Misplaced Pages

Anthony Hopkins

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
#889110

124-455: Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage . Hopkins has received numerous accolades , including two Academy Awards , four BAFTA Awards , two Primetime Emmy Awards , and a Laurence Olivier Award . He has also received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005 and

248-496: A plastic surgery patient. This was left out of the film because Scott and Hopkins agreed to leave the face alone. 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 .": He's still the sort of Robin Hood of killers. He kills the—what do they call them? The terminally rude. In

372-576: A "tour de force". The film was ranked by the British Film Institute as the 64th greatest British film of the 20th century . Starring as the butler Stevens, Hopkins named it among his favourite films. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance and received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor . Hopkins portrayed Oxford academic C. S. Lewis in the 1993 British biographical film Shadowlands , for which he

496-601: A Colombian-born antiques dealer, in the early 2000s, and he credits her with helping him overcome his feelings of depression at the time. 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 . He has a daughter from his first marriage. The two are 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

620-676: A centre at Corsham Court in Corsham , and Oxford Brookes University maintains a minor campus in Swindon (almost 50 km from Oxford). Swindon is the UK's second largest centre of population (after Milton Keynes ) without its own university. Service Children's Education has its headquarters in Trenchard Lines in Upavon , Wiltshire. The county registered a population of 680,137 in

744-951: A demonic ventriloquist's puppet with Gene Siskel adding it as one of the best films of the year. In 1979, Hopkins appeared as Prospero in a production of The Tempest held at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. In 1980, he starred in David Lynch 's The Elephant Man as the English doctor 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 Best Picture . That year he also starred opposite Shirley MacLaine in A Change of Seasons and famously didn't get along with MacLaine, adding "she

868-483: A feeling that I may be special or different, I think of my father and I remember his hands – his hardened, broken hands." 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 Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in Pontypool . He remained there for five terms and

992-570: A fellow actor. He would spend hours just looking at Bart and admiring him. He did so many of his own scenes with Bart." 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 Dr Hannibal Lecter for a fee of £ 15 million. In 2000, Hopkins narrated Ron Howard 's live action remake of How the Grinch Stole Christmas . He then reprised

1116-466: A golden great bustard , which had been extinct in England since 1832 but is now the subject of a breeding programme on Salisbury Plain . It is surrounded by a green and white circle, representing the stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury and also the six surrounding counties. The field consists of alternating green and white stripes, which reference the banner of arms of the council but also represent

1240-557: A kindly elderly grandfather. A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote, "Hopkins finds the essential grit hiding underneath the twinkle". That same year he reunited with Florian Zeller , acting in The Son (2022) alongside Hugh Jackman . In 2023, Hopkins starred as stockbroker and humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton in the biographical drama film One Life , and also played Sigmund Freud in Freud's Last Session . Hopkins also appeared in

1364-760: A league record points tally of 103. After Salisbury City went into liquidation in 2014, a new club, Salisbury , was formed in 2015 and will play in the National League South for the 24/25 season. Wiltshire County Cricket Club play in the Minor Counties league. Swindon Robins Speedway team, who competed in the top national division, the SGB Premiership , had been at their track at the Blunsdon Abbey Stadium near Swindon since 1949. In 2020 they stopped racing due to

SECTION 10

#1732802325890

1488-542: 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. In 2011, Hopkins has said, "what I enjoy is uncertainty. ... I don't know. You don't know." 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. Kidnapping Freddy Heineken , was released in 2015. Hopkins portrayed Odin ,

1612-573: 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". Beginning in October 2016, Hopkins starred as Robert Ford in the HBO sci-fi series Westworld where he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance. Hopkins starred as Lear in

1736-550: A man struggling with Alzheimer's disease in The Father . The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it received critical acclaim, with many critics praising Hopkins's performance and calling him a standout and Oscar frontrunner. 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

1860-553: A memorable image of a perversely brilliant modern-day barbarian." In 1986, he starred in David Hare's production of King Lear , Hopkins's favourite Shakespeare play , at the National Theatre. The next year, he starred as 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 production of M. Butterfly . "It

1984-603: 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." Hopkins reprised the role, returning to the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by Thomas Harris . The author

2108-571: 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. 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

2232-433: A proportion is caused orographically (uplift over hills). Autumn and winter are rainiest, caused by Atlantic depressions, which are then most active. Even so, any month can be the wettest or driest in a given year but the wettest is much more likely to be Oct-Mar, and the driest Apr-Sept. In summer, a greater proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. It

2356-521: A result of elections held in 2021, Wiltshire Council comprises 61 Conservatives , 27 Liberal Democrats , seven Independents and three Labour members. Swindon Borough Council has 34 Conservative councillors and 23 Labour members. Until the 2009 structural changes to local government , Wiltshire (apart from Swindon) was a two-level county, divided into four local government districts – Kennet , North Wiltshire , Salisbury and West Wiltshire – which existed alongside Wiltshire County Council , covering

2480-526: 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. 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

2604-529: 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." Hopkins resides in Malibu, California . He had moved to the United States once before, during the late 1970s, to pursue his film career, but returned to London in the late 1980s. However, he decided to return to

SECTION 20

#1732802325890

2728-423: 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." 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 (1997), Hopkins astounded the crew with his memorisation of

2852-437: A village pond. When confronted by the excise men they raked the surface to conceal the submerged contraband with ripples, and claimed that they were trying to rake in a large round cheese visible in the pond, really a reflection of the full moon. The officials took them for simple yokels or mad and left them alone, allowing them to continue with their illegal activities. Many villages claim the tale for their own village pond, but

2976-480: Is a ceremonial county in South West England . It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to the west. The largest settlement is Swindon , and Trowbridge is the county town . The county has an area of 3,485 km (1,346 square miles) and a population of 720,060. The county

3100-533: Is a diabolically insecure, egotistical man." 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

3224-420: Is a form of prayer." 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

3348-569: Is also home to a University Technical College , UTC Swindon , specialising in engineering. A second UTC, South Wiltshire UTC , was based in Salisbury but closed in August 2020. Wiltshire is one of the few remaining English counties without a university or university college; the closest university to the county town of Trowbridge is the University of Bath . However, Bath Spa University has

3472-403: Is distinctive in having a significantly higher number of people in various forms of manufacturing (especially electrical equipment and apparatus, food products, and beverages, furniture, rubber, pharmaceuticals , and plastic goods) than the national average. In addition, there is higher-than-average employment in public administration and defence , due to the military establishments around

3596-400: 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. 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

3720-497: Is frequent. In the summer the Azores high pressure affects south-west England; however, convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. In December 1998, there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton (Somerset). Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection , though

3844-461: 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." For his performance he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie . That same year he starred as Paul

Anthony Hopkins - Misplaced Pages Continue

3968-535: Is mostly rural, and the centre and south-west are sparsely populated. After Swindon (183,638), the largest settlements are the city of Salisbury (41,820) and the towns of Chippenham (37,548) and Trowbridge (37,169). For local government purposes the county comprises two unitary authority areas, Swindon and Wiltshire . Undulating chalk downlands characterize much of the county. In the east are Marlborough Downs , which contain Savernake Forest . To

4092-462: 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

4216-535: Is often the northern half of the county that sees most of the showers with south-westerly winds in summer, whereas in the south of the county, the proximity of a relatively cold English Channel often inhibits showers. In autumn and winter, however, the sea is often relatively warm, compared with the air passing over it and can often lead to a higher rainfall in the south of the county (e.g. Salisbury recorded over 200mm of rain in Nov 2009 and January 2014). Average rainfall for

4340-759: Is represented in the Football League by Swindon Town , who play at the County Ground stadium near Swindon town centre. They joined the Football League on the creation of the Third Division in 1920, and have remained in the league ever since. Their most notable achievements include winning the Football League Cup in 1969 and the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1970, two successive promotions in 1986 and 1987 (taking them from

4464-528: 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. 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

4588-632: 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." Hopkins quit smoking using the Allen Carr method. In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss programme, and by 2010, he had lost 5 st 10 lb (80 lb or 36 kg). 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

4712-408: The 2011 Census . Wiltshire (outside Swindon) has a low population density of 1.4 persons per hectare, when compared against 4.1 for England as a whole. Historical population of Wiltshire county: At the 2016 European Union membership referendum , Wiltshire voted in favour of Brexit . Wiltshire is represented by eight Parliamentary constituencies . Seven are entirely within the county, while

4836-902: The Arthur Schnitzler play The Lonely Road at The Old Vic in London. That same year, he featured as Lambert Le Roux in the National Theatre production of Pravda in Sir David Hare and Howard Brenton 's satirical play on the British newspaper industry in the Thatcher era. Receiving acclaim for his performance, Hopkins won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement. Frank Rich in his New York Times review wrote, "Mr. Hopkins creates

4960-701: 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. He also won a second Academy Award for Best Actor for his role, becoming the oldest person to win an acting Oscar. 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

5084-1185: The BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role . 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), receiving the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance in the latter. Making a name for himself as a screen actor, he appeared in Frank Pierson 's neo-noir action thriller The Looking Glass War (1970), and Étienne Périer 's 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 , and in 1977 he played British Army officer John Frost in Attenborough's World War II-set film A Bridge Too Far . In 1973 he again portrayed David Lloyd George in

Anthony Hopkins - Misplaced Pages Continue

5208-679: The BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2008. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama in 1993. 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

5332-732: The Dorset Downs in the west to Dover in the east. The largest area of chalk in Wiltshire is Salisbury Plain , which is used mainly for arable agriculture and by the British Army as training ranges. The highest point in the county is the Tan Hill – Milk Hill ridge in the Pewsey Vale , just to the north of Salisbury Plain, at 295 m (968 ft) above sea level. The chalk uplands run north-east into West Berkshire in

5456-597: The Florentine and Flemish markets in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 17th century, English Civil War Wiltshire was largely Parliamentarian . The Battle of Roundway Down , a Royalist victory, was fought near Devizes . In 1794, it was decided at a meeting at the Bear Inn in Devizes to raise a body of ten independent troops of Yeomanry for the county of Wiltshire, which formed the basis for what would become

5580-887: The Fourth Division to the Second ), promotion to the Premier League as Division One play-off winners in 1993 (as inaugural members), the Division Two title in 1996, and their promotion to League One in 2007 after finishing third in League Two . Chippenham Town is the area's highest-ranked non-league football club; they currently play in the National League South after winning the Southern Premier League in 2016/17, with

5704-616: The Marlborough Downs ridge, and south-west into Dorset as Cranborne Chase . Cranborne Chase, which straddles the border, has, like Salisbury Plain, yielded much Stone Age and Bronze Age archaeology . The Marlborough Downs are part of the North Wessex Downs AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), a 1,730 km (670-square-mile) conservation area. In the north-west of the county, on the border with South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset ,

5828-608: The Netflix science fiction film Rebel Moon directed by Zack Snyder . Hopkins has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the National Trust 's Snowdonia Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of Snowdonia National Park in north Wales. In 1998 he donated £ 1 million towards the £3 million needed to aid the Trust's efforts in purchasing parts of Snowdon . Prior to

5952-571: The Palace Theatre, Swansea , in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of Have a Cigarette . In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by Laurence Olivier , who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre in London. 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 . Olivier later noted in his memoir, Confessions of an Actor , that, "A new young actor in

6076-745: The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry , who served with distinction both at home and abroad, during the Boer War , World War I and World War II. The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry lives on as Y (RWY) Squadron, based in Swindon, and B (RWY) Squadron, based in Salisbury, of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry . Around 1800, the Kennet and Avon Canal was built through Wiltshire, providing a route for transporting cargoes from Bristol to London until

6200-537: The South Cotswolds constituency extends into southern parts of Gloucestershire. At the 2024 general election , the Conservatives won three seats ( East Wiltshire , Salisbury , and South West Wiltshire ); Labour two ( Swindon North and Swindon South ); and the Liberal Democrats three ( Chippenham , Melksham and Devizes , and South Cotswolds). The ceremonial county of Wiltshire consists of two unitary authority areas, Wiltshire and Swindon, governed respectively by Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council . As

6324-407: 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 . 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

SECTION 50

#1732802325890

6448-500: The " M4 corridor effect", which attracts business, and the attractiveness of its countryside, towns and villages. The northern part of the county is richer than the southern part, particularly since Swindon is home to national and international corporations such as Intel , Motorola , Patheon , Catalent (formerly known as Cardinal Health ), Becton-Dickinson , WHSmith , Early Learning Centre and Nationwide , with Dyson located in nearby Malmesbury . Wiltshire's employment structure

6572-418: The 1980s, he had a starring role in the 1980 film The Elephant Man as Dr. Frederick Treves , opposite John Hurt and in the 1987 film 84 Charing Cross Road with Anne Bancroft . In 1991, he was cast in the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs with Jodie Foster , a role he played again in Hannibal (2001) and the prequel Red Dragon (2002). For his role in The Silence of

6696-545: The 2018 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. Vulture stated the film "capture[d] the heart of the classic Shakespeare tragedy" and described Hopkins' performance as "devastating". In 2019, Hopkins portrayed Pope Benedict XVI opposite Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis in Fernando Meirelles 's The Two Popes . He stated, "The great treasure

6820-476: The Academy and thank you." He also paid tribute to fellow nominee Chadwick Boseman , who had died the previous year. In 2022, he acted in 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. Hopkins starred alongside Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway . Hopkins received positive reviews for his turn as

6944-444: The Allfather or "king" of Asgard, in the 2011 film adaptation of Marvel Comics' 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 . Hopkins portrayed Alfred Hitchcock in Sacha Gervasi 's biopic Hitchcock alongside Helen Mirren who played Hitchcock's wife, Alma Reville . The film focuses on the filming of Psycho and that which followed. He starred in

7068-418: The Apostle opposite Robert Foxworth as Saint Peter in the biblical drama and miniseries 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. In 1984, he starred opposite Mel Gibson in The Bounty as William Bligh , captain of

7192-422: The Avon; the northern Avon enters the county in the north-west and flows in a south-westerly direction before leaving it near Bradford-on-Avon , and the southern Avon rises on Salisbury Plain and flows through Salisbury, then into Hampshire. The far south-east contains part of the New Forest . Much of the county is protected: the Marlborough Downs; West Wiltshire Downs, Vale of Wardour, and Cranbourne Chase; and

7316-437: The BBC film The Dresser (2015), PBS's King Lear (2018), and the HBO series Westworld (2016–2018). Philip Anthony Hopkins was born in the Margam district of Port Talbot , Wales, on 31 December 1937, the son of Annie Muriel (née Yeates) and baker Richard Arthur Hopkins. One of his grandfathers was from Wiltshire , England. He stated his father's working-class values have always underscored his life, "Whenever I get

7440-521: The BBC miniseries The Edwardians which aired in the US in 1974 on Masterpiece Theatre . Hopkins starred in a film adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen play 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 opposite Richard Harris and Omar Sharif . In October 1974, Hopkins played

7564-420: The Cotswolds are all part of designated national landscapes , and the New Forest is a national park . Salisbury Plain is noted for the Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles , which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and other ancient landmarks. Much of the plain is a training area for the British Army . The city of Salisbury is notable for its medieval cathedral . Large country houses open to

SECTION 60

#1732802325890

7688-405: The Covid-19 Pandemic and subsequently announced in 2022 that they would not be returning. Swindon Wildcats compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League , the second tier of British ice hockey, and play their home games at Swindon's Link Centre . A flag to represent Wiltshire, the "Bustard Flag", was approved by a full meeting of Wiltshire Council on 1 December 2009. It depicts in the centre

7812-446: The Fall (1994), The Mask of Zorro (1998), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thor franchise (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). He won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976) and The Bunker (1981). Other notable projects include

7936-440: The Lambs (1991) and an octogenarian with dementia in The Father (2020), becoming the oldest Best Actor Oscar winner for the latter. His other Oscar-nominated films include The Remains of the Day (1993), Nixon (1995), Amistad (1997), and The Two Popes (2019). Other notable films include 84 Charing Cross Road (1987), Howards End (1992), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Shadowlands (1993), Legends of

8060-423: The Lambs , for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991, with Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling , who also won for Best Actress . The film won Best Picture , Best Director and 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), and Red Dragon (2002). His original portrayal of

8184-453: The Lambs , he won an Academy Award and BAFTA Film Award for Best Actor. Other notable roles he had during the 1990s were Bram Stoker's Dracula with Gary Oldman (1992), Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr. (1992), The Remains of the Day with Emma Thompson (1993), Legends of the Fall with Brad Pitt (1994), The Mask of Zorro with Antonio Banderas (1998), and Meet Joe Black again with Pitt (1998). The 2000s saw him in

8308-547: The National included King Lear (his favourite Shakespeare play ), Coriolanus , Macbeth , and Antony and Cleopatra . In 1985, he received acclaim and a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in the David Hare play Pravda . His last stage play was a West End production of M. Butterfly in 1989. Hopkins's early film roles include The Lion in Winter (1968), A Bridge Too Far (1977), and The Elephant Man (1980). He won two Academy Awards for Best Actor for playing Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of

8432-548: The Royal Navy ship HMS  Bounty , in a more accurate retelling of the mutiny on the Bounty . The following year he starred as Quasimodo in the CBS television 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 (1984), Arch of Triumph (1984), Guilty Conscience (1985), Mussolini and I (1985), and The Tenth Man (1988). In 1985, Hopkins starred opposite Colin Firth in

8556-823: The UK average in 1998, and was only marginally above the rate for South West England. Wiltshire has 30 county secondary schools, publicly funded, of which the largest is Warminster Kingdown , and eleven private secondaries, including Marlborough College , St Mary's Calne , Dauntsey's near Devizes , and Warminster School . The county schools are nearly all comprehensives , with the older pattern of education surviving only in Salisbury , which has two grammar schools ( South Wilts Grammar School and Bishop Wordsworth's School ) and three non-selective schools. There are four further education colleges, which also provide some higher education: New College (Swindon); Wiltshire College (Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury); Salisbury Sixth Form College ; and Swindon College . Wiltshire

8680-410: The US following his 1990s success. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a naturalised American citizen on 12 April 2000, with Hopkins stating: "I have dual citizenship; it just so happens I live in America". Hopkins has been married three times. He was married to actress Petronella Barker from 1966 to 1972, Jennifer Lynton from 1973 to 2002, and Stella Arroyave since 2003. Hopkins met Arroyave,

8804-476: 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 ; Rieu's album was given the same name as Hopkins's piece. 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 . The album consists of nine of his original works and film scores, with one of

8928-569: The butler Stevens in The Remains of the Day . 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

9052-545: The campaign, Hopkins wrote Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia , which was published in 1995. 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. 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. He supports other various philanthropic groups. He

9176-510: The ceremony, he donned Cooper's trademark fez and performed a comic routine. 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." In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in the UK Singles Chart . In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from

9300-768: The chalk and grass of the county's downlands. The white can also represent peace, and the green joy, hope or safety. The flag has been registered in the flag registry of the vexillological charity the Flag Institute . Wiltshire has twenty-one towns and one city : A list of settlements is at List of places in Wiltshire . Local TV coverage is covered by BBC West and ITV West Country ; however, Swindon and Salisbury receive BBC South and ITV Meridian . The county's local radio stations are BBC Radio Wiltshire , Heart West , Greatest Hits Radio South West and Greatest Hits Radio South (covering Salisbury and surrounding areas). County-wide local newspapers are

9424-524: The chalk into Greensand and Oxford Clay in the centre of the county. In the south west of the county is the Vale of Wardour . The south-east of the county lies on the sandy soils of the northernmost area of the New Forest . Chalk is a porous rock, so the chalk hills have little surface water. The main settlements in the county are therefore situated at wet points. Notably, Salisbury is situated between

9548-489: The chalk of Salisbury Plain and marshy flood plains. The county has a green belt mainly along its western fringes as a part of the extensive Avon Green Belt . It reaches as far as the outskirts of Rudloe/ Corsham and Trowbridge, preventing urban sprawl particularly from the latter in the direction of Bradford-on-Avon , and affording further protection to surrounding villages and towns from Bath in Somerset. Along with

9672-645: The character in The Silence of the Lambs has been labelled by the AFI as the number-one film villain . Director Jonathan Demme wanted a British actor for the role, with Jodie 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." 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

9796-510: The cold businessman Henry Wilcox. The film received enormous critical acclaim, with critic Leonard Maltin calling it "extraordinarily good on every level." The following year, Hopkins reunited with Merchant-Ivory and Emma Thompson in 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

9920-720: The comedy action film Red 2 (2013) as the main antagonist Edward Bailey. In 2014, he portrayed Methuselah in Darren Aronofsky 's Noah . Hopkins played Order of the Witwiccans member Sir Edmund Burton in Transformers: The Last Knight which was released in June 2017. In October 2015, Hopkins appeared as Sir in a BBC Two production of Ronald Harwood 's The Dresser , alongside Ian McKellen , Edward Fox and Emily Watson . The Dresser

10044-426: 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." 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

10168-506: The county is around 800 mm (31 in), drier parts averaging 700mm (28ins)and the wettest 900mm (around 35ins). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added (GVA) of Wiltshire at current basic prices with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. The Wiltshire economy benefits from

10292-747: The county, particularly around Amesbury and Corsham . There are sizeable British Army barracks at Tidworth , Bulford and Warminster , and the Royal School of Artillery is at Larkhill. Further north, RAF Lyneham was home to the RAF's Hercules C130 fleet until 2011; the MoD Lyneham site is now a centre for Army technical training. Wiltshire is also distinctive for the high proportion of its working-age population who are economically active (86.6% in 1999–2000) and its low unemployment rates . The gross domestic product (GDP) level in Wiltshire did not reach

10416-603: The county. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, large areas of the country came into the possession of the crown and the church. At the time of the Domesday Survey , the industry of Wiltshire was largely agricultural; 390 mills are mentioned, and vineyards at Tollard and Lacock. In the succeeding centuries sheep-farming was vigorously pursued, and the Cistercian monastery of Stanley exported wool to

10540-551: The development of the Great Western Railway . Information on the 261 civil parishes of Wiltshire is available at Wiltshire Council's Wiltshire Community History website which has maps, demographic data, historic and modern pictures and short histories. The local nickname for Wiltshire natives is " Moonrakers ". This originated from a story of smugglers who managed to foil the local Excise men by hiding their alcohol, possibly French brandy in barrels or kegs, in

10664-694: The edge'. It was great advice." He 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 and co-starring Jacqueline Pearce . In 1968, Hopkins got his break in The Lion in Winter playing Richard the Lionheart , a performance which saw him nominated for

10788-564: The film, Lecter is first seen in Florence "as the classical Lecter, lecturing and being smooth", according to Hopkins. 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". The film broke international box office records receiving $ 351 million. but received mixed reviews from critics. Hopkins starred in

10912-406: The filming of 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

11036-1631: The films The World's Fastest Indian (2005), Fracture (2007), The Wolfman (2010), and The Rite (2011). In 2011 he co-starred with Chris Hemsworth as the Norse God Odin in the Marvel Studios film Thor (2011), then again for its 2013 sequel and the third film in 2017. Also in 2017, Hopkins played the role of Sir Edmund Burton, the last living member of the Order of the Witwiccans , in Transformers: The Last Knight . Hopkins has had numerous roles where he plays real life people including Richard Hauptmann in The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976), C. S. "Jack" Lewis in Shadowlands (1993), Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in The Road to Wellville (1994), Richard Nixon in Nixon (1995), Pablo Picasso in Surviving Picasso (1996), John Quincy Adams in Amistad (1997), Alfred Hitchcock in Hitchcock (2012), and Pope Benedict XVI in The Two Popes (2019). For his roles in Nixon and Amistad he

11160-527: 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." He enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff , from which he graduated in 1957. He next met Burton in 1975 as Burton prepared to take over Hopkins's role as the psychiatrist in Peter Shaffer's Equus , with Hopkins stating, "He

11284-623: The miniseries Great Expectations which was broadcast on ITV in the UK and The Disney Channel in the US. The adaptation of the Dickens' novel also starred Jean Simmons and John Rhys-Davies . He received his fourth Primetime Emmy Award nomination, this time for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie . Hopkins won acclaim among critics and audiences as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of

11408-515: The most famous Neolithic sites in the UK. In the 6th and 7th centuries Wiltshire was at the western edge of Saxon Britain, as Cranborne Chase and the Somerset Levels prevented the advance to the west. The Battle of Bedwyn was fought in 675 between Escuin , a West Saxon nobleman who had seized the throne of Queen Saxburga , and King Wulfhere of Mercia . In 878 the Danes invaded

11532-410: The other." Hopkins previously suffered from alcoholism; he has stayed sober since he stopped drinking just after Christmas 1975. 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

11656-565: The papacy . 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 Academy Awards , Golden Globes and British Academy Film Awards. In 2020, Hopkins played

11780-475: The pieces titled "Margam" in tribute to his home town near Port Talbot in Wales. 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 , Hopkins was approached to re-record lines from a scene that

11904-578: The psychologist Dysart in the original Broadway production of Sir Peter Shaffer 's play Equus , starring opposite Peter Firth . For this performance, he received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for the 1974–75 season. In 1978 he starred in the sequel to National Velvet (1944), entitled International Velvet with Tatum O'Neal , Christopher Plummer , which was directed by Bryan Forbes . In 1978 he also starred in Attenborough's psychological horror film Magic about

12028-465: The public include Longleat , where there is also a safari park , and the National Trust 's Stourhead . The county, in the 9th century written as Wiltunscir , is named after the former county town of Wilton . Wiltshire is notable for its pre- Roman archaeology . The Mesolithic , Neolithic and Bronze Age people that occupied southern Britain built settlements on the hills and downland that cover Wiltshire. Stonehenge and Avebury are perhaps

12152-623: The repertory theatre. Hopkins contributed toward the refurbishment of a £2.3 million wing at his alma mater, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, named the Anthony Hopkins Centre. It opened in 1999. 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 . He has also been

12276-590: The rest of South West England , Wiltshire has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than counties further east. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Although there is a marked maritime influence, this is generally rather less pronounced than it is for other south-western counties, which are closer to the sea. July and August are the warmest months with mean daily maxima of approximately 22 °C (71.6 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are usual and air frost

12400-427: The role of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) sequel simply entitled 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

12524-464: The same area and carrying out more strategic tasks, such as education and county roads. However, on 1 April 2009 these five local authorities were merged into a single unitary authority called Wiltshire Council. With the abolition of the District of Salisbury, a new Salisbury City Council was created at the same time to carry out several citywide functions and to hold the city's charter. The county

12648-679: The science fiction film Freejack and also played supporting roles as Charlie Chaplin 's biographer in Richard Attenborough 's biographical drama Chaplin (1992) and Professor Van Helsing in Francis Ford Coppola 's horror adaptation Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). In 1992, Hopkins starred in Merchant-Ivory 's period film based on the E. M. Forster novel Howards End . Hopkins acted alongside Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter where he played

12772-481: The screen to tour around the world. 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 . On 31 October 2011, André Rieu released an album including a waltz which Hopkins had composed in 1964, at

12896-533: The south is the Vale of Pewsey , which separates the downs from Salisbury Plain in the centre of the county. The south-west is also downland, and contains the West Wiltshire Downs , the Vale of Wardour to their south, and part of Cranborne Chase in the far south of the county. The north-west of Wiltshire is part of the Cotswolds , a limestone area. The county's two major rivers are both called

13020-514: The story is most commonly linked with The Crammer in Devizes . Two-thirds of Wiltshire, a mostly rural county, lies on chalk , a kind of soft, white, porous limestone that is resistant to erosion, giving it a high chalk downland landscape. This chalk is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and stretching from

13144-463: The third film in the series Red Dragon (2002) alongside Ralph Fiennes , Edward Norton , Harvey Keitel , Emily Watson , and Philip Seymour Hoffman . The film received favourable reviews and was a box office hit. In 2003, Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Hopkins stated that his role as Burt Munro , whom he portrayed in his 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian ,

13268-581: The underlying rock is the resistant oolite limestone of the Cotswolds . Part of the Cotswolds AONB is also in Wiltshire, in the county's north-western corner. Between the areas of chalk and limestone downland are clay valleys and vales . The largest of these vales is the Avon Vale . The Avon cuts diagonally through the north of the county, flowing through Bradford-on-Avon and into Bath and Bristol . The Vale of Pewsey has been cut through

13392-418: Was " high end ". In 2020, he said that "it's a great gift, actually". List of Anthony Hopkins performances Welsh actor, producer, director and writer Anthony Hopkins has been acting since 1960. Between then and the 1970s, he appeared in the films The Lion in Winter (1968), Hamlet (1969), Young Winston (1972), Audrey Rose (1977) and playing Col. Frost in A Bridge Too Far (1977). In

13516-756: 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

13640-501: Was a kid I'd tell the girls around the street the story about 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." 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 's aren't you?' Everyone froze. There

13764-447: Was a phenomenal actor. So was Peter O'Toole – they were wonderful, larger-than-life characters." 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 RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) from where he graduated in 1963. Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in

13888-474: Was a silence. Then one of the producers said, 'Holy crap, don't change a thing'." On Hopkins's approach to playing villains, Miranda Sawyer in The Guardian writes, "When he portrays deliberately scary people, he plays them quietly, emphasising their sinister control." Speaking on his favourite performances which inspired him in his own approach to acting, Morgan Freeman mentioned Hopkins' portrayal of

14012-404: 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.'" In 1989 he starred as Abel Magwitch in

14136-431: 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. In 1995, he directed August , an adaptation of Chekhov 's Uncle Vanya set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called Slipstream , which he also directed and scored, premiered at

14260-628: 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. In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. In 2008, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award , the highest award the British Film Academy can bestow. In a 2003 poll conducted by Channel 4 Hopkins

14384-629: Was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor. Also that year he acted opposite Isabella Rossellini in the drama The Innocent (1993) which was adapted from the Ian McEwan 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). According to trainer Lynn Seus, "Tony Hopkins was absolutely brilliant with Bart...He acknowledged and respected him like

14508-557: Was nominated for an Academy Award . His television work includes appearances in QB VII (1974), All Creatures Great and Small (1975), Hollywood Wives (1985), and Great Expectations (1991). In 2015, he starred in the BBC television film The Dresser , and from 2016 to 2018, he starred in the HBO television series Westworld . Wiltshire Wiltshire ( / ˈ w ɪ l t . ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪr / ; abbreviated to Wilts )

14632-498: Was one of the great lessons for me as an actor." Hopkins is a well-known mimic , adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. In the 1991 restoration of 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 featured an impersonation of comedian Tommy Cooper . Hopkins has said acting "like

14756-458: Was ranked seventh on their list of the 100 Greatest Movie Stars . On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in 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". Hopkins, an agnostic who is quoted as saying "I don't know what I believe, myself personally", reportedly wrote

14880-636: Was released on 18 December 2020 by Sony Pictures Classics . 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 . Hopkins won

15004-532: Was reportedly pleased with Hopkins's portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that 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 (2007). The following year, After winning the Oscar for Silence of the Lambs , Hopkins was featured in Mark Joffe 's film Spotswood and

15128-646: Was the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with." The film was an immense box office and critical failure. In 1981, he starred in the CBS television film The Bunker portraying Adolf Hitler during weeks in and around his underground bunker in Berlin before and during the Battle of 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

15252-440: 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." 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" but elaborated, "I don't know where everyone gets

15376-519: Was working with – apart from [director] Meirelles – Pryce. We're both from Wales. He's from the north, and I'm from the south". 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 Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop as he confides his own intentions to abdicate

#889110