Anthony Hopkins has captivated millions and added spectrums of new dynamics to many complex characters throughout his 45 year film career. With the January 28 release of The Rite, which stars Hopkins as an unorthodox Vatican priest, Father Lucas, who introduces a skeptical seminary student (Colin O'Donoghue) to the darker side of his faith, fans will see yet another new side to the kaleidoscopic character portrayals Hopkins has unveiled to his legions of fans.
In honor of the upcoming release of The Rite, as well as the man himself, we're taking a closer look at some of Anthony Hopkins' Most Captivating Roles.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
In what is far and away Anthony Hopkins most recognizable and popular film, the esteemed actor plays cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in a chilling performance that finds our subject redefining the source material of the book so thoroughly and completely that the role won him a Best Actor Academy Award. Though he was onscreen for less than 30 minutes, Hopkins terrified and captivated with his delightfully wicked and deeply sophisticated portrayal of Lecter, resulting in two encore appearances, for 2001's Hannibal and 2002's Red Dragon. Silence of the Lambs won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, largely due to Hopkins' talk-of-the-town depiction of a man who enjoys eating human liver with fava beans and a nice chianti.
Nixon (1995)
It's hard to conjure Hopkins impersonating Nixon, of all people, but in 1995, the British thespian took on the part of the most notorious U.S. President in history, under the incendiary watchful eye of director Oliver Stone. Hopkins beautifully embodied the embattled, nasty and ultimately doomed Commander in Chief, and though the film took on a bit of an odd-bird status in Hollywood, the actor racked up a nomination for another Oscar with his performance.
Magic (1978)
Far against the grain of the characters we've grown used to him playing (even Hannibal Lecter had it together more), Magic finds Hopkins as a ventriloquist with a homicidal tendencies that he channels through an intensely creepy dummy that actually bore a striking resemblance to our hero. A dark and relatively twisted journey for any filmgoer, Magic is a must-see for fans of Anthony's darker work over the years.
The Elephant Man (1980)
Joseph Merrick's tragic story of a boy born with horrible disfigurations remains a dramatically powerful gut-punch of a film to this day. Directed by shock-master David Lynch, the black and white movie was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. John Hurt justifiably received much of the film's critical praise, as well as a Best Actor nomination, but Hopkins' performance as Merrick's friend and fierce advocate Frederick Treves was the pivot on which our emotional anchor in the film rested, establishing the film's gravity of compassion and moral weight. Where we couldn't relate to the maligned centerpiece of the film, Hopkins' character was there for us to hang on to, to identify with his feelings of frustration, protection, and ultimately love for his friend.
The Edge (1997)
The Edge was a gripping, action-packed suspense/thriller that pitted Alec Baldwin's woman-stealing cocksure Darwinism against Hopkins' older, wiser adversary as they struggle for survival in the wild. It seems a bit of a jump from typical Anthony Hopkins films, but the polarities of power in both personality and onscreen presence between Baldwin and Hopkins was remarkable, and the story an immensely compelling journey of survival, betrayal and redemption.
Shadowlands (1993)
Hopkins’ portrayal of C.S. Lewis in the 1993 true-life story of one of the most successful authors in the world was nothing short of remarkable. C.S. Lewis' real-life experiences were as noteworthy as his fiction, including his unexpected, slow-blooming love affair with the poet Joy Gresham, a doomed relationship that began in convenience means and blossomed to true adoration. This melancholy tearjerker, reunited Hopkins with Chaplin director Richard Attenborough, and paired him with Debra Winger in a film that showcases the trio's individual versatility while capturing a striking depth to Hopkins' character portrayal.
The Remains of the Day (1993)
Merchant Ivory's Remains of the Day featured Hopkins as an implacable butler, countered by Emma Thompson's hot-tempered housekeeper who grows to love him in a pre-World War II British estate. The film landed eight Academy Award nominations, not Hopkins the opportunity to wring incredible drama from an act as simple as raising his hat, and reaffirmed his status as one of the few actors capable of making the jump between the megaplex and the arthouse. Among Remains' many appreciative critics was Variety's Todd McCarthy, who wrote, "All the meticulousness, intelligence, taste and superior acting that one expects from Merchant Ivory productions have been brought to bear."
