Biographies: Anthony Hopkins - Actor

Biographies

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Anthony Hopkins is one of the finest living cinematic figures of our time. Hopkins was born in Port Talbot, Wales and he is the son of Muriel Ann and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker. Hopkins found schoolwork tedious and preferred the arts such as drawing and playing the piano. In order to instill discipline in him, his parents insisted in 1949 that he enroll in the West Monmoth school for boys in Pontypool, Wales. He remained there for five academic terms and then transferred to Cawbridge Grammar middle school, in Cawbridge, Wales. Hopkins was influenced by Richard Burton whom he met for a brief period at the age of fifteen. Hopkins’ encounter with Berton encouraged him to enter the world of acting. In order to pursue this, Hopkins enrolled in the Royal Welsh Music and Drama school in Cardiff, Wales. He subsequently graduated from that school in 1957. After two years of military service, Hopkins moved to London where he received training at the Royal Academy for Theatrical Arts. In 1965, after having spent several years acting in theater, Hopkins talents were noticed by Sir Lawrence Olivier who invited him to join the Royal National Theater. Hopkins became an understudy for Olivier and indeed filled his role when Olivier developed appendicitis during the production of "The Dance of Death." Despite his success on the national stage, Hopkins grew weary of performing the same roles night after night. He longed to take part in a movie. In 1968 he got his wish and performed in the movie "Lion in the Winter." In that movie Hopkins played the role of Richard I, King of England and acted alongside Peter O'toole, Catherine Hepburn and the future James Bond Timothy Dalton. Hopkins would eventually distance himself from the theater in order to become more established as a television and cinema performer. Hopkins received the order of the British Empire in 1987 and was knighted in 1993. In 1996 Hopkins became an honorary fellow of the University of Wales, Lampeter. In 2006, Hopkins was awarded the Cecil B. Demille Golden Globe lifetime achievement award and in 2008 he became an honorary fellow of the British Academy for Cinema and Television.

• 23 July 2010
• محمد ألطيب