At 83 years of age, Hollywood legend Sir Anthony Hopkins is on top of his game. A star of the stage and screen, he has built an incredibly successful career lasting over 60 years, portraying roles ranging from the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1992 to playing a humble butler in The Remains of the Day which also earned him worldwide award nominations. Movies like Amistad, Nixon, and last year’s The Two Popes were also critically acclaimed and recognized during award season.
This year, Hopkins, a Cecil B. deMille Award recipient in 2006, received some of the best reviews in his career and scored his eighth Golden Globe nomination for his work in The Father. The heartbreaking drama about a man dealing with dementia was directed by Florian Zeller who adapted his highly regarded French play for the screen with the aid of seasoned writer Christopher Hampton.
Hopkins portrays Anthony, a feisty 80-year-old father whose dementia continues to eat away at his memory, making him question the very nature of his existence as his daughter Anne, portrayed superbly by the wonderful Olivia Colman, is suddenly someone else in his mind.
For Hopkins portraying Anthony wasn’t particularly difficult “You know, I am of that age now, I’m 83! Looking back, I think how have I survived all these years? The actor was particularly struck at how much he looked like his own father “When I looked at the film, I thought that’s my old man, that’s my father for he could be pretty tough, belligerent and argumentative. I recall the last scene in the film, I remember looking at the chair I used to sit in and the glasses on the table and I remember my father after he died picking up his reading glasses and a book he’d been reading and I thought God, did he ever exist? Do any of us really exist? It’s all such a mystery! My parents luckily never suffered from dementia, but my father endured depression towards the end and I understood that.
Hopkins himself doesn’t suffer memory loss but tells us he has slowed down a lot. “I have a bit of an obsessive brain, I do remember things, I am fascinated by dates and time. When I was playing this part, the only problem was that my body started to ache because the only theory I have is that if one takes this part too intensely, the brain wants (to) know, it’s not as sharp. It has no sense of humor to believe if I am going to play a man with dementia and thinking about getting old. The brain thinks about getting old, so I have to tell it that I am only playing a game.”
The Welsh actor who in his young years, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London has touched millions of hearts on and off the big screen. Those who have worked with him and those who have been inspired by him, artists, actors, directors all praise the actor. Not only for his astounding body of work but for his contribution to the arts and humanities. The multi-talented restless thespian is also an accomplished painter and effortlessly plays the piano in his spare time, which he often shares on Instagram. He still loves to educate himself and enjoys reading many books. He recently was seen playing Dr. Philip Lewis in his wife Stella Hopkins directorial debut film Elyse. A conscientious animal lover, Hopkins continues to actively be a fervent supporter of Greenpeace. In 1993 Hopkins was knighted for his incredible contributions to the arts and became Sir Antony Hopkins. A title well deserved to say the least.
The Father premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 and it is safe to say that this may be Anthony Hopkins’ most well-defined role. His portrayal mixes bewilderment with a fierce, proud sense of certitude. Another efficacious enthralling downright heartbreaking performance by the great Sir Anthony.
One thing is for sure, The Father will deeply touch people’s hearts all around the globe, its story will stay with you for a long time.