Anthony Hopkins Missed His History-Making Oscar Win to Visit his Father’s Grave
Anthony Hopkins Missed His History-Making Oscar Win to Visit his Father’s Grave
Sir Anthony Hopkins received the Best Actor Oscar that made history this week - but he wasn't in attendance for a surprising reason...
People have been left touched by his acceptance video.
Hopkins won the Best Actor Oscar on Sunday night.
Making him the oldest ever winner at eighty-three.
But he wasn't there to accept the award in person.
He had a few particular reasons as to why ...
Hopkins has lived one hell of a life.
After serving in the British Army for 2 years, the Welsh-born Hopkins began his theater training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1959. And today, he stands as one of the most legendary actors of our time.
After training and working for several years...
Hopkins made his small screen debut in 1967 with a BBC production of A Flea in Her Ear.
From there, it was onwards and upwards.
Throughout the 1970s, the casting calls continued to flood in, and Hopkins continued to work in both films and on stage, garnering critical attention for this double duty.
However, his career didn't truly heat up until 1976.
That year, Hopkins won an Emmy for his role as Bruno Richard Hauptmann in The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case.
And, throughout the '80s, Hopkins continued to impress the critics with his work in film and TV, winning multiple Emmy Awards and a BAFTA Award.
But, of course, there's one role that stands out among the rest.
In 1991, Hopkins portrayed the role of Hannibal Lector in Silence of The Lambs, both wowing and terrifying critics and audiences alike.
It was Hopkins as we'd never seen him before.
His seventeen-minute performance as the cannibalistic psychopath was simply sublime, and the role not only gained him an Oscar, but cemented him as one of the most memorable on-screen villains of all time.
Since this momentous role, Hopkins went on to star in a number of blockbusters...
Such as The Remains of the Day, Nixon, and Amistad.
And, in 1993, Hopkins was officially knighted by the British Empire...
He was presented with the prestigious title by Queen Elizabeth II for "services to the arts" at Buckingham Palace.
But he didn't stop there.
As Hopkins entered his twilight years, his career did quite the opposite of slow down - throughout the last 2 decades, the icon has appeared in a variety of successful blockbusters.
Today, Hopkins is eighty-three-years-old...
And his career is as acclaimed as ever.
He just won his second Best Actor Oscar.
And he missed his acceptance for a particularly heartwarming reason...
Hopkins didn't travel to LA, staying home in Port Talbot, Wales.
The reason? To visit his father's grave.
He believed his role in The Father was greatly inspired by is own dad.
And shared a heartwarming message in his acceptance video speech.
"My father was like [my character in the movie] as he was dying, because he was frightened. He was afraid."
"Not mean, just irascible, scared. And it's painful to see that. And you think of the hopelessness, the emptiness, the sadness of it all, and knowing none of us get out of this alive."
"I am grateful to the Academy and thank you. I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman who was taken from us far too early, and again, thank you all very much. I really did not expect this, so I feel very privileged and honoured. Thank you."
"Richard Hopkins, my beloved father, resting in eternal peace..."
Watch his emotional Instagram post below.
And scroll on for more celebrity news ...
No comments