Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 360

Julian is proclaimed Emperor in Paris at the Thermes de Cluny

Year 360 (CCCLX) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 1113 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 360 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events[link]

By place[link]

Roman Empire[link]

• February – Julian, Roman Caesar, is proclaimed emperor by the Gallic legions in Lutetia (modern Paris) at the Thermes de Cluny. They refuse to support the eastern campaign against king Shapur II of Persia and revolted.
• The Alamanni raid Raetia (Switzerland), but are pushed back behind the Rhine by Julian into the Black Forest.
• King Shapur II continues his campaign against the Roman fortresses; capturing Singara, Bezabde and Nisibis.
• Emperor Constantius II and Julian exchange several letters, both hoping to avoid a civil war.

Europe[link]

• The Huns invade Europe by the thousands, spreading terror as they take over territories held for generations by Alans, Heruls, Ostrogoths and Visigoths.

Asia[link]

• Japan begins 30-year period of great influence in Korea.

By topic[link]

Agriculture[link]

• Roman authorities in Britain export wheat to supply the legions on the Rhine; they have encouraged production of wheat for that purpose.

Religion[link]

• First Council of Constantinople: Emperor Constantius II requested a church council, at Constantinople, both the eastern and western bishops attend the meeting. Wulfila also attends the council and endorse the resulting creed. After the council several homoiousian bishops are deposed or banished, including Macedonius I of Constantinople and Cyril of Jerusalem.

Births[link]

• John Cassian, Desert Father and Christian saint (approximate date)
• Saint Mesrob, Armenian monk and theologian (approximate date)
• Saint Ninian, missionary to Scotland (approximate date)
• Tao Sheng, Chinese Buddhist scholar (approximate date)
• Wang Fahui, empress during the Jin Dynasty (d. 380)

Deaths[link]

• Eustathius of Antioch, Patriarch of Antioch (approximate date)
• Murong Jun, emperor of the Former Yan (b. 319)

References[link]

Josh Pyke
Pyke at the 2012 APRA Music Awards.
Background information
Birth name	Joshua Jon Pyke
Also known as	Josh Pyke
Born	(1977-12-18) 18 December 1977 (age 34)
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Indie
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Ivy League Records
Website	www.joshpyke.com

Josh Pyke is an Australian singer-songwriting musician.

Biography[link]

[edit] Beginnings and Feeding the Wolves (2004–2005)

Josh Pyke was in his first band by age 12 and played his first performance in front of 650 parents and students at his primary school graduation. Playing guitar and initial song writing efforts came aged 14. Despite his aptitude for song writing and performance, he stayed 'under the radar' throughout his high school years at Fort Street High School.^[1]

Whilst part of Sydney band An Empty Flight he successfully applied for a grant from the Music Board of the Australia Council under the Buzz Project^[2] to remix a number of his own demo recordings to be released as an EP Current Works Volume 1, under the name of Night Hour. The lead track, "Kids Don't Sell Their Hopes So Fast" received wide-ranging radio airplay, on national youth broadcaster Triple J and on various community radio stations including 3RRR in Melbourne and Fbi in Sydney. In 2004 Pyke won the Jaxter Music Award for his single "Kids Don't Sell Their Hopes So Fast".^[3] The proceeds went towards a home studio, which enabled him to concentrate on his solo output and songs that were to become his debut mini-album Feeding The Wolves.

Pyke signed to Australian indie label Ivy League Records in 2005 and his first release on the label was a mini-album entitled Feeding the Wolves. It features the single "Middle of the Hill", as well as second single "Private Education". Josh toured early in 2005 with Jebediah frontman, Bob Evans, aka Kevin Mitchell. Feeding the Wolves was nominated for 'Best Pop Release at the 2006 ARIA Awards.^[4]

Pyke appeared in his first Triple J Hottest 100 in 2005, where "Middle of the Hill" was voted as number 19 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2005;

[edit] First studio album Memories & Dust (2006–2007)

Pyke released his debut album, Memories & Dust, on 10 March 2007 and it debuted at no.4 on the Australian ARIA Album Chart. He also guest programmed rage on that date. The lead single from the new album, entitled "Lines on Palms", hit Australian airwaves in mid-January. When fans pre-ordered Memories & Dust through the fanclub website, they received a bonus CD of the live private show Josh did at The Wesley Anne in Northcote, Victoria in 2006.

Josh Pyke performed at the 'Escape to the Park' concert in King's Park, Perth, Western Australia alongside The Panda Band, Tex Perkins, Sarah Blasko and Augie March. He also performed at the 2006-2007 Falls Festival in Lorne, Victoria and Marion Bay, Tasmania on New Year's Eve.

He also sang a cover version of "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush for No Man's Woman which was released in 2007.

In April 2007 his debut album, Memories & Dust, was nominated for a J Award by Triple J.

Pyke also picked up an ARIA for best adult contemporary album at the 2007 ARIA awards.

Pyke features in the Triple J Hottest 100 countdowns. "Memories and Dust" and "Private Education" were voted number 38 and 57 respectively in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2006, "Lines on Palms", "Sew My Name" and "Forever Song" finished in 79th, 91st and 97th place in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2007.

[edit] Second studio album Chimney's Afire (2008–present)

Pyke performing in 2009.

Pyke's second album Chimney's Afire was released 4 October 2008 and was recorded at Sydney's Linear Recording studios. It made its debut at #3 on the official ARIA Album Chart,^[5] and #1 on the ARIA Australian Chart.^[6] He recently conducted a small tour to showcase songs off this album. The first single off the album was "The Lighthouse Song", and the second was called "Make You Happy". In 2009 Pyke reclaimed the best adult contemporary album and was also nominated for best male artist.

Pyke was featured in the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2008 for the fourth time, where he placed "Make You Happy" at 29 and "Lighthouse Song" at 27 in the Hottest 100 of 2008

Josh Pyke is a member of the Australian indie group Basement Birds.

In 2011, Pyke collaborated with Australian rapper 360 on the song "Throw it Away" from 360's album Falling & Flying.

In late November of 2011 Pyke featured in a new release singing harmonies with Katy Steele from Perth, now living in New York, in the intimate new song 'Punch in the Heart.' Its video sees both singers in a split-screen view performing twin one-take recordings singing to the camera.^[7]

Discography[link]

Josh Pyke singing at Royal Theatre, Canberra, in December 2011

Albums[link]

• Memories & Dust (2007) #4 AUS
• Chimney's Afire (2008) #3 AUS
• Only Sparrows (2011) #4 AUS

EPs[link]

• Current Works Volume 1 (2004)
• The Doldrums (2004)
• Recordings 2003–2005 (2005)
• Feeding the Wolves (2005)
• Memories & Dust (2006) #39 AUS
• Lines on Palms (2007) #33 AUS
• Beaks of Crows (2007)

Singles[link]

• "Kids Don't Sell Their Hopes So Fast" (2003)
• "The Doldrums" (2004)
• "Middle of the Hill" (2005) - also appears on the 2007 compilation album, The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show
• "Private Education" (2006)
• "Memories & Dust" (2006)
• "Lines on Palms" (2007)
• "Fed & Watered" (2007)
• "Forever Song" (2007)
• "Sew My Name" (2007)
• "The Lighthouse Song" (2008)
• "The Summer"(2008)
• "Make You Happy" (2008)
• "Don't Wanna Let You Down" (2009)
• "No One Wants a Lover" (2011)

Other album appearances[link]

• "Wuthering Heights" - No Man's Woman compilation album (2007)
• "Bachelor Kisses" - Write Your Adventures Down: A Tribute to The Go-Betweens compilation album (2007)
• "When We Get There" - The Black Balloon soundtrack album (2008)
• "Throw It Away" - 360 - Falling & Flying

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Josh Pyke on Myspace
• Josh Pyke discography at MusicBrainz
• Perth Music Interview
• Official video for 'Make You Happy' featuring a guitar boat
• Josh Pyke writes about his favourite songs by other artists

Jude Law
Law at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Born	David Jude Heyworth Law (1972-12-29) 29 December 1972 (age 39) Lewisham, London, UK
Occupation	Actor, producer, director
Years active	1987–present
Spouse	Sadie Frost (1997–2003; 3 children)

David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972), known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.^[1][2]

He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989. After starring in films directed by Andrew Niccol, Clint Eastwood and David Cronenberg, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1999 for his performance in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley. In 2000 he won a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award for his work in the film. In 2003, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in another Minghella film, Cold Mountain.

In 2006, he was one of the top ten most bankable movie stars in Hollywood.^[3] In 2007, he received an Honorary César and he was named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.^[4][5] He was a member of the main competition jury at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.^[6]

Early life[link]

Law was born in Lewisham, South London, the second child of comprehensive school teachers Margaret Anne (née Heyworth) and Peter Robert Law; his father later became, according to Law, "the youngest headmaster in London".^[1][7] He has a sister, Natasha.^[7] Law was named after a "bit of both" the book Jude the Obscure and the song Hey Jude.^[7] He grew up in Blackheath, an area in the Borough of Lewisham,^[8] and was educated at John Ball Primary School in Blackheath and Kidbrooke School, before attending the Alleyn's School.^[7]

Career[link]

1980s–1990s[link]

In 1987, Law began acting with National Youth Music Theatre.^[9] He played various roles in the Edinburgh Fringe-awarded play The Ragged Child. One of his first major stage roles was Foxtrot Darling in Philip Ridley's The Fastest Clock In The Universe. Law went on to appear as Michael in the West End production of Jean Cocteau's tragicomedy Les Parents terribles, directed by Sean Mathias.^[7] For this play, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Newcomer, and he received the Ian Charleson Award for Outstanding Newcomer.

Following a title change to Indiscretions, the play was reworked and transferred to Broadway in 1995, where Law acted opposite Kathleen Turner, Roger Rees, and Cynthia Nixon.^[10][11] This role earned him a Tony Award nomination^[12] and the Theatre World Award.^[13] In 1989, Law got his first television role, in a movie based on the Beatrix Potter children's book, The Tailor of Gloucester. After minor roles in British television, including a two-year stint in the Granada TV soap opera Families and the leading role in the BFI /Channel 4 short The Crane, Law had his breakthrough with the British crime drama Shopping, which also featured his future wife, Sadie Frost.

In 1997, he became more widely known with his role in the Oscar Wilde bio-pic Wilde.^[7] Law won the "Most Promising Newcomer" award from the Evening Standard British Film Awards for his role as Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas, the glamorous lover of Stephen Fry's Oscar Wilde.^[14] In Andrew Niccol's science fiction film Gattaca, Law played the role of a disabled former swimming star living in a eugenics-obsessed dystopia.^[7] In Clint Eastwood's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, he played the role of the ill-fated hustler murdered by an art dealer, played by Kevin Spacey.

For The Talented Mr. Ripley in 1999, he learned to play saxophone and earned a MTV Movie Award nomination with Matt Damon and Fiorello for performing the song "Tu vuò fà l'americano" by Renato Carosone and Nicola Salerno.

2000s[link]

In 2001, Law starred as Russian sniper Vasily Zaytsev in the film Enemy At The Gates, and learned ballet dancing for the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).^[15] In 2002, he played a mob hitman in Sam Mendes's 1930s period drama Road to Perdition. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Talented Mr. Ripley in 1999, and then again for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Cold Mountain in 2003. Both films were directed by Anthony Minghella.^[7]

Law at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.

Law, an admirer of Laurence Olivier, used the actor's image in the 2004 film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Using computer graphics, footage of the young Olivier was merged into the film, playing Dr. Totenkopf, a mysterious scientific genius and supervillain.^[16][17] Also in 2004, he portrayed the title character in Alfie, the remake of Bill Naughton's 1966 film, playing the role originated by Michael Caine.^[7] Law was one of the Top Ten 2006 A-list of the most bankable movie stars in Hollywood, following the criteria of James Ulmer in the Ulmer Scale.^[3] On 1 March 2007, he was honoured with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres conferred by the French government, in recognition of his contribution to World Cinema Arts. He was named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.^[4]

He took on another of Caine's earlier roles in the 2007 film Sleuth, adapted by Nobel Laureate in Literature Harold Pinter, while Caine played the role originated by Sir Laurence Olivier.^[18]

Law is one of three actors who took over the role of actor Heath Ledger in Terry Gilliam's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Along with Law, actors Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell portray "three separate dimensions in the film."^[19][20] He appeared opposite Forest Whitaker in the dark science fiction comedy Repo Men and as Dr. Watson in Guy Ritchie's adaption of Sherlock Holmes, alongside Robert Downey, Jr. and Rachel McAdams, as well as the 2011 sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Law starred as a celebrity supermodel in the film Rage,^[21] and blogger and "prophet" Alan Krumwiede in the 2011 medical thriller Contagion.

[edit] Hamlet

In May 2009, Law returned to the London stage to portray the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Donmar Warehouse West End season at Wyndham's Theatre. The BBC reported "a fine and solid performance" but included other reviews of Law's interpretation that were mixed.^[22] There was a further run of the production at Elsinore Castle in Denmark from 25–30 August 2009.^[23] In September 2009 the production transferred to the Broadhurst Theatre in New York. Again, the critics failed to agree on the merit of Law's interpretation: London's Daily Mail found only positive reviews,^[24] but The Washington Post felt that the much-anticipated performance was "highly disappointing".^[25] Nonetheless, he was nominated for the 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.^[26] In January 2010 at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards ceremony he was presented with the John and Wendy Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for his 2009 Hamlet.^[27]

Other projects[link]

Advertising[link]

Law is the face of the male perfume of Dior, Dior Homme Sport.^[28][29][30] Since 2005, he has represented Dunhill as an "apparel ambassador" in Asia.^[31] In 2008, he became the international face of Dunhill and appears in the worldwide advertising campaigns.^[32]

In 2002, he directed a Respect for Animals anti-fur cinema commercial. The commercial, titled "Fur and Against", used music composed by Gary Kemp, and included appearances by Law, Chrissie Hynde, Moby, George Michael, Danny Goffey, Rhys Ifans, Sadie Frost, Helena Christensen, Sir Paul McCartney, Mel C, and Stella McCartney.^[33]

[edit] Realtime Movie

In early 2007 Law shot the Jason Martin-directed short film "Realtime Movie Trailer" at Borough Market, South London. Instead of promoting a film, this "trailer", which appeared among regular trailers in selected cinemas across London starting 19 November 2007, advertised a live event, Realtime Movie, by Polish artist Paweł Althamer. Hundreds turned up for this–unfilmed–re-enactment in real time of the sequence of events shown in "Realtime Movie Trailer" by the same actors, including Althamer as a Polish laborer, held at Borough Market on 30 November 2007. The performance was commissioned by Tate Modern as part of its "The World as a Stage" exhibition which explored the boundaries between arts and reality.^{[34][35][36][37]}

Charity activities[link]

In 2004, Law launched a campaign to raise £2.5 million towards the Young Vic Theatre's £12.5 million redevelopment project.^[38][39] He is currently Chair of the Young Vic committee and has said that he is proud to help make the Young Vic "a nurturing bed" for young directors.^[40] In 2006, he joined Robbie Williams in the "Soccer Aid" celebrity football match to benefit UNICEF.^[41]

In 2006, he starred in an anthology of Samuel Beckett readings and performances directed by director Anthony Minghella. With the Beckett Gala Evening at the Reading Town Hall, more than £22,000 was donated for the Macmillan Cancer Support.^[42] Also in 2006, Frost and Law directed a Shakespeare play in a South African orphanage. He travelled to Durban with Frost and their children in order to help children who have lost their parents to AIDS. In July 2007, as patron of the charity, he helped kick off the month-long tour of the AIDS-themed musical Thula Sizwe by The Young Zulu Warriors.^[43] Also in 2007, he encouraged the Friends of the Earth/The Big Ask campaign, asking British Government to take action against climate change.^[44][45][46]

Law does charity work for organizations such as Make Poverty History, the Rhys Daniels Trust, and the WAVE Trauma Centre.^[47] He supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Pride of Britain Awards.^{[48][49][50][51]}

He is the chair of the Music For Tomorrow Foundation to help rebuild Katrina-devastated New Orleans.^[52][53]

Jude Law is an ambassador of HRH The Prince of Wales' Children and the Arts Foundation.^[54] He supports Breast Cancer Care,^[55] and in December 2008 he supported the Willow Foundation with a small canvas for their campaign Stars on Canvas.^[56] In April 2009 he supported the charity Education Africa with the gift of a mask he had painted and signed himself. The campaign was launched on eBay by Education Africa.^[57]

Stars including Dame Judi Dench and Jude Law have helped save St Stephen's Church in Hampstead. The celebrities supported the campaign, which raised £4.5 million to refurbish the Victorian church in north London. The building reopened in March 2009 as an arts and community centre.^[58][59]

Peace activities[link]

In July 2007, Jude Law and Jeremy Gilley were in Afghanistan over a period of 10 days to document peace commitments and activities there for an upcoming film and for marking the UN International Day of Peace.^[60][61] Accompanied by UNICEF Representative Catherine Mbengue, they travelled and filmed in dangerous areas of eastern Afghanistan with a film crew, interviewing children, government ministers, community leaders and UN officials.^[62][63] They also filmed at schools and visited various UNICEF-supported programmes inside and outside the capital Kabul.^[64][65] The efforts of Peace One Day are coordinated in celebration of the annual International Day of Peace, on 21 September.^[66][67] The film, named The Day After Peace, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.^[68][69][70] On 21 September 2008, the film was shown at a gala screening at the Royal Albert Hall.^[71]

On 30 August 2008, Law and Gilley returned to Afghanistan to help keep a momentum around Peace Day. They met President Hamid Karzai, top NATO and UN officials, and members of the aid community. They also screened the new documentary about the efforts in support of peace. The documentary features activities that took place throughout Afghanistan in 2007. It also highlights support from UNICEF and the WHO for the peaceful immunization of 1.4 million children against polio in insecure areas.^{[72][73][74][75]}

Belarus[link]

In 2011 Law joined street protests against Alexander Lukashenko and Lukashenko's brutal crackdown on the Belarusian democracy movement.^[76]

Personal life[link]

Law's parents live in Vaudelnay, France, where they run their own drama school and theatre.^[77] His sister Natasha is an illustrator and artist, living in London.^[78][79]

Law met actress Sadie Frost while working on the film Shopping. They married on 2 September 1997 and divorced on 29 October 2003. He has a stepson, Finlay Munro (born 20 September 1990), and three biological children with Frost: son Rafferty (born 6 October 1996), daughter Iris (born 25 October 2000), and son Rudy (born 10 September 2002).^[80][81]

While making the film Alfie in late 2003, Law and co-star Sienna Miller began a relationship, becoming engaged on Christmas Day 2004.^[82] Miller and Law separated in November 2006.^[83]

On 29 July 2009, it was announced that Law would become a father for the fourth time following a brief relationship with American model Samantha Burke in 2008.^[84][85] Burke gave birth to a daughter, Sophia, on 22 September 2009 in New York.^[86][87]

In December 2009, it was reported that Law and Miller had rekindled their relationship after starring in separate shows on Broadway in late 2009.^[88] They spent Christmas 2009 in Barbados, along with three of Law's children.^[89] They announced they had split again in February 2011.^[90]

Filmography[link]

Soundtrack[link]

• "Ah, Leave Me Not to Pine", (The Pirates of Penzance), performed in Wilde, (1997)
• "Tu Vuo' Fa L'Americano", performed in The Talented Mr. Ripley, with Matt Damon, Fiorello and The Guy Barker International Quintet, (1999)
• "Avenues and Alleyways", the 1973 Tony Christie song, performed with other crew members in Love, Honour and Obey, (2000)
• "Rock On", the David Essex song, performed in Love, Honour and Obey, (2000)
• "Opening song", performed in NBC's Saturday Night Live, with Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Ashlee Simpson, (2004)

Theatre[link]

Theatre awards and nominations[link]

Laurence Olivier Award
1994 Nominated Laurence Olivier Award as Best Newcomer in a Play for: Les Parents terribles (1994)
2010 Nominated Laurence Olivier Award as Best Leading Actor in a Play for: Hamlet (2010)
2012 Nominated Laurence Olivier Award as Best Leading Actor in a Play for: Anna Christie (2012)

Ian Charleson Award
1994 Won Ian Charleson Award as Outstanding Newcomer for: Les Parents terribles (1994)
1995 Won Ian Charleson Award as Best Young Classical Actor for: Ion (1995)
1999 Nominated Ian Charleson Award for: 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (1999)

Tony Award
1995 Nominated Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play for: Indiscretions (1995)
2010 Nominated Tony Award as Best Leading Actor in a Play for: Hamlet (2010)

Theatre World Award
1995 Won Theatre World Award for: Indiscretions (1995)

Critics' Circle Theatre Award
2010 Won The John and Wendy Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for: Hamlet (2010)

South Bank Show Award
2010 Won South Bank Show Award as Best Leading Actor for: Hamlet (2010)

Whatsonstage.com Award
2010 Won Whatsonstage.com Award as Best Leading Actor for: Hamlet (2010)
2012 Nominated Whatsonstage.com Award as Best Leading Actor for: Anna Christie (2011)

Falstaff Award
2010 Won Falstaff Award as Best Leading Actor for: Hamlet (2010)

Outer Critics Circle Award
2010 Nominated Outer Critics Circle Award as Best Leading Actor for: Hamlet (2010)

Drama League Award
2010 Nominated Drama League Award for Best Performance for: Hamlet (2010)

Drama Desk Award
2010 Nominated Drama Desk Award for Best Performance for: Hamlet (2010)

Personal awards and nominations[link]

MTV Movie Award
2003 Nominated MTV Movie Award as Best Trans-Atlantic Breakthrough Performer

ShoWest Award
2004 Won ShoWest Award as Male Star of the Year

People's Choice Award
2005 Nominated People's Choice Award as Favorite Leading Man

César Awards
2007 Won César Awards as Honorary César

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
2010 Won President’s Prize

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jude Law

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jude Law

• Jude Law at the Internet Movie Database
• Jude Law at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jude Law at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Filmography Jude Law at the British Film Institute (BFI). Accessed 25 May 2008.

Sir Anthony Hopkins CBE
Hopkins at the Tuscan Sun Festival, Cortona, 2009
Born	Philip Anthony Hopkins (1937-12-31) 31 December 1937 (age 74) Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales
Occupation	Actor, Musician
Years active	Since 1960
Spouse	Petronella Barker (1967–72; divorced) Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002; divorced) Stella Arroyave (m. 2003)

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,^[1][2][3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6][7]

Early life[link]

Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, the son of Muriel Anne (née Yeats) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker.^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[5] 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.^[10]

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.^[11]

In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by Sir Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre.^[5] 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."^[12] 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."^[13] Hopkins was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987, and a Knight Bachelor in 1993.^[14][15] In 1988, Hopkins was made an Honorary D.Litt and in 1992 was awarded Honorary fellowship from the University of Wales, Lampeter.^[16] A few years later in a The Tonight Show with Jay Leno appearance, Hopkins humbly admitted that liked his American fans and friends to call him "Sir Tony". 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.^[17] Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.^[6]

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.^[18] In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.^[19] In 2008, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award.^[7]

Hopkins portrayed Odin, the Allfather or "king" of Asgard, in the film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Thor.^[20] 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".^[21] 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.^[22] 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.

Hopkins is currently portraying Alfred Hitchcock in Sacha Gervasi's upcoming biopic Hitchcock, following his career while making Psycho. The film is set for release in 2013.

Acting style[link]

Isabella Rossellini and Sir Anthony Hopkins in Berlin to shoot scenes for The Innocent (1993).

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.^[23] 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."^[12]

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.^[10]

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."^[24]

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.^[9] 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.^[25] 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."^[12]

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]

Hopkins at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

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.^[16]

Hopkins has been married three times. His first two wives were Martha O'Brien (1966–1972) 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.^[17][26] Prior to the campaign, Hopkins authored, Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia, which was published in 1995.^[27] 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.^[28] 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,^[29] 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 programme, and by 2010, he had lost 80 pounds.^[30]

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.^[31] 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.^[32]

Other work[link]

In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in the UK Singles Chart.^[33] In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world.^[34] 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.^[35]

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.^[36]

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^[37] for his roles in The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and The Bunker, and was Emmy-nominated for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Great Expectations.^[38] 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.^[39]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anthony Hopkins

• Anthony Hopkins at the Internet Broadway Database
• Anthony Hopkins at the Internet Movie Database
• Anthony Hopkins at the TCM Movie Database
• Anthony Hopkins at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• 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