Anthony Burton's Accomplishments

As one of the most successful play actors in drama history, Anthony Hopkins has starred in many famous movies. The most notable include Hannibal, Red Dragon, and The Silence of the Lambs. Throughout his career, Hopkins has won an Oscar and three BAFTA awards and has been nominated and won numerous others. I chose Anthony Hopkins for my report because my parents really enjoyed watching his movies and recommended him for this project. Some of Hopkins’ greatest performances are also some of the most memorable this world has seen.

Anthony Hopkins was born on December 31, 1937 in the British country of Wales and town of Margam, Port Talbot. As a child, Hopkins fell in love with art and music, often caught painting and playing the piano. At the age of 15, Hopkins met Richard Burton, a Welsh actor known for his practice in acting. Growing up, and throughout the rest of his life, Burton was a huge influence to Hopkins and that same year, Hopkins enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music at Drama.

Soon after graduating, in 1967, Hopkins married Petronella Barker. A year after, in 1968, the two had a daughter, Abagail. However, Hopkins was plagued with another problem: alcohol. During this time as Hopkins once stated, “I led a pretty

self-destructive life for a few decades.” In another interview, Anthony said, “Then there’s my bout with booze which damn near killed me. But I came through all that…” In 1975, Hopkins went to a rehab center called the Alcoholics Anonymous to help put his addiction behind him.
Following his end to alcohol, Hopkins continued to star in many movies such as The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and The Elephant Man, winning many acting awards.

In 1991, Hopkins got his lucky break when he received the main role as the antagonist in a movie in development, The Silence of the Lambs. Based off the book, the movie retold a story about a psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter, also a psychopathic serial killer, and how FBI trainee Clarice Starling suspects Lecter could help to capture another murderer named “Buffalo Bill”. The criminal becomes more violent as more dead bodies are found, even abducting the Senator’s daughter. In the end, Starling eventually brings justice by chasing down Bill and shooting a round of blows and his

back.
Fresh off the success off The Silence of The Lambs, Hopkins continued to star in even more movies; ones with bigger success such as The Remains of the Day, The Legends of the Fall, and Nixon. However, in the end, Hopkins returned to what made him famous in the first place, the personality and story line of Hannibal Lecter. In 2001, Hopkins played the role of Lecter in the hit, Hannibal. The plot follows Hopkins and Lecter seven years after he escaped from jail. Now, at loose and on the run, a survivor of one of Lecter’s attempted murders comes up with a plan to capture Hannibal once and for all; use Starling herself to bait him.
From a man who was possessed by alcohol to a film sensation, Hopkins’ life is something everyone can take out of. I enjoyed learning about how he grew up and how hard he had to work to get fame and attention. His hard work can be perceived through the many awards he has claimed over the years. I also loved learning about The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal and one day, I hope to see those movies for myself. Anthony Hopkins will go down as one of the greatest actors of all time.