name	Anthony Hopkins
honorific suffix	CBE
birth date	December 31, 1937
birth place	Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales
birth name	Philip Anthony Hopkins
occupation	Actor, Musician
years active	Since 1960
spouse	}}

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937), best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television, and a composer. Considered to be one of the greatest living actors, Hopkins is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in ''The Silence of the Lambs''. Other prominent film credits include ''The Lion in Winter'', ''Magic'', ''The Elephant Man'', ''84 Charing Cross Road'', ''Dracula'', ''Legends of the Fall'', ''The Remains of the Day'', ''Amistad'', ''Nixon'', ''The World's Fastest Indian'', and ''Fracture''. Hopkins was born and brought up in Wales. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a U.S. citizen on 12 April 2000. Hopkins' films have spanned a wide variety of genres, from family films to horror. As well as his Academy Award, Hopkins has also won three BAFTA Awards, two Emmys and the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe Award. Hopkins was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 for services to the arts. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, and was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2008.

Early life[link]

Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, the son of Muriel Anne (née Yeats) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker. His schooldays were unproductive; he found that he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting and drawing, or playing the piano, than attend to his studies. In 1949, to instill discipline, his parents insisted he attend Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in Pontypool, Wales. He remained there for five terms and was then educated at Cowbridge Grammar School in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.

Hopkins was influenced and encouraged to become an actor by Welsh compatriot Richard Burton (who was also born at Neath Port Talbot), whom he met briefly at the age of 15. To that end, he enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, Wales, from which he graduated in 1957. After two years in the British Army doing his national service, he moved to London where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Career[link]

Roles[link]

Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in the Palace Theatre, Swansea in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of ''Have A Cigarette''.

In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by Sir Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre. Hopkins became Olivier's understudy, and filled in when Olivier was struck with appendicitis during a production of August Strindberg's ''The Dance of Death''. Olivier later noted in his memoir, ''Confessions of an Actor'', that, "A new young actor in the company of exceptional promise named Anthony Hopkins was understudying me and walked away with the part of Edgar like a cat with a mouse between its teeth." Despite his success at the National, Hopkins tired of repeating the same roles nightly and yearned to be in films. He made his small-screen debut in a 1967 BBC broadcast of ''A Flea in Her Ear''. In 1968, he got his break in ''The Lion in Winter'' playing Richard I, along with Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, and future James Bond star Timothy Dalton, who played Philip II of France.

Although Hopkins continued in theatre (most notably at the National Theatre as Lambert Le Roux in ''Pravda'' by David Hare and Howard Brenton and as Antony in ''Antony and Cleopatra'' opposite Judi Dench as well as in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer's ''Equus'', directed by John Dexter) he gradually moved away from it to become more established as a television and film actor. His Pierre Bezukhov for the BBC War and Peace (1972) was particularly memorable. He has since gone on to enjoy a long career, winning many plaudits and awards for his performances. In 1980 he starred opposite Shirley MacLaine in ''A Change of Seasons'' and famously said “she was the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with." Hopkins was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987, and a Knight Bachelor in 1993. In 1988, Hopkins was made an Honorary D.Litt and in 1992 was awarded Honorary fellowship from the University of Wales, Lampeter. Hopkins was Britain's highest paid performer in 1998, starring in ''The Mask of Zorro'' and ''Meet Joe Black'', and also agreed to reprise his role as Dr Hannibal Lecter for a fee of £15million. Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.

Hopkins has stated that his role as Burt Munro, whom he portrayed in his 2005 film ''The World's Fastest Indian'', was his favourite. He also asserted that Munro was the easiest role that he had played because both men have a similar outlook on life. In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. In 2008, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award.

Hopkins portrayed Odin, the Allfather or "king" of Asgard, in the film adaptation of Marvel Comics' ''Thor''. On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in the supernatural thriller ''The Rite'', which was released on 28 January 2011. He played a priest who is "an expert in exorcisms and whose methods are not necessarily traditional". An agnostic, he wrote a line--"Some days I don't know if I believe in God or Santa Claus or Tinkerbell"--into his character in order to identify with it. On 21 September 2011, Peter R. de Vries named Hopkins in the role of the Heineken owner Freddy Heineken in a future movie about his kidnap.

Acting style[link]

Hopkins is renowned for his preparation for roles. He has indicated in interviews that once he has committed to a project, he will go over his lines as many times as is needed (sometimes upwards of 200) until the lines sound natural to him, so that he can "do it without thinking". This leads to an almost casual style of delivery that belies the amount of groundwork done beforehand. While it can allow for some careful improvisation, it has also brought him into conflict with the occasional director who departs from the script, or demands what the actor views as an excessive number of takes. Hopkins has stated that after he is finished with a scene, he simply discards the lines, not remembering them later on. This is unlike others who usually remember their lines from a film even years later. Richard Attenborough, who has directed Hopkins on five occasions, found himself going to great lengths during the filming of ''Shadowlands'' (1993) to accommodate the differing approaches of his two stars (Hopkins and Debra Winger), who shared many scenes. Whereas Hopkins, preferring the spontaneity of a fresh take, liked to keep rehearsals to a minimum, Winger rehearsed continuously. To allow for this, Attenborough stood in for Hopkins during Winger's rehearsals, only bringing him in for the last one before a take. The director praised Hopkins for "this extraordinary ability to make you believe when you hear him that it is the very first time he has ever said that line. It's an incredible gift."

Renowned for his ability to remember lines, Hopkins keeps his memory supple by learning things by heart such as poetry, and Shakespeare. In Steven Spielberg's ''Amistad'', Hopkins astounded the crew with his memorisation of a seven-page courtroom speech, delivering it in one go. An overawed Spielberg couldn't bring himself to call him Tony, and insisted on addressing him as Sir Anthony throughout the shoot.

In addition, Hopkins is a gifted mimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. He duplicated the voice of his late mentor, Laurence Olivier, for additional scenes in ''Spartacus'' in its 1991 restoration. (Around that same time, he voiced the Olivier role on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus.) His interview on the 1998 relaunch edition of the British TV talk show ''Parkinson'' featured an impersonation of comedian Tommy Cooper. Hopkins has said acting "like a submarine" has helped him to deliver credible performances in his thriller movies. He said, "It's very difficult for an actor to avoid, you want to show a bit. But I think the less one shows the better."

Hannibal Lecter[link]

Perhaps Hopkins' most famous role is as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in ''The Silence of the Lambs'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991, opposite Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, who also won for Best Actress. The film won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is one of the shortest lead performances to win an Oscar, as Hopkins only appears on screen for little over 16 minutes, less than 10% of the film's running-time. Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice in ''Hannibal'' (2001) and ''Red Dragon'' (2002). His original portrayal of the character in ''The Silence of the Lambs'' has been labelled by the American Film Institute as the number-one film villain. At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing in ''M. Butterfly''. He had come back to Britain after living for a number of years in Hollywood, having all but given up on a career there, saying, "Well that part of my life's over; it's a chapter closed. I suppose I'll just have to settle for being a respectable actor poncing around the West End and doing respectable BBC work for the rest of my life."

Hopkins played the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by Thomas Harris. The author was reportedly very pleased with Hopkins' portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that ''Red Dragon'' would feature his final performance as the character, and that he would not reprise even a narrative role in the latest addition to the series, ''Hannibal Rising''

Personal life[link]

As of 2007, Hopkins resides in Los Angeles. He had moved to the United States once before during the 1970s to pursue his film career, but returned to London in the late 1980s. However, he decided to return to the US following his 1990s success. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a naturalised US citizen on 12 April 2000, and celebrated with a 3,000-mile road trip across the country.

Hopkins has been married three times. His first two wives were Petronella Barker (1967–1972) and Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002). He is now married to Colombian-born Stella Arroyave. He has a daughter from his first marriage, Abigail Hopkins (b. 20 August 1968), who is an actress and singer.

Hopkins has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the National Trust's Snowdonia Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, which in 1998 he donated £1million towards, and to aid the Trust's efforts to purchase parts of Snowdon. Prior to the campaign, Hopkins authored, ''Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia'', which was published in 1995. Hopkins has been a patron of the YMCA centre in his hometown of Port Talbot, South Wales for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s. Hopkins also takes time to support other various philanthropic groups. He was a Guest of Honour at a Gala Fundraiser for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organisation offering rehabilitation assistance to women in recovery from substance abuse. Although he resides in Malibu, California he is also a volunteer teacher at the Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica, California.

Hopkins has attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, since suddenly stopping drinking in 1975. As stated to TMZ in October 2010, Hopkins is a vegetarian. In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss program, and by 2010, he had lost 80 pounds.

Hopkins is a prominent member of environmental protection group Greenpeace and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns about Japan's continuing annual whale hunt. Hopkins has been a patron of RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) since its early days and helped open their first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit at Downview (HM Prison) in 1992.

He is an admirer of the comedian Tommy Cooper. On 23 February 2008, as patron of the Tommy Cooper Society, the actor unveiled a commemorative statue in the entertainer's home town of Caerphilly, South Wales. For the ceremony, Hopkins donned Cooper's trademark fez and performed a comic routine.

Other work[link]

In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world. Hopkins has also written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator. These compositions include ''The Masque of Time'', given its world premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008, and ''Schizoid Salsa''.

In 1990, Hopkins directed "Dylan Thomas: Return Journey" which was his directing debut for the screen. In 1996, he directed ''August'', an adaptation of Chekhov's ''Uncle Vanya'' set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called ''Slipstream'', which he also directed and scored, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Hopkins is a fan of the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', and once remarked in an interview how he would love to appear in the series. Writer John Sullivan saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the character Danny Driscoll, a local villain. However, filming of the new series coincided with the filming of ''The Silence of the Lambs'', making Hopkins unavailable. The role instead went to Roy Marsden.

In January 2012, Hopkins released an album of classical music, entitled ''Composer'', performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra released by Decca.

Awards[link]

Besides his win for ''The Silence of the Lambs'', Hopkins has been Oscar-nominated for ''The Remains of the Day'' (1993), ''Nixon'' (1995) and ''Amistad'' (1997).

Hopkins won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in 1973 for his performance as Pierre Bezukhov in the BBC's production of ''War and Peace'', and additionally for ''The Silence of the Lambs'' and ''Shadowlands''. He received nominations in the same category for ''Magic'' and ''The Remains of the Day'' and as Best Supporting Actor for ''The Lion in Winter''.

He won Emmy Awards for his roles in ''The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case'' and ''The Bunker'', and was Emmy-nominated for ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' and ''Great Expectations''. He won the directing and the acting award, both for ''Slipstream'', at Switzerland's Locarno International Film Festival.

Hopkins became a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in February 2008.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Anthony Hopkins at BBC Wales

Anthony Hopkins, Giant of the Valley — by Michael Feeney Callan, 2007 Voyager Magazine

Anthony Hopkins interviewed on HTV-Wales program Elinor in the 1980s

An Evening with Anthony Hopkins HTV-Wales

Early voice-over on HTV-Wales programme

Anthony Hopkins, BAFTA Fellow in 2008

Fellow Man – Anthony Hopkins, BAFTA profile by film writer Quentin Falk

Anthony Hopkins at Emmys.com

Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Category:Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Category:American people of Welsh descent Category:American television actors Category:American vegetarians Category:Welsh film actors Category:Welsh stage actors Category:Welsh television actors Category:Royal National Theatre Company members Category:Welsh emigrants to the United States Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Welsh vegetarians Category:Actors awarded British knighthoods Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:People from Port Talbot Category:Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Category:People educated at Cowbridge Grammar School Category:People educated at West Monmouth School Category:Saturn Award winners

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Eberhard Schoener (born May 13, 1938, Stuttgart) is a German composer, conductor, arranger, and keyboard player.

"My message is the music. The goal of my life is to create an original form of contemporary music in which the opera, jazz, ethnical and electronic music melt together. I believe in emotionality."

Eberhard Schoener crosses borderlines, leaves his past behind just to find his way back to it. He gets down to music without any pre-judgment, surrendering to any foreign or strange influences to create unerring bridges to follow his very personal direction. Eberhard Schoener's work is difficult to describe as there are too many completely diverse compositions and an array of projects and events. Such versatility is reflected in his Biography.

Career[link]

1958 Studies Violin at the Academy of Music in Detmold (Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie) under Professor Tibor Varga, chorister under Professor Eugen Pabst

1959 Scholarship at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, conducting class under Sergiu Celibidache and chamber music under Quintetto Chiagiano

1960 First violin at the Bavarian State Opera House

1961 Foundation of the Munich Juvenile Symphony Orchester, known across the borders as "The Young Orchestra (Das junge Orchester)" in the ARD TV-series.

1964 Musical supervisor of the Bavarian Opera until 1968

1965 Foundation of the Munich Chamber Opera and since the artistic supervisor and conductor. Amongst others he conducted annual opera and concert performances at the Brunnenhof (Fountain-Courtyard) at the Residence Castle in Munich

1972 "Gianni Schicchi" by Giacomo Puccini as a public performance at the Olympic Games in Munich.

1973 The chamber opera "La Zingara" for German public television (ZDF)

1974 Collaborates with Jon Lord of Deep Purple on Windows and performance is televised also featuring David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, and Pete York

1974 The opera "The Chief of the Theatre (Der Schauspieldirektor)" by W.A. Mozart music supervision and directed for television, starring Peter Ustinov as well as "The Bandmaster (Der Kapellmeister)" by Cimarosa. Both were published as a record through EMI-Classic.

1975 Conducts Hungarian Philharmonic for Sarabande album by Jon Lord of Deep Purple

1977 The fragment of an opera "Shakuntala" by Franz Schubert for the International Dance Theatre for German public television (ZDF).

1987 "Pop-Stars perform Brecht/Weill": A concert at the Theatre of Hamburg recorded for television (NDR) featuring Sting, Gianna Nannini and Jack Bruce.

1989 Third music-festival on the Island Elba with the performance of the opera "Mozart & Salieri".

Awards[link]

! Date	! Award
1975	Art Award
1977	Nominated for the German Album Award
1977	Ministry of the Interior Award for the Script	"Rita or the Goldopera"
1992	BAMBI for Creativity
1993	TELESTAR of German Television

Discography[link]

! Album	! Release date	! Notes
The Box	1969
Destruction of Harmony	1971	Electronic Music based on Bach
A Day's Lullaby	1971
Meditation	1973
Windows	1974	Collaboration with Jon Lord of Deep Purple, performed on live TV and released as album
Sarabande	1975	Conducts Hungarian Philharmonic for solo album by Jon Lord of Deep Purple
Bali Agúng	1975
Music from Bali	1976
Bastien and Bastienne	1976
The Playwright Director	1976
Trance-Formation	1977
The Book	1977
Flashback	1978
Video Magic	1978
Video Flashback	1979	Compilation: 5 tracks from 'Video Magic', and 2 each from 'Trance-Formation' and 'Flashback'
Events	1980
Video Magic	1981	Compilation with same name as 1978 album: 4 tracks from that, plus 1 track from 'Trance-Formation', and 4 from 'Flashback'
Time Square	1981
Eberhard Schoener with Sting, Andy Summers & Stewart Copeland of The Police	1981	Another compilation: 5 tracks from 'Flashback' and 2 from 'Video Magic'
Complicated Ladies	1982
Spurensicherung	1983
Sky Music / Mountain Music	1984
1985 Track Securing	1985
Eberhard Schoener System	1985
Eberhard Schoener / Sting / Andy Summers	1986	Yet another compilation - As 1978 'Video Magic' except 1 track is replaced with 1 from 'Flashback'
Bon Voyage	1986
Video Flashback	1988
The Heritage of the Guldenbergs	1989
Eberhard Schoener, Sting, Andy Summers	1986
Bali Symphony - Trance Mission	1991
Why Don't You Answer	1992
Harmonia Mundi	1993
Time Cycle	1994
Palazzo dell'Amore / Cold Genius	1996
Film Music "Derrick"	1998
Hey Mr. Gentleman	1998
Potsdamer Platz - Heart of Berlin	1988
Namaste-Puja	1999
Eberhard Schoener And Friends - crossing times and continents	2006	Compilation/Re-working (1977–2006)

References[link]

External links[link]

Eberhard Schoener Website

Eberhard Schoener discography with The Police & Sting

Category:1938 births Category:German composers Category:German conductors (music) Category:Living people Category:People from Stuttgart

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