01of 17Anthony Hopkins' ChildhoodAnthony Hopkins/INSTAGRAMPhilip Anthony Hopkins was born in Margam, Glamora, Wales, on Dec. 31, 1937, the only child of parents Muriel and Richard Hopkins. Richard was a baker, andHopkins remembered him as being tough but funny: “He wasn’t always irascible; he had a great sense of humor. … I was born just before the war, and afterward we went through the years of Depression and rationing, but my father was always fighting back. … He was a remarkable old man, and he won lots of silver cups—I’ve got them here—for making cakes and doughnuts.”
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Anthony Hopkins' Childhood
Anthony Hopkins/INSTAGRAM
Philip Anthony Hopkins was born in Margam, Glamora, Wales, on Dec. 31, 1937, the only child of parents Muriel and Richard Hopkins. Richard was a baker, andHopkins remembered him as being tough but funny: “He wasn’t always irascible; he had a great sense of humor. … I was born just before the war, and afterward we went through the years of Depression and rationing, but my father was always fighting back. … He was a remarkable old man, and he won lots of silver cups—I’ve got them here—for making cakes and doughnuts.”
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Anthony Hopkins' Early Career
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04of 17Anthony Hopkins' MarriagesMichael Webb/Keystone/Hulton Archive/GettyThe actor has been married three times: Once to Petronella Barker from 1966 to 1972 (they share one child, from whom he is estranged); once to Jennifer Lynton (pictured) from 1973 to 2002; and now to Stella Arroyave, to whom he’s been married since 2003.Hopkins and Lynton were physically separated in the ’70s, when Hopkins chose to move to the U.S. full-time and she stayed in the U.K.; the distance contributed to the eventual end of their marriage. In 2001 he told Barbara Walters about the state of their relationship: “She is a lovely woman. And, I don’t want to go too deeply into this, I liked living here very much. I wanted to live here. I was always restless. And gradually we just drifted apart. But I live a separate life now.”
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Anthony Hopkins' Marriages
Michael Webb/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty
The actor has been married three times: Once to Petronella Barker from 1966 to 1972 (they share one child, from whom he is estranged); once to Jennifer Lynton (pictured) from 1973 to 2002; and now to Stella Arroyave, to whom he’s been married since 2003.
Hopkins and Lynton were physically separated in the ’70s, when Hopkins chose to move to the U.S. full-time and she stayed in the U.K.; the distance contributed to the eventual end of their marriage. In 2001 he told Barbara Walters about the state of their relationship: “She is a lovely woman. And, I don’t want to go too deeply into this, I liked living here very much. I wanted to live here. I was always restless. And gradually we just drifted apart. But I live a separate life now.”
05of 17Anthony Hopkins' First Big Film RoleRobert Penn/Avco Embassy/Kobal/ShutterstockIn 1968, the actor earned recognition for his portrayal of Richard the Lionheart inThe Lion in Winter, one of the most acclaimed films of that year.
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Anthony Hopkins' First Big Film Role
Robert Penn/Avco Embassy/Kobal/Shutterstock
In 1968, the actor earned recognition for his portrayal of Richard the Lionheart inThe Lion in Winter, one of the most acclaimed films of that year.
06of 17Anthony Hopkins in The BountyOrion/Kobal/ShutterstockHopkins joined a who’s-who of actors in the ’80s (including Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and Laurence Olivier) for 1984’sThe Bounty,which was successful and generally got a favorable reception, but he hated it.“It was such a sad mess of a film, such a botched job,“he told theLos Angeles Timesin 1985. Yet I’d put so much time and effort into the role. So right then and there I decided: Never again. I will no longer invest so much effort in something over which I have no control. It’s too frustrating. That film was a sort of turning point for me. For years I’d been trying to cultivate a don’t-give-a-damn attitude. After watching ‘The Bounty’ I knew I had it.“He would continue to echo that sentiment throughout his career, and loved to remind other actors that their job was more fun than difficult. “Anyone who complains to me about anything, I say, ‘You know nothing. Wake up, smell the coffee, because you know nothing,’ “he toldThe Washington Post, adding that his big acting advice boils down to: “It’s common sense. There’s no big deal to it.”
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Anthony Hopkins in The Bounty
Orion/Kobal/Shutterstock
Hopkins joined a who’s-who of actors in the ’80s (including Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and Laurence Olivier) for 1984’sThe Bounty,which was successful and generally got a favorable reception, but he hated it.
“It was such a sad mess of a film, such a botched job,“he told theLos Angeles Timesin 1985. Yet I’d put so much time and effort into the role. So right then and there I decided: Never again. I will no longer invest so much effort in something over which I have no control. It’s too frustrating. That film was a sort of turning point for me. For years I’d been trying to cultivate a don’t-give-a-damn attitude. After watching ‘The Bounty’ I knew I had it.”
He would continue to echo that sentiment throughout his career, and loved to remind other actors that their job was more fun than difficult. “Anyone who complains to me about anything, I say, ‘You know nothing. Wake up, smell the coffee, because you know nothing,’ “he toldThe Washington Post, adding that his big acting advice boils down to: “It’s common sense. There’s no big deal to it.”
07of 17Anthony Hopkins on His AlcoholismAlastair Muir/ShutterstockThe actor (seen here in a production ofAntony and Cleopatrain the 1980s) earned acclaim for his roles onstage and on screen, but he has admitted he was “very difficult to work with, because I was usually hungover” in the 1960s and ’70s. Afterwaking up in a hotel room in Arizona in 1975with no recollection of how he got there, he decided to quit. The day before his 85th birthday,he celebrated 47 years sober with a video offering words of support and encouragementto others who might be struggling.As to why he quit? “Iwas not a good drinker. It wasn’t so much the amount; it was what it would do to my brain and my body,“he said. “And to drive a car when you’re drunk is insanity—I could have killed somebody. So I thought, Stop it! And it was over and done with. I’m flabbergasted that I’m here and alive. I should have been dead many years ago.”
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Anthony Hopkins on His Alcoholism
Alastair Muir/Shutterstock
The actor (seen here in a production ofAntony and Cleopatrain the 1980s) earned acclaim for his roles onstage and on screen, but he has admitted he was “very difficult to work with, because I was usually hungover” in the 1960s and ’70s. Afterwaking up in a hotel room in Arizona in 1975with no recollection of how he got there, he decided to quit. The day before his 85th birthday,he celebrated 47 years sober with a video offering words of support and encouragementto others who might be struggling.
As to why he quit? “Iwas not a good drinker. It wasn’t so much the amount; it was what it would do to my brain and my body,“he said. “And to drive a car when you’re drunk is insanity—I could have killed somebody. So I thought, Stop it! And it was over and done with. I’m flabbergasted that I’m here and alive. I should have been dead many years ago.”
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Anthony Hopkins Becomes a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
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09of 17Anthony Hopkins' Environmental ActivismPeter Brooker/ShutterstockThe actor (pictured here while filming a 1989 documentary about Antarctica) is a vocal member of Greenpeace, and contributed £1 million towards a fundraiser to allow the National Trust to purchase and preserve the land in Snowdonia.
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Anthony Hopkins' Environmental Activism
Peter Brooker/Shutterstock
The actor (pictured here while filming a 1989 documentary about Antarctica) is a vocal member of Greenpeace, and contributed £1 million towards a fundraiser to allow the National Trust to purchase and preserve the land in Snowdonia.
10of 17Anthony Hopkins in SnowdoniaDavid Kendall - PA Images/PA Images via GettyHopkins published a book about the hilly Welsh terrain in 1994, before becoming involved with the National Trust’s conservation efforts.
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Anthony Hopkins in Snowdonia
David Kendall - PA Images/PA Images via Getty
Hopkins published a book about the hilly Welsh terrain in 1994, before becoming involved with the National Trust’s conservation efforts.
11of 17Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal LecterKen Regan/Orion/Kobal/ShutterstockHopkins' defining role may well be that of Hannibal Lector in 1991’sSilence of the Lambs, in which he plays a psychiatrist and serial killer who eats his victims. He would revisit the character in the sequelsHannibalandRed Dragon.In 2001,he told Barbara Walters of the character, “I read the first script many years ago and I knew that it was one of those parts, that I could slip into like a glove. I think he is a little like me in a way. He’s a person in solitude and isolation. I am a bit of a solitude person — a solitary personality. I like being on my own. I don’t have any major friendships or relationships with people.”
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Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
Ken Regan/Orion/Kobal/Shutterstock
Hopkins' defining role may well be that of Hannibal Lector in 1991’sSilence of the Lambs, in which he plays a psychiatrist and serial killer who eats his victims. He would revisit the character in the sequelsHannibalandRed Dragon.
In 2001,he told Barbara Walters of the character, “I read the first script many years ago and I knew that it was one of those parts, that I could slip into like a glove. I think he is a little like me in a way. He’s a person in solitude and isolation. I am a bit of a solitude person — a solitary personality. I like being on my own. I don’t have any major friendships or relationships with people.”
12of 17Anthony Hopkins Wins His First OscarJohn Barr/Liaison/GettyThe actor and hisSilence of the Lambscostar Jodie Foster each won an Oscar for their performances in the film, which also won three more Academy Awards including Best Picture. It was one of the highest-grossing films of that year.
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Anthony Hopkins Wins His First Oscar
John Barr/Liaison/Getty
The actor and hisSilence of the Lambscostar Jodie Foster each won an Oscar for their performances in the film, which also won three more Academy Awards including Best Picture. It was one of the highest-grossing films of that year.
13of 17Anthony Hopkin’s Third MarriageSGranitz/WireImageHopkins wed actress Stella Arroyave, a Colombian native, in 2003, and she is often seen on his arm at premieres and awards shows (here, with him as he brings home the Cecil B. DeMille achievement award at the 2010Golden Globes). He shares glimpses of their life together on Instagram, includinga video of him dancing to traditional Colombian music.
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Anthony Hopkin’s Third Marriage
SGranitz/WireImage
Hopkins wed actress Stella Arroyave, a Colombian native, in 2003, and she is often seen on his arm at premieres and awards shows (here, with him as he brings home the Cecil B. DeMille achievement award at the 2010Golden Globes). He shares glimpses of their life together on Instagram, includinga video of him dancing to traditional Colombian music.
14of 17Anthony Hopkins in Transformers: The Last KnightParamount Pictures/Kobal/ShutterstockThough the star is considered to have a serious onscreen and onstage persona, he has cultivated a joyful and silly presence on social media, and he attributes that to an encounter he had while working onTransformers: The Last Knightin 2017.“It started with Mark Wahlberg. I was working [with him] and he said, ‘I want you to go on Twitter to tweet.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about. I’m a bit dopey about that. So I did a message, and that’s how it started,“he toldThe New Yorker. “My wife has encouraged me to do it, especially in these dire times … I try to send cheerful messages. As screwed up as we are as human beings, we can find a way out of this. I do live with optimism.”
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Anthony Hopkins in Transformers: The Last Knight
Paramount Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock
Though the star is considered to have a serious onscreen and onstage persona, he has cultivated a joyful and silly presence on social media, and he attributes that to an encounter he had while working onTransformers: The Last Knightin 2017.
“It started with Mark Wahlberg. I was working [with him] and he said, ‘I want you to go on Twitter to tweet.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about. I’m a bit dopey about that. So I did a message, and that’s how it started,“he toldThe New Yorker. “My wife has encouraged me to do it, especially in these dire times … I try to send cheerful messages. As screwed up as we are as human beings, we can find a way out of this. I do live with optimism.”
15of 17Anthony Hopkins in The FatherSony Pictures ClassicsThe star received rave reviews for his portrayal of an elderly man losing himself to dementia, in a film that costarred Olivia Colman. The film has many heartbreaking scenes, but Hopkins downplayed the level of difficulty, saying his many years of training led him to be able to do such wrenching work without too much stress. Plus,he had one secret weapon to use: “I didn’t have to act old age, because I am old.“Though Hopkins' own father did not experience dementia, he saw parallels between his character and his aging dad onscreen: “I started doing [the film], and I didn’t think of it. But when I saw it later, I thoughtI was my own father.”
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Anthony Hopkins in The Father
Sony Pictures Classics
The star received rave reviews for his portrayal of an elderly man losing himself to dementia, in a film that costarred Olivia Colman. The film has many heartbreaking scenes, but Hopkins downplayed the level of difficulty, saying his many years of training led him to be able to do such wrenching work without too much stress. Plus,he had one secret weapon to use: “I didn’t have to act old age, because I am old.”
Though Hopkins' own father did not experience dementia, he saw parallels between his character and his aging dad onscreen: “I started doing [the film], and I didn’t think of it. But when I saw it later, I thoughtI was my own father.”
16of 17Anthony Hopkins' Second OscarROBYN BECK/AFP/GettyHopkins' performancewon him his second Best Actor Oscar in 2021. His category was largely favored for the late Chadwick Boseman, and Hopkins' win surprised many, including the actor himself:He was asleep in Wales when his name was announced.The actor, who at 83 became the oldest Best Actor winner ever, was “so happy and grateful” to be woken up with the news, his longtime agent told PEOPLE. “He loved the role inThe Father– it’s his proudest performance – and to be the oldest living actor to win in the category means so much to him.”
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Anthony Hopkins' Second Oscar
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty
Hopkins' performancewon him his second Best Actor Oscar in 2021. His category was largely favored for the late Chadwick Boseman, and Hopkins' win surprised many, including the actor himself:He was asleep in Wales when his name was announced.
The actor, who at 83 became the oldest Best Actor winner ever, was “so happy and grateful” to be woken up with the news, his longtime agent told PEOPLE. “He loved the role inThe Father– it’s his proudest performance – and to be the oldest living actor to win in the category means so much to him.”
17of 17Anthony Hopkins' ArtAnthony Hopkins/INSTAGRAMThe actor spends much of his time at homeplaying pianoand painting,and exhibits and sells his artwork. “I just paint as I feel it, and as I feel like doing it. I just like the colors and mixing them up and creating shapes, all that sort of thing,“he toldW. “I don’t make any conscious effort, I just paint as it takes me.”
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Anthony Hopkins' Art
The actor spends much of his time at homeplaying pianoand painting,and exhibits and sells his artwork. “I just paint as I feel it, and as I feel like doing it. I just like the colors and mixing them up and creating shapes, all that sort of thing,“he toldW. “I don’t make any conscious effort, I just paint as it takes me.”
source: people.com
