Anthony Hopkins Biography

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - Anthony Hopkins, actor

Birthdate: December 31, 1937

Birthplace: Port Talbot, Welsh

Sign: Capricorn

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE was born in Wales to Muriel Anne Yeats and Richard Arthur Hopkins. He had suffered dyslexia when he was younger, thus he often found himself immersed in arts, such as painting or playing the piano, rather than attend to his school studies. His parents insisted he attend Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in Pontypool in 1949, where he remained for five terms. He then attended Cowbridge Grammar School in Cowbridge.

In 1965, he was discovered by actor/director Sir Laurence Olivier and invited him to join the Royal National Theater. He became the late filmmaker's understudy. Despite his success at the theater, he grew tired of repeating the roles nightly. He got his first film break in 1968's "The Lion in Winter."

In 1967, he made his small screen debut in the BBC broadcast of "A Flea in Her Ear." He has since enjoyed a fruitful career in show business, landing in on prominent and unforgettable roles. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987 and was made a Knight Bachelor in 1993.

Perhaps his most famous role is Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 suspense thriller "The Silence of the Lambs," for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor in the following year. His portrayal of the cannibalistic serial killer had earned him rave reviews and cemented his place in the film industry for years to come.

The multi-award winner acknowledged his addiction in alcohol. He had been sober since 1975.

Hopkins had been married three times. First to Petronella Barker from 1967 to 1972 and then to Jennifer Lynton from 1973 to 2002. His current wife is Stella Arroyave, whom he married in 2003.

He has one daughter from his first marriage, singer and actress Abigail Hopkins, who was born in August 1968.