Hopkins, Sir Anthony

Hopkins, Sir Anthony, 1937–, British actor, b. Port Talbot, Wales. A classically schooled actor, he studied drama in Wales and London, made his stage debut in 1960, and was long a member of the British National Theatre. A brilliant and versatile performer, he has acted in more than 25 plays, 30 films, and 40 television dramas. Although he has performed an enormous variety of roles, Hopkins is especially adept at portraying eccentric characters, from the merely odd to the truly monstrous. Plays in which he has appeared include Equus, Old Times, Macbeth, Pravda (1985), and King Lear (1986). Since his first film, The Lion in Winter (1968), he has appeared in Magic (1978), The Elephant Man (1980), Remains of the Day (1993), and Nixon (1995), among others. He won an Academy Award and achieved Hollywood stardom for his chilling portrayal of the murderous Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Hopkins was knighted in 1993.

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Hopkins, Sir Anthony

(born Dec. 31, 1937, Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, Wales) British actor. He joined London's National Theatre in 1965, where he starred in Shakespearean roles. A subtle actor able to convey volcanic emotion with a small gesture, he made an acclaimed Broadway debut in Equus (1974). Hopkins stayed on in the U.S. for films such as The Elephant Man (1980) and television productions such as The Bunker (1981, Emmy Award). At the National Theatre he triumphed in King Lear and Antony and Cleopatra. He won an Oscar for his chilling performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), a role he played in two sequels. He also starred in Howards End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993), and Amistad (1997).