Anthony Hopkins is the total package, a remarkable talent who can act, write and sing as easily as he can direct, paint and compose. He's a natural-born killer.
Hopkins, 74, has tackled a broad range of classic characters during the course of his career, from political leaders to Shakespearean giants. To each, the Oscar winner added extra zip not in the arsenal of his contemporaries, a little X-factor that goes well with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
He's known for being one of the most prepared actors ever to appear on film, which explains why he excels at playing characters created in another medium. With volumes of material from which to construct a screen character, Hopkins is known to dig for that extra edge whenever possible.
His streak of characters born of literary adaptations is in good stead. Not only will he stop you dead playing Alfred Hitchcock in Hitchcock, which opens this week, he's in line to tackle biblical character Methuselah and author Ernest Hemingway in the near future.
Here's the best Hopkins has had to offer, in roles adapted from previously published sources.
1 The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a book-born behemoth, a creation of author Thomas Harris which Hopkins made entirely his own. He played the murderous doctor in three films, all of which were wrought from the pages of Harris novels. The Silence of the Lambs is the blue-ribbon winner, and in an Oscar-winning performance the Welsh actor delivers one of the most memorable performances in film history.
2 The Remains of the Day (1993). Hopkins kept his emotions close to his chest playing a servant of the highest order in The Remains of the Day, the critical and commercial Merchant Ivory hit. Based on the acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, about a long-standing but unrequited love affair between and butler and housemaid, the film netted eight Oscar nominations, including one for Hopkins. His performance is nothing short of masterful.
3 Shadowlands (1993). Hopkins was rolling big-time when Shadowlands appeared, and his turn as author C.S. Lewis is given a colourful though somewhat muted delivery. The real-life tale (based on TV movie and play of the same name) is a moving piece of grownup moviemaking, with acting help from two of the best actors going. Debra Winger netted an Oscar nomination for her role as an American who falls in love with the British writer, but Hopkins is equal to the task. See it now if you haven't already.
4 Amistad (1997). Based in part on historical documents detailing the capture of the Spanish schooner La Amistad, along with a revolt carried out by the Africans enslaved on board, there's a rich history behind this Steven Spielberg epic. Though the director doesn't fully realize his vision, Hopkins earned kudos (and an Oscar nomination) for his role as then senator/future U.S. president John Quincy Adams. It's scenery-chewing of the highest order.
5 Nixon (1995). In one of his many presidential performances, Hopkins disappears into the role of U.S. president Richard Nixon, a man of constant sorrow whose single-minded pursuit of success and respect eventually became his downfall. Academy Award voters honoured Hopkins with a best-actor nomination for his must-see performance, an indelible and complex take on a much-maligned public figure.
6 The Elephant Man (1980). Critic emeritus Roger Ebert described Hopkins's performance as Sir Frederick Treves (on whose book, The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, David Lynch's black-and-white film is based) "as correctly aloof." His 19th-century surgeon is restrained by design, it would appear, and Hopkins nails the nuances - especially during his scenes with "elephant man" John Hurt, the societal outcast suffering from severe disfigurement. Dramatic and low-key, but remarkable and inspired.
7 Proof (2005). The Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name is given the A-list treatment by Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow, who reunites with her Shakespeare in Love director, John Madden, for this intelligent and provocative look at the nature of academics and its effects on a broken family. Everyone involved is excellent, but Hopkins (as a mathematical genius with a closet full of secrets) is the standout.
8 The Bounty (1984). The presence of Mel Gibson drove ticket sales, but his star wattage can't over-shadow Hopkins, whose portrayal of the infamous Capt. Bligh - an honorable naval captain resolute in his service of Mother England - runs the gamut from good to great. The oft-told historical drama, based on the book Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian, hits all the right notes, with Hopkins getting the most credit for keeping The Bounty afloat.
9 Hearts in Atlantis (2001). Like most adaptations of Steven King's work, Hearts in Atlantis doesn't entirely work. However, the King novella Low Men in Yellow Coats has a strong central core in Ted Brautigan, whom Hopkins plays with a mixture of mysticism and chicken-soup common sense, leaving much for the viewer to decide. One thing is for certain: Hopkins rules the roost.
10 Titus (1999). Audiences clearly weren't ready to see Hopkins play a bloodthirsty baddie not named Hannibal Lecter, but bloody is what they got in Julie Taymor's adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy, Titus Andronicus. Hopkins's take on the titular, revenge-seeking Roman general is a polarizing portrayal, to say the least.
