Hopkins, (Philip) Anthony (1937– )

Welsh-born actor. Although known for his sympathetic portrayal of emotionally repressed characters in period films such as 84 Charing Cross Road (1986) and The Remains of the Day (1993), he won an Academy Award for his role as a cannibalistic serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). He reprised the role both in the sequel, Hannibal (2001), and in the prequel Red Dragon (2002). He has also had a successful stage career both in London, England, and on Broadway.

Hopkins first won acclaim for his performance as Richard the Lionheart in his second film, The Lion in Winter (1968), and has since portrayed many historical figures. He was lauded for his performances in Magic (1978), Howards End (1992), Shadowlands (1993), and Nixon (1995). In 1996, having staged a production of Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya in Wales, he then made his directorial debut with August, adapted from the same text. Other films include Surviving Picasso (1996), Amistad (1997), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Hearts in Atlantis (2001), The Human Stain (2003), Proof and Alexander (both 2004), and Fracture (2007). He was knighted in 1993 and became a US citizen in 2000.