Anthony Hopkins opens up about a life of loss, love and hard lessons

BY ANY measure, Sir Anthony Hopkins has lived a life worthy of cinema from his haunting portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs to his Oscar-winning role in The Father.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

IN HIS memoir, Sir Anthony Hopkins reveals the personal struggles behind his celebrated career.

(File)

But beyond the spotlight, behind the awards and acclaim, lies a quieter, more human story, one about love, loss, forgiveness, and the complicated ties that bind families together.

Now 87, the legendary Welsh actor is preparing to release his memoir We Did Ok, Kid a deeply personal reflection on the chaos, beauty, and heartbreak of his life off-screen.

In excerpts shared by The Daily Mail, he opens up about his first marriage, his long battle with alcoholism, and the deep regrets that followed, particularly his estrangement from his only child, Abigail Hopkins.

The fracture that never quite healed

Anthony married actress Petronella Barker in 1966.

He admits their relationship was rocky from the beginning.

“My depression was boundless; the booze was my pacifier. I brooded. She raged,” he writes. As arguments and drinking took their toll, Hopkins remembers one night that changed everything.

“I had never been physically violent,” he writes, “but in that moment, I was filled with such revulsion that I became afraid for both myself and her.”

He left that night, saying goodbye to his 14-month-old daughter and never returning home.

“It is the saddest fact of my life, and my greatest regret,” he reflects. “And yet, I feel absolutely sure that it would have been much worse for everyone if I’d stayed.”