What Sir Anthony Hopkins really thinks of his co-stars

Thirty years on from his breakthrough role in Silence Of The Lambs, Hollywood legend Sir Anthony Hopkins reflects on his enduring career and the many stars he’s worked with along the way.

We have to start our interview with The Silence Of The Lambs, which just turned 30 and catapulted you to international stardom and further success.

You had already been acting for roughly three decades when you landed that role. In hindsight, are you glad it took that long to become famous?

Yes, I am. I mean, success… success. That’s a big word. I was most fortunate. I didn’t know I’d become an actor. People say, “Why do you act?” And I say, “Well, it beats working.”

“I’m 83. It’s been a wonderful life. I’ve got no regrets.” (Picture: Armando Gallo/Australscope)

Why did you take the role of Hannibal Lecter?

I knew the day I read the script: this is it. I had dinner with [director] Jonathan Demme and he said, “You’re going to be Hannibal Lecter.” And I knew how to play it. I just knew.

It’s a trick; I know the way my brain is wired. I know what scares people. I know what makes them laugh. And I knew how to play this man.

You made a film in Australia around the same time called Spotswood, which co-starred Ben Mendelsohn and two newcomers named Russell Crowe and Toni Collette.

What do you remember about that?

I particularly remember Russell Crowe, because I could see as soon as he walked on set – I thought, “There’s a winner. I’m sure I’ll see you in Hollywood one day.” He had “it” – and Russell knew it.

You could tell that he knew it; he could smell it. You knew what he was going to be. He wasn’t difficult, but he just had a quiet aggression. You didn’t mess with Russell. He had his eye on the target.

“I know what scares people. I know what makes them laugh. And I knew how to play this man.” (Picture: The Silence of the Lambs)

You’re perhaps most inextricably linked to Emma Thompson, your co-star in Howards End, The Remains Of The Day and King Lear. Do you keep in touch?

No. You know, I love working with certain people, but once you’ve done it, it’s over. It’s pretty cold. Well, not cold – it’s practical. We’re not that clannish. It’s a job, like any other. And when it gets too touchy-feely, you think oh, come on… it’s a job. It’s nothing special. We think we’re special. We’re not – at all!

And what about Meet Joe Black, the 1998 film you made with Brad Pitt?

That holds a very special place in the heart of a few staff members here at Stellar. It was good. I’d worked with Brad a couple of years prior in Legends Of The Fall. He is such a lovely man, an easy guy to work with. A real perfectionist.

And Martin Brest was a good director, but he was too much of a perfectionist. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes you just want to go home. You’re sitting there thinking, “What else can I do? Stand on my head?” There’s a point where you have to make a decision.

People like Ridley Scott or Steven Spielberg, they’re the ones who say, “I think we’ve got it. Let’s do one more take for safety.” And you know you’re in the hands of somebody with confidence. People who overshoot? They may not have it.

“I have no time for all that crap. I haven’t got long to live.” (Picture:The Father/Sean Gleason)

You play a man struggling with dementia in your new film The Father. Why did you want to take this role?

Because it looks taxing. No, no. Not at all. When you have a great director and screenwriter, there is a clear road map. Working with the best in the business makes it easy. All I had to do was learn the lines and show up on time, have a bit of fun, have a laugh, don’t take it too seriously. I avoid tension and intensity. That destroys things.

Olivia Colman stars as your daughter. What was she like?

Oh, she’s very British. She has that attitude. She’s very charming. No make-up team following her around, none of that nonsense. She lives a normal life with [her children] and her husband, goes back home and does the shopping. That’s so refreshing. When you work with people who have so much agony, who want to discuss the scene… no, please. I have no time for all that crap. I haven’t got long to live. Can we just shoot it?

Sir Anthony Hopkins features in this Sunday’s Stellar.

You have been open about the fact that you cry a lot. When was the last time you cried, and why?

I cried a few minutes ago, before this interview. I was reciting a poem. I’m 83. It’s been a wonderful life. I’ve got no regrets. Of course there are things I would have done differently, but we’re not perfect. Life is difficult, it’s a struggle. But join the race and do your best.

I look at my life and I think, “God, how did I get here?” I’ve survived. It’s a wonderful feeling. I read, I write, I play the piano and I get very moved. Not in a depressed way, but in a glorious way. I’ve been alive, and I’ve lived.

You celebrated your birthday on New Year’s Eve. Has that ever been annoying, having to share your day with a giant holiday that’s universal?

Well, no. Because every year they celebrate my birthday in New York City with fireworks – to which I say, thank you very much.

The Father is in cinemas from Thursday, April 1.