Anthony Hopkins was born on December 31, 1937, in Margam, Wales, to Muriel Anne (Yeats) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker, who were both of half Welsh and half English descent. His parents' influence led him to study at the College of Music and Drama, where he graduated in 1957.
In 1965, he moved to London and joined the National Theatre, invited by Laurence Olivier, who recognized his talent. His first film for television was A Flea in Her Ear (1967),marking the beginning of his successful career in cinema and television.
He worked on several notable projects, including The Lion in Winter (1968) with Timothy Dalton, A Bridge Too Far (1977) with James Caan, Gene Hackman, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Elliott Gould, and Laurence Olivier, and The Elephant Man (1980).
In the 1980s, Hopkins appeared in two television literature adaptations, Othello (1981) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982),and was awarded the Commander of the order of the British Empire in 1987. He also starred in 84 Charing Cross Road (1987),which received critical acclaim.
In the 1990s, Hopkins acted in various films, including Desperate Hours (1990),Howards End (1992),The Remains of the Day (1993),Legends of the Fall (1994),Nixon (1995),Surviving Picasso (1996),Amistad (1997),The Mask of Zorro (1998),Meet Joe Black (1998),and Instinct (1999).
However, his most remarkable film was The Silence of the Lambs (1991),for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor and a B.A.F.T.A. for his role.
