Anthony Hopkins told People magazine that he is working on a memoir about his life and storied career.
“I’m writing a biography,” Hopkins said. “It’s a weird process.”
Hopkins, widely considered one of the best actors of his generation, was born and raised in Wales and educated at Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. He made his acting debut in 1960 in the play Have a Cigarette at the Swansea Little Theatre and was later discovered by Laurence Olivier, who asked him to perform at the Royal National Theatre in London.
Hopkins made his feature film debut in 1968, playing King Richard I in The Lion in Winter, and went on to star in movies including The Elephant Man, 84 Charing Cross Road, Howards End, The Remains of the Day, and Amistad. He won two Academy Awards, for his performances in The Silence of the Lambs and The Father.
“I realized how I’m blessed with one thing,” Hopkins told People. “Maybe it's my actor’s brain. I do have quite a memory. I remember days of months in the years.”
He told the magazine that he’s grateful for his life, even the rough parts, including a struggle with alcoholism.
“I’m just fortunate,” he said. “I went through ups and downs and depressions and despair and anger and all that stuff, but gradually the last few years [I’ve been] thinking, Well, I’m still here.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
