Anthony Hopkins has revealed that he considers the role of Hannibal Lecter to be “one of the best parts I’ve ever read”. The 86-year-old actor won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the cannibalistic serial killer in Jonathan Demme’s 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, in which he starred alongside Jodie Foster.
In a new interview with People magazine, Hopkins reminisced about the time he first received the script whilst appearing on stage in London in M. Butterfly. His agent sent him the script and Hopkins revealed he was unaware what type of film it was. “So I opened it. I sat in the dressing room in the theatre, and I read through the first scene of Lecter. I said, ‘Is this an offer?’ He said, ‘I’m not sure.’ I said, ‘I’m not going to read anymore, because this is one of the best parts I’ve ever read.’”
Despite the Oscar and acclaim that came with the role, Hopkins recently caused a stir when he described green screen acting as “pointless”. The Welsh actor appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Thor and has played Odin, the father of the titular character since 2011. Whilst speaking about his time on these films, Hopkins said: “They put me in armour; they shoved a beard on me. Sit on the throne; shout a bit. If you’re sitting in front of a green screen, it’s pointless acting it.”
In response to Hopkins’ comments, Angela Bassett, who plays Ramonda in the Black Panther films, said she was “sorry for him”, adding that for the films in which she has appeared, the world was much more practical and physical than Hopkins described
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