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Film

Anthony Hopkins: 'I love life because what more is there?'

Jan Tomes
December 30, 2017

As the famous British actor and Hollywood legend turns 80, we look back at the most important characters of his career. From the cult cannibal to a mythical god, Sir Anthony Hopkins has done it all.

Anthony Hopkins
Image: Getty Images/T. Hiatt

"Every time I try to retire, or even think of retiring from acting, my agent comes up with a script," says Sir Anthony Hopkins, whose filmography contains 132 roles, three directing and producing credits and even numerous entries in the categories of soundtrack composition and performance.

It's an impressive figure — and it keeps growing. Now 80, he stars in the second season of HBO's hit sci-fi show "Westworld," set to premiere in spring. As the mythical god Odin, he stole the scene in "Thor: Ragnarok," which hit cinemas in October.  

Born into a working-class family in the industrial town of Port Talbot in Wales, Hopkins says he owes his discipline to his father, a baker. "Whenever I get a feeling that I may be special or different, I think of my father and I remember his hands – his hardened, broken hands," he said in a recent interview for The Telegraph.  

An early movie fan, he started acting at age 17 and got his first Hollywood role in the 1968 historical drama "The Lion in Winter" alongside seasoned actors including Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. You can read more about its complex plot in the gallery above showcasing our picks for the top 10 movies of Anthony Hopkins' career — and what you can expect to see from him in 2018.

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