Born to Richard Arthur and Muriel, Anthony Hopkins was a slow learner academically and an ungregarious child. Professionally, he started at the RADA and later joined the National Theatre under Sir Laurence Olivier.

He won two Emmy Awards, as Bruno Hauptmann in The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and as Adolf Hitler in The Bunker; and a Best Actor Academy Award as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.


The Wolfman (2010): $15,000,000
Red Dragon (2002): $20,000,000
Hannibal (2001): $15,000,000
Mission: Impossible II (2000): $5,000,000

Is proud of his improvisational touches as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) such as: the unnerving effect on Jodie Foster when he mocked her character's West Virginia accent; the distorion of the word "chianti" and the vile slurping sound he makes after he describes eating the "census-taker." Hopkins also notes that Hannibal never blinked his eyes when he spoke. Often compared with fellow Welshman Richard Burton. 7/16/88: Received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Wales. 1975: Conquered his alcoholic addiction. Father of Abigail Hopkins Born at 9:15am-UT 9/99: Was selected by an Entertainment Weekly on-line movie poll as the Best Modern Actor and the Best Villain for his role as Hannibal Lecter. Received his Academy Award for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 11 years to the day of his father's death. Has the distinction of portraying two U.S. Presidents: Richard Nixon in Nixon (1995), and John Quincy Adams in Amistad (1997). He received Oscar nominations for both performances. Had a brush with death while shooting The Edge (1997) in Alberta, Canada. He fell in a river, and was rushed to hospital to be treated for hypothermia. Served in the British National Service as a Royal Artillery man and for a while was only known as "Gunner Hopkins". For his stage performance in "Pravda", he was awarded the 1985 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor, and the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1986 (1985 season) for Outstanding Achievement. His Oscar-winning performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was ranked #1 on the American Film Institute's Villains list in its compilation of the 100 Years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains. Is related to the poet William Butler Yeats on his mother's side of the family. Has played a (future) king of England (Richard Lionheart in The Lion in Winter (1968)) and two U.S. Presidents. Interestingly, President Richard Nixon and his brothers were all named after British kings, so it's likely that he played Nixon's namesake. Has three roles in common with Brian Cox. Both of them have played Titus Andronicus. Hopkins appeared on stage as King Lear in 1986, the same year that Manhunter (1986), which starred Cox as Hannibal Lecter, was released. He was succeeded in the role of Lear by Cox in 1991, the same year that he succeeded Cox in the role of Hannibal Lecter. Is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Stratford Upon Avon, England, where he spent three seasons after graduating from RADA. With a little over 16 minutes of screen time, his performance as Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), is the shortest ever to win a Best Actor Oscar. Has the distinction of twice playing former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George in Young Winston (1972) and "The Edwardians" (1972). Though dyslexic, he's always possessed a great memory for scripts. Likes to be called "Tony." An accomplished painter, he has allowed some of his landscape paintings to be exhibited in San Antonio, Texas. His performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is ranked #15 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. Reads each script 250 times out loud before filming, and to exercise his memory, memorizes one new poem a week. Has played two characters that lost a hand by having it severed: in Titus (1999) and Hannibal (2001). Quit smoking cigarettes using the Allen Carr method. He is the patron on The Drama Association of Wales,UK which offers a wide and varied range of services to Community Drama. Among others, members include amateur and professional theatre practitioners, educationalists and playwrights. Parents: Muriel Anne Yeats (b.1913) and Richard Arthur Hopkins (died in 1981). Won a Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play for "Equus" (1975). He's the only child of a couple who ran a bakery. Ex-son-in-law of Eric Barker and Pearl Hackney. Resides in Santa Monica, California. He and Frank Langella both received Oscar-nominations for playing Richard Nixon.