Podcast Summary – The Interview by The New York Times
Episode: "Anthony Hopkins on Quitting Drinking and Finding God" (October 25, 2025)

Overview

In this rich, introspective episode, David Marchese speaks with the legendary actor Sir Anthony Hopkins about the pivotal moments that shaped his life, his struggles with alcoholism, the role of fate and spirituality, his sense of personal remoteness, and his approach to legacy and art. Anchored by candid recollections from Hopkins’ new autobiography "We Did Okay Kid," the conversation moves fluidly between personal confession, philosophical reflection, and deadpan wit. Hopkins’ voice, simultaneously humble and mischievous, brings wisdom and deep humanity to an episode that explores what it means to create, to endure, and to be alive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A Life-Changing Epiphany: Quitting Drinking and "Hearing God"

[02:18–04:14]

• Hopkins recounts the exact moment he decided to quit drinking: December 29, 1975, at 11:00 a.m., in a state of blackout driving.
• He describes a profound inner voice telling him:

  “Some deep, powerful thought or voice spoke to me from inside and said, ‘It’s all over now. You can start living. It is dissolving for a purpose, so don’t forget one moment of it.’” — Anthony Hopkins [03:13]

• Hopkins frames this moment as an experience of divinity or life force, a consciousness beyond explanation.
• He links his turning point to a sense of something greater at play in his life, which would echo in later conversations about spirituality.

Early Years: Loneliness, Struggle, and Proving Himself

[04:15–08:03]

• Hopkins shares how, as a child, he was considered a poor student, nicknamed “Dennis the Dunce.”
• The humiliation of bad school reports and his father doubting his future became a catalyst for defiance:

  “At that moment, what I decided was to stop playing the game of being stupid and a dummy… you have to say, wake up and live. Act as if it is impossible to fail. And that’s what I did.” — Anthony Hopkins [05:38]

• His path into acting was accidental—he’d never acted before auditioning for an acting school, inspired by seeing Peter O’Toole on stage.
• These accidental opportunities led directly to fame, starting with “The Lion in Winter” via a direct invitation from Peter O’Toole.

Acting: Enjoyment over Deeper Purpose

[12:25–16:21]

• Hopkins rejects the notion of acting as a pursuit for psychological healing or a search for truth:

  “A need would sound rather sad. I just enjoy it. I enjoy the scientific fun of it, of learning a script or learning all the lines… I suppose on a deep psychological level, I’m trying to escape from what I was. I don’t know.” — Anthony Hopkins [12:25]

• He’s skeptical of actors who claim that acting holds deep truth; to Hopkins, it’s entertainment, even when educational.

On Self-Doubt and Creativity

[10:50–12:03]

• He acknowledges the continuing presence of the “dummy” voice from his childhood:

  “But what you do now—(whispers)—so what? I say, shut up. We all have problems. We’ve all got limitations. But I do believe that if you say, ‘Wake up and live, act as if it is impossible’… we actually tap into a power that’s in ourselves…” — Anthony Hopkins [11:00]

• He credits his wife, Stella, with helping him discover new creative outlets in painting and music, reinforcing a lifelong theme of reinvention.

The Role of Remoteness – Personal & Artistic

[25:39–29:12]

• Hopkins discusses his preference for being described as a “cold fish,” but clarifies he’s deeply emotional, just private:

  “I am remote. I am a loner, and I have never been able to shake that… but I'm not a recluse. I have my immediate family, my niece Tara and my lovely wife Stella. And they boss me about… and I'm happy with that.” — Anthony Hopkins [25:39]

• This remoteness, he says, is both a personal trait and a deliberate artistic strategy:

  “I gathered instinctively to develop the other side, which was to pull back, be in the darkness, be in the shade, called remote. And it’s the remote that paid off for me… That’s the more magnetic side.” — Anthony Hopkins [27:34, 28:31]

• This quality informs many of his most iconic roles.

Estrangement and Family

[22:19–24:48]

• The interviewer attempts to discuss the difficult subject of Hopkins’ estrangement from his daughter.
• Hopkins is firm in his boundaries:

  “No, it’s done… I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t want to make any… No. 20 years. The offer was made. But fine. Onwards.” — Anthony Hopkins [24:44, 24:48]

• He reflects on forgiveness and moving forward, refusing to dwell in resentment, and underscores a pragmatic but compassionate acceptance of human imperfection.

Aging, Mortality, and Meaning

[18:50–32:08]

• Hopkins discusses his unlikely longevity, crediting luck and an indefinable life force.
• He remains active, working when interesting projects arise, and maintains a stance of gratitude and humility:

  “My life is a mystery to me. I’m not trying to sound ultra-modest or humble, but I have to confess that I don’t understand how it all happened. The miracle is I look at my hands… I’m still here.” — Anthony Hopkins [17:06]

• On legacy and meaning:

  “I never think about it. When they cover the earth over you. That’s it. We move on.” — Anthony Hopkins [32:23]

• He describes a powerful story of reading at Laurence Olivier’s funeral, using it as a meditation on the finality and mystery of death.

Spiritual Epiphanies: The Nature of God

[30:38–32:08]

• Hopkins describes a spiritual awakening not linked to religious convention:

  “I knew that was a power way beyond my understanding. Not up there in the clouds, but here, in here. So I chose to call it, at that moment, God… And everything is a dream. And it’s goodbye. Before death takes us.” — Anthony Hopkins [30:56]

• His faith is a personal sense of wonder and acceptance, not dogma.

Poetry & Emotional Expression

[37:13–41:08]

• The episode closes with a poetry reading by Hopkins—“West Wind” by John Masefield—connecting back to his childhood experiences with poetry as a source of deep feeling and connection.
• On why he included poems in his autobiography:

  “It’s an expression of my life. I read poems and I get kind of… yeah, I get moved by them. And I don’t know why. I think it’s to do with my age and how poetry digs really deep inside us, beyond our understanding.” — Anthony Hopkins [37:33]

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |---|---|---| | 03:13 | Anthony Hopkins | “Some deep, powerful thought or voice spoke to me from inside and said, ‘It’s all over now. You can start living. It is dissolving for a purpose, so don’t forget one moment of it.’” | | 05:38 | Anthony Hopkins | "Act as if it is impossible to fail. And that’s what I did.” | | 12:25 | Anthony Hopkins | “A need would sound rather sad. I just enjoy [acting]. I enjoy the scientific fun of it, of learning a script… I suppose on a deep psychological level, I’m trying to escape from what I was." | | 17:06 | Anthony Hopkins | "My life is a mystery to me. I’m not trying to sound ultra-modest or humble, but I have to confess that I don’t understand how it all happened." | | 24:44 | Anthony Hopkins | “Please. I want you to. Because I don’t want to hurt her.” (On moving beyond the subject of estrangement with his daughter) | | 27:34 | Anthony Hopkins | “I am remote. I am a loner, and I have never been able to shake that.” | | 28:31 | Anthony Hopkins | “Pull back, be in the darkness, be in the shade… And it’s the remote that paid off for me because I had to change my whole psychology...” | | 30:56 | Anthony Hopkins | “I knew that was a power way beyond my understanding. Not up there in the clouds, but here, in here. So I chose to call it, at that moment, God.” | | 32:23 | Anthony Hopkins | “I never think about [legacy]… when they cover the earth over you. That’s it. We move on.” |

Important Segments with Timestamps

• Epiphany and Sobriety: [02:18–04:14]
• Childhood Struggles, Defiance & Early Acting: [04:15–08:03]
• The Perspective of Life as a ‘Game’: [08:03–10:22]
• Living with Self-Doubt and Finding Creativity: [10:50–12:03]
• The Joy and Science of Acting: [12:25–16:21]
• Reflections on Fame, Mortality, and Meaning: [17:06–21:46]
• Handling Estrangement and Forgiveness: [22:19–24:48]
• On Remoteness & Performance: [25:39–29:12]
• Spiritual Awakening & The Nature of God: [30:38–32:08]
• Legacy and Life’s Meaning: [32:23–34:39]
• Poetry and Emotional Resonance: [37:13–41:08]

Tone and Language

Hopkins comes across with a mix of humility, candor, and humor. He is both introspective and lightly irreverent, easily moving between cosmic perspective and utter practicality. The interviewer, David Marchese, maintains a tone of respectful curiosity, occasionally sharing his own vulnerability, which draws out Hopkins’ compassionate side.

Conclusion

This conversation with Anthony Hopkins is less about celebrity gossip and more about how an extraordinary artist makes sense of a long, improbable life—one shaped by luck, discipline, addiction, loss, love, and moments of mysterious grace. Hopkins’ refusal to romanticize either his craft or his past (or to indulge in self-pity or self-importance) lends the episode a rare philosophical immediacy. For listeners, it offers a poignant meditation on self-invention, surrender, and the strange, fleeting glory of being alive.

Poetry Reading Included:
The episode’s closing is a moving reading of John Masefield’s "West Wind," a poetic note encapsulating nostalgia, belonging, and the enduring pull of home.