Anthony Hopkins recalls that his iconic portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in 'The Silence of the Lambs' had an unexpected influence on his subsequent role as Van Helsing in Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. In his memoir, 'We Did OK, Kid', the legendary actor delves into the career-defining performances that have become synonymous with horror and suspense.
According to Hopkins, he discovered the script for 'The Silence of the Lambs' after reading just 15 pages, which left him so impressed that he stopped reading in fear of not being cast. His instinctive connection to the character is palpable: "I have the devil in me. We all have the devil in us. I know what scares people." This uncanny understanding allowed Hopkins to craft a performance that would earn him an Oscar for Best Actor.
The actor's co-star, Jodie Foster, was initially intimidated by Hopkins during filming, but he downplays her fears, saying they're now great friends. One notable example of their unusual dynamic is the first table reading, where Hopkins made sure to be as unsettling as possible, causing even Jodie to grow tense in response.
Interestingly, Hopkins credits his childhood memories of watching Bela Lugosi's iconic portrayal of Count Dracula with inspiring his interpretation of Hannibal Lecter. The sound effects he created for the role are so distinctive that they continue to be imitated today.
While we don't know if Hopkins offered any advice to Gary Oldman during filming, 'We Did OK, Kid' offers a unique glimpse into his remarkable career, including the roles that have cemented his status as a master of horror and suspense.
According to Hopkins, he discovered the script for 'The Silence of the Lambs' after reading just 15 pages, which left him so impressed that he stopped reading in fear of not being cast. His instinctive connection to the character is palpable: "I have the devil in me. We all have the devil in us. I know what scares people." This uncanny understanding allowed Hopkins to craft a performance that would earn him an Oscar for Best Actor.
The actor's co-star, Jodie Foster, was initially intimidated by Hopkins during filming, but he downplays her fears, saying they're now great friends. One notable example of their unusual dynamic is the first table reading, where Hopkins made sure to be as unsettling as possible, causing even Jodie to grow tense in response.
Interestingly, Hopkins credits his childhood memories of watching Bela Lugosi's iconic portrayal of Count Dracula with inspiring his interpretation of Hannibal Lecter. The sound effects he created for the role are so distinctive that they continue to be imitated today.
While we don't know if Hopkins offered any advice to Gary Oldman during filming, 'We Did OK, Kid' offers a unique glimpse into his remarkable career, including the roles that have cemented his status as a master of horror and suspense.
. I've always been fascinated by the power of childhood experiences in shaping our adult roles... watching Bela Lugosi as Dracula must have stuck with Hopkins and influenced his performance so much 
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just wondering what drew anthony hopkins to that particular script for 'the silence of the lambs'. was it the complexity of the character or something else entirely? 
! Gary Oldman must've been like "ok, I'm trying to live up to this legend" 
. Anyway, Anthony Hopkins' career story in 'We Did OK, Kid' is giving me all the feels, it's so inspiring and fascinating at the same time 
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Hopkins is literally the ultimate horror icon now, and his ability to tap into that "devil in me" is just so captivating. Plus, its awesome how he connected with Jodie Foster on set, even if she was initially intimidated by him 
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. I mean, who would've thought Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter would influence his take on Van Helsing? It's like he tapped into this dark side of himself that still resonates with audiences today 
. And Jodie Foster's reaction to the table reading is just priceless 
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His performance in The Silence of the Lambs is still giving me chills to this day, and I love how he credits his childhood memories of Bela Lugosi's Dracula with inspiring his interpretation. That's like, the ultimate horror movie connection! 
. And can we talk about how underrated Gary Oldman is in this movie? I mean, he brought his own brand of creepiness to Dracula, but Hopkins just stole the show 
... like I mean, who wouldn't want to play a genius serial killer? And can we talk about how iconic those sound effects are? They're still giving me chills just thinking about them 
. It's crazy to think that Hopkins was inspired by Bela Lugosi's Dracula all those years ago – like, what a cool connection! I'm also loving how he's acknowledging his own intense energy during filming with Jodie Foster... it's no wonder they're great friends now 
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. His Van Helsing role is like a total opposite vibe to Hannibal Lecter, and yet he still manages to bring that same level of creepiness to it 
. Still, reading about this stuff is fascinating – there's something unsettling about how much depth Hopkins brought to those iconic roles 