At 86, Anthony Hopkins is still in front of the camera. He is now playing a Roman emperor in Roland Emmerich’s new gladiator series. He has a special tip for young actors.
Two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”, “The Father”) continues to have a lot of fun in front of the camera at the age of 86. “I’ve been doing this for over 60 years and I’ve learned not to make a big fuss about it. I love it, they pay me money and they invite me to different countries,” says the British Hollywood star with a mischievous smile in an interview with dpa. When filming, he keeps things “very simple”: Learn your lines so that you’re well prepared. Then you can improvise better, says Hopkins.
The one piece of advice he would give young actors is to speak loudly and clearly. “Actors like to whisper and think they sound sexy, but that’s boring,” says Hopkins, demonstratively breaking into an incomprehensible mumble. “Supposedly sexy, like Marlon Brando,” he adds with a wink.
In the new historical series “Those About To Die” (starts: July 19th on Prime Video) about gladiator fights, politics and corruption in ancient Rome, he plays the Roman Emperor Vespasian under the direction of Roland Emmerich (68, “Independence Day”). With a white toga and golden laurel wreath, he makes an imposing appearance as a ruler.
The political chaos in ancient Rome is the stuff of visually stunning entertainment. Hopkins also sees parallels to current politics. “It’s chaos, it always has been, that’s nothing new, people are corrupt,” complains the actor. “We put other people down, we suppress their political views. That is the tragedy of human life and human history.”
As Emperor Vespasian, Hopkins plays a man at the end of his life who ponders his legacy for the world. Such thoughts are, by his own admission, far from the star’s mind. “I’m just happy to still be alive at 86,” says Hopkins with a grin. “Every day I wake up, OK, just one more day.”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
