Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 1937) is a British and American film and theater actor, film director and composer.
He gained worldwide fame thanks to the image of the serial killer-cannibal Hannibal Lecter, embodied in the films "The Silence of the Lambs", "Hannibal" and "The Red Dragon".
Member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Winner of the Oscar, 2 Emmy and 4 BAFTA awards.
There are many interesting facts in the biography of Anthony Hopkins, which we will talk about in this article.
So, here is a short biography of Hopkins.
Biography of Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins was born on December 31, 1937 in the Welsh city of Margham. He grew up in a simple family of baker Richard Arthur and his wife Muriel Ann.
Childhood and youth
Until the age of 12, Anthony was homeschooled, after which, at the insistence of his parents, he continued his studies at a prestigious closed school for boys.
Here he studied for less than 3 years, because he suffered from dyslexia - a selective violation of the ability to master reading and writing skills while maintaining a general ability to learn.
An interesting fact is that dyslexia is inherent in such Hollywood stars as Keanu Reeves and Keira Knightley.
For this reason, Hopkins could not master the program on a par with his classmates. In one of his interviews, he said the following: “I was a bad student, whom everyone made fun of, which developed an inferiority complex in me. I grew up completely convinced that I was stupid. "
Over time, Anthony Hopkins realized that instead of traditional studies, he was better off connecting his life with art - music or painting. It is worth noting that by that time he knew how to draw well, and was also an excellent pianist.
In 1952, in the biography of Hopkins, there was an important acquaintance with the famous film actor Richard Burton, who advised him to try himself as an actor.
Anthony heeded Burton's advice by enrolling at the Royal Wales College of Music and Drama. After graduating from college, he was drafted into the army. Returning home, he continued his education at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
After becoming a certified artist, Hopkins got a job in a small London theater. Initially, he was a stunt double for one of the leading actors, after which they began to trust him with prominent roles on stage.
Films
In 1970 Anthony Hopkins left for the USA, where he got small roles in films and appeared on TV. Interestingly, even 2 years before the move, he starred in the drama "The Lion in Winter", which won three Oscars, two Golden Globes and two British Academy Awards. In this picture he got the role of the young Richard "The Lionheart".
In 1971, Hopkins was cast in the lead role in the action movie When Eight Flasks Break. The following year he transformed into Pierre Bezukhov in the TV series War and Peace. For this work he was awarded the BAFTA prize.
In subsequent years, viewers saw the actor in films such as Doll House, Magic, Elephant Man, and The Bunker. For his role as Adolf Hitler in the last film, Anthony Hopkins won an Emmy Award.
In the 80s, the man took part in the filming of equally successful films, including "Zarya", "The Good Father" and "84 Chering Cross Road." However, the real popularity came to him after he brilliantly played the cannibal maniac Hannibal Lecter in the thriller "The Silence of the Lambs."
For this role, Anthony Hopkins received such prestigious awards as Oscar and Saturn. Much of the film's success is due to the actor's fantastic and convincing performance.
It is worth noting that Hopkins approached the realization of his hero with all seriousness. He scrupulously researched the biographies of many famous killers, visited the cells where they were held, and also went to major trials.
An interesting fact is that watching the murderer Charles Manson Anthony noticed that during the conversation he did not blink, which the actor later embodied in The Silence of the Lambs. Perhaps because of this, his character's gaze had such power.
In the future, Anthony Hopkins will be nominated for an Oscar for his roles in the films "Remains of the Day" and "Amistad", and will also receive many prestigious film awards.
In 1993, the British Queen Elizabeth 2 presented the man with the knightly title, as a result of which they began to call him only - Sir Anthony Hopkins.
In 1996, the artist presented the comedy drama August, in which he acted as a director, actor and composer. It is curious that the film was based on the play by Anton Chekhov "Uncle Vanya". 11 years later, he will present another film "Whirlwind", where he will also act as a film director, actor and composer.
During that period of his biography, Anthony Hopkins played key roles in such iconic films as Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Trial, The Legends of Autumn, On the Edge and Meet Joe Black and many others.
At the beginning of the new millennium, viewers saw a man in 2 sequels to The Silence of the Lambs - Hannibal and The Red Dragon. Here he again transformed into Hannibal Lecter. An interesting fact is that the box office receipts of these works in total exceeded half a billion dollars.
In 2007, Hopkins starred in the detective thriller Fracture, where he once again brilliantly transformed himself into an intelligent and creepy criminal murderer. After 4 years, he got the role of a Catholic priest in the mystical film "Rite".
After that, Anthony tried on the image of the legendary director Hitchcock, appearing in the film of the same name. In addition, he repeatedly starred in fantastic films, including the Thor trilogy and the Westworld TV series.
In 2015, Hopkins appeared before fans as a talented composer. As it turned out, he is the author of many works for piano and violin. One of the most popular works was the waltz "And the waltz goes on", created in the last century.
Personal life
Over the years of his personal biography, Anthony was married three times. In 1966 he married actress Petronella Barker, with whom he lived for about 6 years. In this union, the couple had a girl, Abigail.
After that, Hopkins married his secretary Jennifer Linton. In 1995, the couple decided to leave, but a year later they started living together again. However, after 3 years they had already finally dispersed, while the divorce was officially formalized only in 2002.
After that, in the club of Alcoholics Anonymous, the actor met Joyce Ingalls, whom he dated for about 2 years. Later he was in a relationship with singer Francine Kaye and TV star Martha Suart, but he never married either of them.
In 2004, Anthony married Colombian actress Stella Arroyave, whom he first saw in an antique shop. Today, the couple live on their estate in Malibu. Children in this union were never born.
Anthony Hopkins today
Hopkins is still in films today. In 2019, he appeared in the biographical drama Two Popes, where the main characters were Cardinal Hohe Mario Bergoglio and Pope Benedict 16, played by the actor.
The following year, the man took part in the filming of the film Father. Interestingly, his character was also named Anthony. Hopkins has an official Instagram account. By 2020, over 2 million people have subscribed to his page.
Hopkins Photos
