Podcast Summary: The Interview – Sir Anthony Hopkins: I turn turmoil into energy

Podcast: The Interview (BBC World Service)
Host: Katie Razzle
Guest: Sir Anthony Hopkins
Date: November 19, 2025
Duration: Approx. 23 minutes (ads, intros, outros excluded)

Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with the legendary Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, famed for his Oscar-winning role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. With candor and reflection, Hopkins discusses his turbulent upbringing, personal struggles with alcoholism, his transformative acting process, and the essential lessons gleaned from eight decades of life. The conversation moves seamlessly from his childhood in Wales to his philosophy of resilience, ultimately offering a powerful meditation on turning personal pain into creative energy.

Early Life and Upbringing

Background and Family

• Born in 1937 in Port Talbot, Wales, to a working-class family: parents ran a bakery, later a pub (01:49).
• Grew up “a confused little boy,” feeling lonely and out of place.

  "We come into this big crazy world, we don't know the answer. We know nothing. So we feel all kinds of pressures and loneliness and fears." – Sir Anthony Hopkins (04:41)

Struggles with School and Self-Esteem

• Despite reading encyclopedias, playing piano, and drawing, he was dismissed academically by teachers (05:07).
• Recollected a defining moment when his father read his poor school report and expressed concern for his future, to which Hopkins retorted with newfound defiance:

  "I remember stepping back about a step and I said, one day I'll show you, both of you. ... I must have said it with determination." – Sir Anthony Hopkins (05:35)

The Turnaround

• Within months of this confrontation, Hopkins received a scholarship to the Cardiff College of Music and Drama, despite having never acted before.
• Credits his parents' work ethic and the challenges of his youth for fueling his ambition:

  "It all turned inside out because of the so-called turbulence and turmoil or shortcomings in my life. I turned them into power, I guess, or energy." (07:47)

Personal Struggles and Overcoming Addiction

Battle with Alcoholism

• Openly describes years of alcoholism, anger, and reckless behavior, which pushed away friends and colleagues:

  "My anger, uncontrolled rebelliousness, my relations with the people, I had no friends. They'd leave because I was pretty volatile." (03:21)

• Explains a turning point in 1975, after a particularly destructive period in Los Angeles:

  "Bright morning of 29th of December, 1975, something said ... it's all over now. You can start living. It's all been for a purpose." (03:56, 10:58)

• Discusses advice from Katharine Hepburn and a stern warning from a doctor about the dangers of his lifestyle.

Self-Understanding and Acceptance

• Today, he sees his past struggles as an integral part of his journey, refusing to be a victim:

  "I wouldn't have missed it, but I don't want to ever go back there because I know what it is ... it's a devastating killer." (11:45)

Turning Turmoil into Creative Energy

Channeling Pain Into Art

• Hopkins attributes his success and work ethic to the anger and resentment generated by early life hardship and academic dismissal:

  “I think it gave me a core of anger, resentment, and revenge. I think, one day I'll show you all. ... I turned them into power, I guess, or energy.” (07:47)

• Compensated for academic struggles by learning vast amounts of poetry and Shakespeare by memory (07:37).

Landmark Role: Hannibal Lecter

Preparation and Approach

• Instinctively understood how to play the iconic role, seeing the character as calm and composed rather than manic or overtly menacing:

  "Instead of gibbering in the corner, he's standing in the middle of the cell. ... You draw back. ... The more still you are. And deadly. And don't take your eyes off the person. That's terrifying." (14:33)

• Created the famous “slurping” sound in the “fava beans with a nice Chianti” scene on a whim:

  "That happened at that moment. I just added it for a joke." (16:15)

Exploration of Human Darkness

• Relates Hannibal Lecter and Shakespeare’s Iago, noting everyone carries an internal “monster” or shadow:

  "We all have the devil in us. I know what scares people." (14:17) "We do, because we have to survive. Unless we control it, unless we find ways of, you know, finding ways around it." (16:48)

Reflections on Fame, the Acting Industry, and Aging

Attitude Toward Fame

• Views fame as a fortunate byproduct but refuses to take it seriously:

  "Feel privileged, feel lucky, but then to not take any of it seriously. ... we're all going to die in the end and just enjoy the fundamental day to day things of life." (17:43)

Industry Change and Technology

• On shifts including streaming and AI:

  "It's such a complex world, I can't even begin to comply it. I'm not even that interested ... because I don't get it at all." (19:08)

• Says he wouldn’t mind AI recreating him after death (“I’d be gone, far gone by then.”) (19:05)

Life Lessons and Philosophy

On Happiness and Living Well

• Urges living in the present and rejecting victimhood:

  “Enjoy it now, before it's too late. ... Stop complaining. You don't know anything.” (20:11)

• Admits happiness is possible despite hardship, referencing the peace his late father found in simple pleasures (22:44, 23:01).

Societal Reflections

• Concerned by modern polarization and loss of compromise:

  "If we go on in this way of hatred, nobody's allowed to say anything. ... We are dead. That's fascism. ... Come on, stop beating each other up of ideas. They're only ideas." (20:59)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Turmoil as Energy:

  "It all turned inside out because of the so called turbulence and turmoil or shortcomings in my life. I turned them into power, I guess, or energy." – Hopkins (07:47)

• On Beating Alcoholism:

  "I realized I couldn't beat this rap. ... Something said ... it's all over now. You can start living. It's all been for a purpose." – Hopkins (03:56)

• On Legacy and AI:

  "It will be possible in not very long that Anthony Hopkins ... could carry on acting new roles after you've gone." – Interviewer
  "I'm glad I won't be here ... I have no idea." – Hopkins (19:05)

• On Fame and Humility:

  "I know I'm as vulnerable and as, you know, fragile as everyone else. That's not special." – Hopkins (17:43)

• On Societal Polarization:

  "We are ... so much hatred ... If we go on in this way of hatred ... We are dead. That's fascism." – Hopkins (20:59)

• On Life’s Simplicity:

  “Just enjoy it as much as you can, you know, don't be a victim. Stop whining ... just get on with it. Life is tough.” – Hopkins (20:11)

Segment Timestamps

• Childhood & Academic Dismissal: 04:41–07:14
• Drive to Succeed & Early Acting: 07:14–07:58
• Alcoholism & Turning Point: 03:21–04:35; revisited at 09:22–12:01
• On Hannibal Lecter & Acting Process: 13:54–16:48
• Reflections on Fame & Industry: 17:26–19:08
• AI, Technology, and the Future: 18:31–19:08
• Life Lessons & Social Commentary: 20:00–21:48
• Views on Happiness and Aging: 22:31–24:12

Conclusion

This intimate conversation reveals Sir Anthony Hopkins’ extraordinary journey from bullied, misunderstood child to global icon, marked by resilience and self-examination. Hopkins offers a striking reminder that vulnerability, turmoil, and darkness can be alchemized into power, artistry, and joy. At 87, his wisdom is humble, often wry, always grounded in the real work of living.