Anthony Hopkins

Background

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, popularly known as Anthony Hopkins, was born on December 31, 1937, in Wales. He is the son of the late Richard Hopkins and his wife Muriel Anne. Hopkins struggled in school when he was younger because he had dyslexia, which is a learning disability. This condition made him uninterested in school. However, Hopkins found his passion in music and art. When considering what he wanted to do with his life, he met Welsh actor Richard Burton, which made Hopkins consider acting as a career choice. He enrolled in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and graduated in 1957.

As with many actors, his career began in theater, and in 1960, he was cast in the production of “Have a Cigarette” — produced by the Palace Theater, Swansea. After this role, he spent a few years struggling with work. However, the young star caught the attention of British actor Sir Laurence Olivier, who took him under his wing as an understudy at the Royal National Theater. Hopkins worked his way up and became quite popular in the theater, but he soon got bored and decided that he needed to change the direction his career was going. This direction was to on-screen acting and his debut role was in B.B.C.’s “A Flea in Her Ear,” which was released in 1967. His first major role in a movie came when he was cast in “The Lion in Winter” which was released the following year in 1968. He continued to be cast in different movies and he grew as an actor.

As Hopkins’ popularity grew and he became a well-known actor, he was put forward to play more roles. One of the biggest films of his career was his portrayal of the killer character in the blockbuster hit “The Silence of the Lambs” which was released in 1991. This movie is still regarded as a brilliant film today, and it earned Hopkins an Academy Award. Today, Hopkins is one of the greatest actors to ever grace our screens, and we could not be more grateful that he has shared his talents with the world over his life.