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Anthony Hopkins Biography

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Anthony Hopkins

Name: Phillip Anthony Hopkins


Born: 31 December 1937
Weighing: 7 and 3/4 pounds
At: 77 Wern Rd, Margam, Port Talbot, Wales
Mother: Muriel Hopkins (nee Phillips)
Father: Richard Arthur Hopkins
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Silver/White
Height: 5' 7"
Marital Status: Married
Children: 1 daughter – Abigail

Biography

Anthony Hopkins father ran the family Bakery business, 'A. R. Hopkins and Son' at
151 Tanygroes St, Tai Bach, Port Talbot. It was obvious that Tony had little interest
in the family business from an early age and spent most of his time alone,
sketching or playing the Piano. He did not enjoy school and found it hard to fit in,
his indifferent academic performance prompted his parents to move him from the
Central school in Port Talbot, to go instead to boarding school, which they thought
would be good for discipline and perk up his marks.

So in 1949 he was dispatched to West Monmouth school in Pontypool, a long way


from home. He spent five miserable terms there and was then transferred closer to
home to Cowbridge Grammar where he spent the next four years. He has talked
often of his unhappiness of his time at Cowbridge, though his difficulties were of his
own personal inadequacies rather than the school itself. He left there at 17, with 1
O level in English and then spent the next two years at the Cardiff College of Music
and Drama.

After graduation he took a job with the Arts Council before being called for National
Service in 1958. He joined the Royal Artillery and became 23449720 Gunner
Hopkins. Initially posted to Oswestry and then later Bulford Camp, Salisbury Plain
where he spent close to two years 'typewriter punching' receiving 30 bob (£1.50) a
week for his efforts.
He left the Service as Bombardier (NCO) and returned to his parents new house in
Laleston, Bridgend. They had sold the Bakery to Toffee manufacturer 'Lovells'.
Hopkins regained his interest in Drama and played several small parts in local
plays before joining RADA. He graduated in 1963 and married his first wife
Petronella Barker in 1967, they had a daughter - Abigail, Hopkins was working
hard, in Theatres up and down the country and drinking heavily, the marriage did
not last and they split a few years later. He continued to work himself hard and was
in turmoil over abandoning his daughter - boozing sessions became more frequent
but just a few months later he became involved with Jennifer Lynton whom later
became his second wife.
Hopkins was rarely out of work and as the years went on found himself less in the
Theatre and more in the Movies.
He began to spend more time in America than England and was becoming quite a
star.

It was whilst he was in the states that he finally put an end to his drinking, he was
quite a regular at AA meetings. His relationship with Jenni was beginning to
struggle though - she preferred to live in England, he America - and he would like
to go off on his own for months at a time. Always the loner. Enjoyed a solitary life.
Jenni eventually moved back to England permanently, but would visit regularly.
They would speak on the phone and remained friendly.

Hopkins enjoyed roles in several big Hollywood blockbusters and eventually


received acknowledgment for his work when he received the 1992 Oscar for Best
Actor in 'Silence of the Lambs'. The following year saw him gain his 'Sir' title when
he was knighted by the Queen of England in the 1993 New Years honours list. He
was going from strength to strength, with each role he just seemed to get better
and better. The nineties have been particularly good for Tony with roles like Lecter,
Stevens, Lewis and Nixon - each one gaining award nominations.

He is now permanently based in the Pacific Palisades area of LA, and in April 2000
he took out dual citizenship with America.

The years of seperation from Jenni eventually ended in divorce in June 2002.

Tony then partnered with former Antiques Dealer Stella Arroyave and they married
on 1st March 2003 in a private ceremony in Tony's Malibu home.

The rest is pretty much history and he will surely be remembered as one of the
greatest Actors ever....
Nominated Best Actor
Won
for: in:
Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actor's
Amistad (supporting actor)
Guild
Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actor's
Nixon
Guild
Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA Remains of the Day
BAFTA Shadowlands BAFTA
Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA Silence of the Lambs Oscar, BAFTA
Emmy The Bunker Emmy
Emmy Lindbergh Kidnapping Case Emmy
Golden Globe, BAFTA Magic
Golden Globe The Tenth Man
Lion in Winter (supporting
BAFTA
actor)
Silence of the Lambs

Orion Pictures / 1991

Tagline: 'Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Brilliant. Cunning. Psychotic. In his mind lies the clue
to a ruthless killer. Clarice Starling, FBI. Brilliant.
Vulnerable. Alone. She must trust him to stop the killer'

Synopsis: A vicious psychopath is murdering women


throughout the midwest. Believing it takes one to know
one, the FBI sends Agent Clarice Starling to interview a
prisoner who may provide clues to the killer's actions.
The prisoner is Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant demented
cannibal who agrees to help Starling only if she'll feed his
morbid curiosity with details of her own complicated life.

Main Players: Anthony Hopkins, Jodie


Foster, Scott Glen

Director: Jonathan Demme

Producers: Kenneth Utt, Edward Saxon, Ron Bozman

Screenplay: Ted Tally

Based on the book 'Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas


Harris

Hannibal

MGM / 2001

Tagline: 'Break the Silence' and 'The Silence has been


broken.'

Synopsis: It's 10 years on from Silence of the Lambs, and


Hannibal Lecter or Dr Fell as he is now known has taken
up residency in Florence as curator of a museum. Special Agent Clarice Starling has
fallen into bad favour with the FBI after a drugs raid
goes tragically wrong, she is taken out of the limelight
and put back on the Lecter case when Mason Verger,
Lecter's only surviving victim, comes forward with new
evidence. Mason however, has plans of his own for
Lecter and is using Starling to lure him out into the
open.

Main Players: Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Ray


Liotta, Gary Oldman, Giancarlo Giannini

Director: Ridley Scott

Producer: Dino De Laurentiis

Screenplay: David Mamet / Steve Zaillian

Official Site

Based on the book 'Hannibal' by Thomas Harris

Red Dragon

Universal Pictures / 2002

Tagline: Before the Silence.

Synopsis: Will Graham is about to retire


from the F.B.I. when he is called back to
duty to track down a brutal killer known at the Tooth Fairy. (Although the killer,
Francis Dollarhyde, would rather be known as the Red Dragon). Dollarhyde has set
his eyes on a young woman named Reba and Graham will do anything to stop him
from killing her. But for him to do that, there's just one thing he needs to do...visit his
arch-enemy, the cunning Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, who has been giving
the Red Dragon some information about Will
Graham's family recently...

Main Players: Anthony Hopkins, Edward


Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel

Director: Brett Ratner


Producers: Dino and Martha De Laurentiis

Screenplay: Ted Tally

Based on the book 'Red Dragon' by Thomas


Harris

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