to do something. I'm going to be an actor"' |url=https://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-03-26/anthony-hopkins-at-the-age-of-17-i-was-tired-of-being-called-stupid-i-said-im-going-to-do-something-im-going-to-be-an-actor.html|first=Elsa|last=Fernández-Santos |date=26 March 2023|access-date=2 September 2024 |work=El Pais}}</ref> Hopkins starred alongside [[Jeremy Strong (actor)|Jeremy Strong]] and [[Anne Hathaway]]. Hopkins received positive reviews for his turn as a kindly elderly grandfather. [[A. O. Scott]] of ''The New York Times'' wrote, "Hopkins finds the essential grit hiding underneath the twinkle".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/27/movies/armageddon-time-review.html |title='Armageddon Time' Review: Hard Lessons About Life in America |work=The New York Times |date=27 October 2022 |access-date=27 August 2023 |last1=Scott |first1=A. O.}}</ref> That same year he reunited with [[Florian Zeller]], acting in ''[[The Son (2022 film)|The Son]]'' (2022) alongside [[Hugh Jackman]]. In 2023, Hopkins starred as stockbroker and humanitarian Sir [[Nicholas Winton]] in the biographical drama film ''[[One Life (2023 film)|One Life]]'', and also played [[Sigmund Freud]] in ''[[Freud's Last Session]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-66439471 |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins to play man who saved 669 children |website=BBC |date=9 August 2023 |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/anthony-hopkins-matthew-goode-freuds-last-session-1235579267/ |title=Anthony Hopkins Plays Sigmund Freud in 'Freud's Last Session,' First Look Revealed |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Manori |last=Ravindran |date=11 April 2023 |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref> Hopkins also appeared in the [[Netflix]] science fiction film ''[[Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire|Rebel Moon]]'' directed by [[Zack Snyder]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/anthony-hopkins-joins-rebel-moon-zack-snyders-netflix-sci-fi-epic-1235039960/ |title=Anthony Hopkins Joins Zack Snyder's Netflix Sci-Fi Adventure Pic 'Rebel Moon' |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Matt |last=Grobar |date=8 June 2022 |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/rebel-moon-anthony-hopkins-robot-jimmy-journey-self-discovery-exclusive/ |title=Rebel Moon: Anthony Hopkins' Robot Jimmy Is 'On A Journey Of Self-Discovery' In Zack Snyder's Sci-Fi Story – Exclusive Image |website=Empire Magazine|first=Ben |last=Travis |date=7 February 2023 |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref> In 2024, Hopkins portrayed [[Herod the Great]] in the Netflix film ''[[Mary (2024 film)|Mary]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://media.benedictine.edu/what-netflix-gets-right-and-wrong-in-its-new-movie-mary |title=What Netflix Gets Right and Wrong in Its New Movie 'Mary' |publisher=Benedictine College |last=Hoopes |first=Tom |date=15 December 2024 |access-date=13 January 2025}}</ref>

== Other activities ==

=== Activism and philanthropy ===
[[File:Snowdonia - panoramio (23).jpg|thumb|Panorama of [[Snowdonia]] 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."<ref name="Snowdon">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/149533.stm "Hopkins gives a million to save Snowdonia"], BBC. Retrieved 19 October 2011.</ref>]]
Hopkins has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]]'s [[Snowdonia]] Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of [[Snowdonia National Park]] in north Wales. In 1998 he donated [[£]]1&nbsp;million towards the £3&nbsp;million needed to aid the Trust's efforts in purchasing parts of [[Snowdon]].<ref name="IndependentHopkins" /><ref name="Snowdon" /> Prior to the campaign, Hopkins wrote ''Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia'', which was published in 1995.<ref>Hopkins, Anthony (1995). ''Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia''. Colin Baxter Photography, 1995</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.gwales.com/bibliographic/?isbn=8888039759&tsid=10 |title=Arwyr Cymru Welsh Heroes |date=April 2004 |publisher=Culturenet Cymru |isbn=8888039759 |page=216 |access-date=23 January 2016}}</ref>

Hopkins has been a patron of the [[YMCA]] centre in his home town of [[Port Talbot]], south Wales, for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-10683793 "Drama returns to YMCA where Sir Anthony Hopkins started"], ''[[BBC Wales]]'', 20 July 2010.</ref> 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]]. 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.<ref>[http://arbiteronline.com/2000/09/07/branthony-hopkins-to-kick-off-5-4-million-fund-drive/ "Anthony Hopkins to kick off $5.4 million fund drive"]. Arbiter. Retrieved 4 January 2015</ref>

Hopkins contributed toward the refurbishment of a £2.3&nbsp;million wing at his alma mater, the [[Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama]] in Cardiff, named the Anthony Hopkins Centre. It opened in 1999.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/student/into-university/az-uni-colleges/royal-welsh-college-of-music-and-drama-459044.html "Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622061549/https://www.independent.co.uk/student/into-university/az-uni-colleges/royal-welsh-college-of-music-and-drama-459044.html|date=22 June 2018}}, ''The Independent''. Retrieved 24 December 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Facilities |url=http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/young_actors_studio/student_handbook/facilities.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906155842/http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/young_actors_studio/student_handbook/facilities.aspx |archive-date=6 September 2015 |access-date=6 September 2015 |website=Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama}}</ref>

Hopkins is a prominent member of the environmental protection group [[Greenpeace]] and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns about [[whaling in Japan]].<ref>{{cite web |date=17 March 2003 |title=Green Peace anti-whaling video |url=http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/resources/videos/whales/sir-anthony-hopkins-speaks-out |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005191538/http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/resources/videos/whales/sir-anthony-hopkins-speaks-out |archive-date=5 October 2009 |access-date=17 October 2009 |publisher=Greenpeace}}</ref> 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.<ref>[https://www.forwardtrust.org.uk/about-us/our-team/ "Our Team – Patrons: Sir Anthony Hopkins"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309014234/https://www.forwardtrust.org.uk/about-us/our-team/ |date=9 March 2021 }}. Forward Trust.org. Retrieved 7 February 2019</ref>

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 (hat)|fez]] and performed a comic routine.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 February 2008 |title=Tommy Cooper statue is unveiled |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7260219.stm |access-date=17 October 2009 |work=BBC News |location=London, UK}}</ref>

=== Composing ===
[[File:Anthony Hopkins Centre.jpg|thumb|Anthony Hopkins Centre at the [[Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama]], [[Cardiff]]]]
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."<ref name="Guardian interview 2012" /> In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in the [[UK singles chart]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=David |title=British Hit Singles & Albums |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |year=2006 |isbn=1-904994-10-5 |edition=19th |location=London |page=259}}</ref>

In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world.<ref>{{cite news |date=3 December 2007 |title=De gira como pianista |url=http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/musica/flash/de_gira_como_pianista/324637 |agency=Associated Press}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> 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''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins Scores big With Dallas Symphony Orchestra |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/10/prweb1491484.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326031350/https://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/10/prweb1491484.htm |archive-date=26 March 2023 |accessdate=5 May 2021 |website=PRWeb}}</ref>

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 in [[Vienna]];<ref>{{cite news |date=6 July 2011 |title=Hopkins' waltz gets Vienna premiere |url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Music/2011/07/06/Hopkins-waltz-gets-Vienna-premiere/UPI-69081309971888/ |access-date=8 January 2012 |work=United Press International}}</ref><ref name="independent.uk">{{cite news |last1=Jaques |first1=Adam |date=9 November 2012 |title=How We Met: André Rieu & Sir Anthony Hopkins |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-andr-rieu-sir-anthony-hopkins-8294824.html |access-date=2 December 2015 |work=The Independent |quote=I...wrote this piece, "And the Waltz Goes On", in 1964}}</ref> Rieu's album was given the same name as Hopkins' piece.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jaques |first1=Adam |date=9 November 2012 |title=How We Met: André Rieu & Sir Anthony Hopkins |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-andr-rieu-sir-anthony-hopkins-8294824.html |access-date=6 May 2020 |website=[[Independent.co.uk]]}}</ref>

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 (UK)|Classic FM]].<ref name="composer">{{cite news |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins' classical music released on CD |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16584155 |publisher=BBC |date=6 August 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name="composer"/>

In January 2025, Hopkins hosted a gala concert in [[Riyadh, Saudi Arabia]] featuring pieces he had composed, performed by the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/film/global/anthony-hopkins-l-a-fires-concert-saudi-arabia-joy-awards-matthew-mcconaughey-1236278297/|title=Anthony Hopkins Hosts Concert in Saudi Arabia After Losing His Home in L.A. Fires and Attends Joy Awards Alongside Matthew McConaughey|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Nick|last=Vivarelli|date=January 19, 2025|access-date=September 14, 2025}}</ref>

=== 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 (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.<ref name="Universal Pictures">{{cite web |title=Restoration of "Spartacus" – "Spartacus" Production Notes |url=http://www.in70mm.com/news/2009/spartacus/ |publisher=Universal Pictures |access-date=2 September 2013 |archive-date=4 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204183532/http://www.in70mm.com/news/2009/spartacus/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1995, he directed ''[[August (1996 film)|August]]'', an adaptation of [[Anton Chekhov|Chekhov]]'s ''[[Uncle Vanya]]'' set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called ''[[Slipstream (2007 film)|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]].

==Artistry and reception==
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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.<ref>"Anthony Hopkins: Lecter and Me"&nbsp;— ''Red Dragon'' DVD interview</ref>

In the mid-1970s, he started a collaboration with [[Richard 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 of ''[[Shadowlands (1993 film)|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."<ref name="falk" />

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 (film)|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.<ref name="RADA">{{cite news |first=Gabe |last=Wood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1998/dec/05/features |title=A dark and stormy knight |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=5 December 1998|access-date=6 January 2011}}</ref>

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 [[Count Dracula|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."<ref name="RT Interview">[https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/sir-anthony-hopkins-reveals-scary-12079267 "Anthony Hopkins reveals his scary Hannibal Lecter was born on the streets of Port Talbot when he was a boy"]. Wales Online. Retrieved 1 March 2018</ref> 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 (character)|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'."<ref name="RT Interview"/> On Hopkins' approach to playing villains, [[Miranda Sawyer]] in ''[[The Guardian]]'' writes, "When he portrays deliberately scary people, he plays them quietly, emphasising their sinister control."<ref name="Guardian 2018">{{cite news |first=Miranda |last=Sawyer|author-link=Miranda Sawyer |title=Anthony Hopkins: 'Most of this is nonsense, most of this is a lie' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/26/anthony-hopkins-most-nonsense-most-lie-lear |date=26 May 2018|access-date=31 May 2019 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

Speaking on his favourite performances which inspired him in his own approach to acting, [[Morgan Freeman]] mentioned Hopkins' portrayal of the butler Stevens in ''The Remains of the Day''.<ref name="Freeman"/> Discussing how he learnt "stillness" from [[José 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."<ref name="Freeman">{{cite news |title=The Anthony Hopkins performance that Morgan Freeman calls "one of the great lessons for me as an actor" |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/anthony-hopkins-performance-that-morgan-freeman-calls-one-of-the-great-lessons-for-me-as-an-actor/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=Far Out magazine}}</ref>

Hopkins is a well-known [[Impressionist (entertainment)|mimic]], adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. In the 1991 restoration of ''[[Spartacus (film)|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 (TV series)|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."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8512396.stm |title=Sir Anthony Hopkins acts 'like a submarine' |work=BBC News |date=12 February 2010 |access-date=7 March 2010 |location=London}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Hopkins has a residence in [[Malibu, California]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/17/anthony-hopkins-bryan-cranston-breaking-bad-fan-letter "Anthony Hopkins's letter to ''Breaking Bad'' star Bryan Cranston"], ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 31 December 2015.</ref> In January 2025, his two neighbouring homes in [[Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles]], were destroyed by the [[Palisades Fire]].<ref>{{Cite news |first1=E.B. |last1=Solomont |first2=Libertina |last2=Brandt |first3= Jessica |last3=Flint |first4=Sarah |last4=Paynter |date=10 January 2025 |title=$155 Million and Counting: A Tally of Celebrity Homes Lost In and Around the Pacific Palisades |url=https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/luxury-homes/los-angeles-fires-celebrity-homes-destroyed-30d214a4 |work=The Wall Street Journal |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Jack |first=Smart |date=10 January 2025 |title=Anthony Hopkins Shares Emotional Message After L.A. Home Was Left a Shell in Wake of Palisades Fire |url=https://people.com/anthony-hopkins-los-angeles-fires-house-burned-down-pacific-palisades-8771583 |magazine=People}}</ref> 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. 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sir Anthony, Citizen Hopkins |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sir-anthony-citizen-hopkins/ |work=[[CBS News]] |date=13 April 2000 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=11 January 2020}}</ref><ref name="sinkteeth1">{{cite web |title=Anthony Hopkins&nbsp;– A role to sink his teeth into |url=http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/interviews/anthony_hopkins/2 |access-date=11 February 2010 |quote=I have dual citizenship, it just so happens I live in America.}}</ref>

Hopkins has been married three times. He was married to actress [[Petronella Barker (actress, born 1942)|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.<ref>{{cite news |date=31 January 2011 |title=Anthony Hopkins' wife saved him from 'depression' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/anthony-hopkins-wife-saved-him-from-depression-2199439.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203033454/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/anthony-hopkins-wife-saved-him-from-depression-2199439.html |archive-date=3 February 2011 |access-date=8 May 2022 |work=The Independent}}</ref> 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]].<ref>[http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Hannibal-star-Sir-Anthony-Hopkins-makes-trek/story-17756782-detail/story.html "Hannibal star Sir Anthony Hopkins makes a trek back to his childhood home in Margam"], ''South Wales Evening Post''. Retrieved 8 January 2013.</ref> He has a daughter from his first marriage. The two are [[Family estrangement|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."<ref>{{cite web |last=Guglielmi |first=Jodi |date=22 May 2018 |title=Anthony Hopkins Doesn't Know If His Estranged Daughter Has Kids: 'I Don't Care' |url=https://people.com/movies/anthony-hopkins-estranged-daughter/ |website=People}}</ref> In another interview, he said, "I guess I am selfish. I have not been a good husband or father."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1515851/Her-dark-materials.html?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_first |first=Olga |last=Craig |title=Her dark materials |date=16 April 2006|website=The Telegraph |access-date=9 December 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Hopkins is a recovering [[alcoholic]]; he has stayed sober since just after Christmas 1975.<ref name= "Guardian_1998-12-05">{{cite news
 | author        = Staff
 | title         = A dark and stormy knight: ''Blessed with prodigious acting gifts, and an Oscar to prove it, and cursed with a terrible liking for drink - now long overcome - he is one of the great British stars. Gaby Wood on a Welshman who conquered his weaknesses and the world''
 | date          = 1998-12-05
 | url           = https://www.theguardian.com/film/1998/dec/05/features
 | publisher     = [[The Guardian]]
 | access-date   = 2025-11-03
 | url-status    = live
 | archive-url   = https://web.archive.org/web/20250630125928/https://www.theguardian.com/film/1998/dec/05/features
 | archive-date  = 2025-06-30
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
 | surname       = Turner
 | given         = Robin
 | date          = 2009-03-29
 | title         = New book tells of Wales' famous boozers
 | url           = https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/new-book-tells-wales-famous-2120728
 | url-access    = subscription
 | access-date   = 2025-11-03
 | publisher     = [[Media Wales#WalesOnline|WalesOnline]]
 | archive-url   = https://web.archive.org/web/20140302010924/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/new-book-tells-wales-famous-2120728
 | archive-date  = 2014-03-02
}}</ref> 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."<ref name= "Guardian_2025-11-03">{{cite news| author = Steve Rose | title         = The big interview: Anthony Hopkins: ''I knew I needed help. I knew it was over''| date = 3 November 2025| url = https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2025/nov/03/i-knew-i-needed-help-i-knew-it-was-over-anthony-hopkins-on-alcoholism-anger-academy-awards-and-50-years-of-sobriety | publisher = [[The Guardian]]| access-date = 3 November 2025 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20251103132154/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2025/nov/03/i-knew-i-needed-help-i-knew-it-was-over-anthony-hopkins-on-alcoholism-anger-academy-awards-and-50-years-of-sobriety| archive-date  = 3 November 2025}}</ref> 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."<ref name="LATimes" />

Hopkins quit smoking using the [[Allen Carr]] method.<ref>[http://allencarr.com/40/celebrity-endorsements "Celebrity Clients: Endorsements"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112143435/http://allencarr.com/40/celebrity-endorsements|date=12 November 2013}}. Allen Carr. Retrieved 4 January 2015</ref> In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss programme, and by 2010, he had lost 5[[Stone (unit)|st]] 10&nbsp;lb (80&nbsp;lb or 36&nbsp;kg).<ref>{{cite news |title=Silence of the Lamb Chops&nbsp;– Anthony Hopkins Loses 80 Pounds |url=http://www.motleyhealth.com/celeb/silence-of-the-lamb-chop-anthony-hopkins-loses-70-pounds |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024045846/http://www.motleyhealth.com/celeb/silence-of-the-lamb-chop-anthony-hopkins-loses-70-pounds |archive-date=24 October 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010 |work=Motley Health |location=London, UK}}</ref> In January 2017, in an interview with ''[[The Desert Sun]]'', Hopkins said that he had been diagnosed with [[Asperger syndrome]] three years earlier, but that he was "[[High-functioning autism|high end]]".<ref>{{cite news |last=Fessier |first=Bruce |date=2 January 2017 |title='Westworld' star Anthony Hopkins explores consciousness |url=http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/people/brucefessierentertainment/2017/01/02/westworld-star-anthony-hopkins-explores-consciousness/96018744 |access-date=8 January 2017 |publisher=The Desert Sun |quote=Well, I've been diagnosed with Asperger's, but I'm high end.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Martinelli |first=Marissa |date=26 April 2021 |title=Anthony Hopkins' Age Isn't the Only Noteworthy Thing About His Oscar Win |url=https://slate.com/culture/2021/04/anthony-hopkins-oscars-2021-best-actor-autism-aspergers.html |website=Slate}}</ref> In 2020, he said that "it's a great gift, actually".<ref>{{cite news |last=Budryk |first=Zack |date=8 September 2021 |title=More celebrities are coming out as autistic. That makes a huge difference. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/08/wentworth-miller-anthony-hopkins-autistic-celebrities/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116034241/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/08/wentworth-miller-anthony-hopkins-autistic-celebrities/ |archive-date=16 November 2022 |access-date=4 August 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

He has a pet cat named Niblo, which he adopted in [[Budapest]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Mezei |first=Lilla |date=24 January 2019 |title=Anthony Hopkins, the Saviour of a Hungarian Cat |url=https://dailynewshungary.com/anthony-hopkins-the-saviour-of-a-hungarian-cat/ |access-date=4 August 2023 |work=Daily News Hungary}}</ref> Hopkins eschews meat and prefers a [[Pescetarianism|pescatarian]] diet.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Carey |date=18 February 2001 |title=A NIGHT OUT WITH: Sir Anthony Hopkins; The Man Who Still Isn't Hannibal Lecter |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/18/style/a-night-out-with-sir-anthony-hopkins-the-man-who-still-isn-t-hannibal-lecter.html |access-date=2 March 2023 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

He 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 (writer)|John Sullivan]] saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the character [[The Driscoll Brothers|Danny Driscoll]], a local villain, but 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]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Clark, Steve |title=The Only Fools and Horses Story |publisher=BBC Books |year=1998 |isbn=0-563-38445-X |page=125}}</ref>

Hopkins published his memoir, ''We Did OK, Kid'' in November 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Peter |title=We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir by Anthony Hopkins review – a legend with a temper |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/12/we-did-ok-kid-a-memoir-by-anthony-hopkins-review-a-legend-with-a-temper |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=19 November 2025 |date=12 November 2025}}</ref>

== Acting credits and accolades ==
{{main|List of Anthony Hopkins performances|List of awards and nominations received by Anthony Hopkins}}

[[File:Anthony Hopkins-Tuscan Sun Festival.jpg|thumb|upright|Hopkins at the 2009 [[Tuscan Sun Festival]]]]
Hopkins was appointed a [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] in 1987 and was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] by Queen [[Elizabeth II]] for "services to the arts" at Buckingham Palace in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/film/pages/actors-anthony-hopkins.shtml |title=Top 10 Welsh actors: Anthony Hopkins |work=[[BBC Wales]] |publisher=BBC |access-date=2 January 2010 |date=5 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/02/23/actor-anthony-hopkins-knighted-by-queen-elizabeth/ |title=Actor Anthony Hopkins Knighted By Queen Elizabeth |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=23 February 1993 |access-date=27 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001002520/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-23/news/9303184625_1_actor-anthony-hopkins-knighted-serial-killer |archive-date=1 October 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1988, he was awarded an honorary [[Doctor of Letters|D.Litt.]] degree and in 1992 received an honorary fellowship from the [[University of Wales, Lampeter]].<ref name="HNRY">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/anthony-hopkins/pages/biography.shtml |title=Anthony Hopkins biography |work=[[BBC Wales]] |publisher=BBC |access-date=2 January 2010 |date=15 March 2010}}</ref> He was made a [[Freedom of the City|freeman]] of his home town, [[Port Talbot]], in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 October 2013 |title=Max to Join Sheen as Freeman of Borough |newspaper=[[Western Mail (Wales)|Western Mail]] |location=Cardiff, Wales}}</ref>

He has received numerous accolades for his performances, including two [[Academy Awards]], four [[BAFTA Awards]], a [[Critics' Choice Movie Award]], two [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] and a [[Laurence Olivier Award]] as well as nominations for eight [[Golden Globe Awards]] and seven [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]. In receiving the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in ''The Father'' (2020), he became the [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Best Actor in a Leading Role|oldest nominee and winner]] of the award.<ref name="wrap-oldest-nominee" /><ref name="slate-oldest-winner" />

Hopkins has also been honoured with various lifetime achievement awards for his work in film and television. In 2006, [[Gwyneth Paltrow]] presented him with the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award]].<ref name="DeMille" /> In 2008, [[Richard Attenborough]] presented Hopkins with the [[BAFTA Fellowship]] for lifetime achievement from the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].<ref name="BAFTA Fellow" /> Hopkins has also received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 2003.<ref name="daily" />

==Authorship==

In 2025, Hopkins published his autobiography, ''We Did Ok, Kid'', with [[Simon and Schuster]].

==See also==
* [[List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Great Britain]]
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations|List of actors with Academy Awards nominations]]
* [[List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories]]
* [[List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories]]
* [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Anthony Hopkins}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* [https://www.spectra.theater/explore/artist/de678376-c0bc-4864-b0eb-aac7b6051524 Anthony Hopkins] at the [[Internet Off-Broadway Database]]
* {{Screenonline name|495786}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Anthony Hopkins|Awards for Anthony Hopkins]]
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestActor 1981–2000}}
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actor}}
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor 1980–1999}}
{{British Academy Television Award for Best Actor 1960–1979}}
{{BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards}}
{{Cecil B. DeMille Award 2001–2025}}
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor}}
{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor}}
{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor}}
{{David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor}}
{{Donostia Award}}
{{DramaDesk PlayOutstandingActor 1975-2000}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesLeadActor 1976–2000}}
{{European Film Award for Best Actor}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor}}
{{Hasty Pudding Man of the Year}}
{{OlivierAward OutstandingAchievement}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor}}
{{Maltin Modern Master Award}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actor}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor}}
{{RTS Programme Award for Best Performance by a Male Actor}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Actor}}
}}
{{British Triple Crown of Acting winners}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, Anthony}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
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[[Category:20th-century Welsh male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century Welsh male composers]]
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[[Category:Actors awarded knighthoods]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama]]
[[Category:American people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:Autistic actors]]
[[Category:BAFTA fellows]]
[[Category:Barker family]]
[[Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor European Film Award winners]]
[[Category:British actors with disabilities]]
[[Category:Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Cool Cymru]]
[[Category:Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners]]
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[[Category:Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
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[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:People educated at Cowbridge Grammar School]]
[[Category:People educated at West Monmouth School]]
[[Category:People from Port Talbot]]
[[Category:People with Asperger syndrome]]
[[Category:Welsh autistic people]]
[[Category:Welsh expatriate male actors in the United States]]
[[Category:Welsh male film actors]]
[[Category:Welsh male Shakespearean actors]]
[[Category:Welsh male stage actors]]
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[[Category:Welsh male voice actors]]
[[Category:Welsh knights]]
[[Category:Musicians from Malibu, California]]
[[Category:Male actors from Malibu, California]]