Anthony Hopkins Reveals Two Films Almost Made Him Quit Acting

nthony Hopkins has revealed that two of his films nearly made him quit acting, despite a career that has spanned more than five decades.

The legendary actor is best known for his role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), a performance that remains one of the most iconic in cinema history. Hopkins’ chilling portrayal of the cunning and psychotic serial killer earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor and cemented his place in film history.

Critics and audiences alike praised the performance, with many highlighting the terrifying intensity he brought to the character. The film itself was also a critical and commercial success, winning five Oscars, including Best Picture, and is frequently cited as one of the best thrillers ever made.

Despite this high point, Hopkins admitted that the years following Silence of the Lambs were challenging. In the late 1990s, he appeared in films like Meet Joe Black (1998) and the historical drama Titus (1999), both of which he struggled to connect with personally. Reflecting on that period, Hopkins described acting as “disturbing and distasteful, a futile, wasteful life.”

The difficulty of separating himself from intense roles like Hannibal Lecter, combined with projects that didn’t resonate, led him to consider stepping away from acting altogether.

Even during this difficult period, Hopkins continued to deliver strong performances. He received critical acclaim and Oscar nominations for films like The Remains of the Day (1993) and Nixon (1995), proving his talent remained undiminished. But it was the experience of feeling disconnected from certain roles that made him question his career.

Hopkins eventually returned to acting with renewed energy and has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in recent years. In 2021, he won his second Academy Award for Best Actor for The Father, a psychological drama co-starring Olivia Colman. He has also earned praise for his performances in Westworld, King Lear, and The Two Popes (2019).

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