Sir Anthony Hopkins | You Can't Handle The Truce

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: Sir Anthony Hopkins | You Can't Handle The Truce
Date: October 31, 2025

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Overview

This episode features an in-depth and engaging interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins, one of the most revered actors of his generation. Colbert and Hopkins discuss Hopkins’ new memoir, his early life and career, iconic roles (notably Hannibal Lecter), personal demons, his path to sobriety, artistic insights, and thoughts on mortality. The conversation is peppered with warmth, humor, and philosophical musings befitting two masters of their respective crafts.

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Main Themes and Purpose

• Exploration of Anthony Hopkins' Life, Career, and Art: Hopkins delves into his personal and professional journey, offering candid reflections on acting, family, and overcoming adversity.
• Discussion of New Memoir: The episode promotes Hopkins’ new memoir, “We Did Okay, Pig,” with stories from his upbringing to his acting legacy.
• Navigating Fame, Addiction, and Aging: Hopkins opens up about his struggles, triumphs, and wisdom accumulated over an extraordinary 88 years.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Audience, The Monologue, and Setting the Stage

[01:06–11:54]

• Stephen Colbert jokes about enduring fans waiting in torrential NYC rain, sets a playful tone for the show.
• Topical humor around Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, viral internet trends like “6, 7,” and cultural commentary.
• Anthony joins in with quick-witted interjections (“Da, da, da, da, da. Of course." [05:21]) showing off his dry, British humor.
• Memorable segment on the new “Word of the Year”—67—lampoons generational gaps and viral trends:

  “On a scale of 1 to 5, how dumb does Stephen feel explaining this? 6, 7.”
  (Stephen Colbert, 08:10)

2. Anthony Hopkins: Early Life and Inspiration

[12:08–19:15]

• Colbert welcomes “one of the greatest artists of all time.”
• Hopkins reflects on his challenging childhood, lackluster school years, and familial expectations:

  “As a boy, I was not too bright in school. I was hopeless…Couldn’t add up two or two.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 14:12)

• Describes “dumb insolence,” an early coping mechanism where he refused to react to bullies:

  “I learned the trick to be defiant, to stare them out. It’s called dumb insolence. I will not respond.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 14:50)

• Turning point after a dismal school report when his mother and father express both disappointment and hope, leading to his first acting role at the YMCA:

  “One day, I will show you. I’ll show both of you.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 15:18)

3. Parental Influence and Need to Prove Oneself

[18:03–18:59]

• Touching story about gaining his father’s acceptance through acting.
• The need to prove himself fades after his father’s death:

  “My need to prove myself simply vanished with that when he died.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 18:50)

4. Acting as Defense and Identity Formation

[18:59–19:15]

• “Insolent dumb” becomes his first ever “role.”
• Light banter:

  “Did you ever consider pretending to be smart? Because that’s worked for me.”
  (Stephen Colbert, 19:05)
  “I’ve been pretending to be smart all my life.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 19:09)

5. Theatre Training and Finding the Devil Within

[20:09–21:02]

• Success at RADA, first experiencing the thrill of embodying “a diabolical villain”—Iago in Othello.
• “There’s an instinct I had about playing the devil because he is the devil. In modern terms, I’d be a psychopath.” (Anthony Hopkins, 20:43)

6. Silence of the Lambs: Genesis of Hannibal Lecter

[21:02–24:10]

• Initial impression of the script: “I thought, this is a children’s story. He said, no…read it.”
  (21:07)
• Inspired by “Hal 9000” from 2001: A Space Odyssey:

  “Because he’s a machine...a killer machine. Open the pod bay doors, Hal.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 22:15)

• Explains how his own childhood detachment and defense mechanisms built the foundation for Lecter’s chilling composure:

  “By not reacting, you have power now…I understood Lecter. Never give an inch, like Hal…the nightmare machine.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 23:18–24:07)

7. Iconic “Fava Beans” Scene & The Power of Performance

[24:21–25:29]

• Hopkins describes how the “fava beans” line became terrifying, drawing from childhood memories of Dracula and improvising the now-famous slurp:

  “I didn’t plan it…But I knew that it would scare people because we are all primitive.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 25:17)

• Colbert challenges Hopkins to read famous movie lines in Lecter’s voice—Hopkins delivers a chilling “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
  (26:08)

8. Stage Career and Guidance from Legends

[26:46–30:15]

• Auditioning for and working with Laurence Olivier—a story about boldness and mentorship.
• Katharine Hepburn’s advice on camera acting:

  “Don’t act. Just say, still, speak the lines…The camera will do it for you. You let the camera take you into it.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 29:15–29:45)

9. Sobriety and the AA Journey

[31:40–33:43]

• Approaching 50 years of sobriety; recounts hitting bottom in 1975:

  “And I said, I’m an alcoholic and I need help…And it changed my life drastically.”

• Community and belonging through AA:

  “The great ego buster was knowing that I was not alone, that I was not different…everyone in the room…drunks are crazy and dangerous.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 33:02)

10. Aging, Regret, and Artistic Process

[34:28–35:18]

• On aging and approach to craft:

  “I have more enjoyment than ever now…I work diligently in a crazy way…simply because I enjoy it and it keeps my brain active.”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 34:46)

• No regrets, but admits he would have liked to play Hamlet; acknowledges a “wonderful life.”
  (35:18)

11. Reflections on Mortality & Legacy

[35:33–38:35]

• Reads excerpts from T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.”
• On death and aging:

  “We’re not going anywhere. There is no escape. We’re all going to die eventually…It’s all a dream within a dream. I’m not scared of it. I have no fear, I’m too old to be frightened. Because one day I will learn the big secret. And that’s it…My father used to say, if somebody died, ‘Oh, well, he’s learned the big secret, hasn’t he?’”
  (Anthony Hopkins, 37:15–38:35)

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Memorable Quotes

• On Overcoming Insecurity:
  “I look at my life with a sense of humility because I can’t honestly take credit for any of it…It just happened.” (Anthony Hopkins, 13:44)
• On the Power of Stillness:
  “There’s an instinct I had about playing the devil…It’s the trick of knowing what frightens people.” (Anthony Hopkins, 20:43–22:49)
• On AA and Belonging:
  “The great ego buster was knowing that I was not alone, that I was not different, that I was not unique; I was just a frail human being.” (33:02)
• On Death and Freedom:
  “I am too old to be scared. I’m too old to be frightened. Because one day I will learn the big secret. And that’s it.” (38:28)

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Notable Moments & Timestamps

• Audience Endures “Biblical” Rain in NYC [01:06]
• South “Kar duh duh duh duh” – Political Satire [02:48]
• Viral “6, 7” Trend Explained [07:50–09:48]
• Hopkins Recalls His First Acting Role [16:28]
• Hopkins Describes “Dumb Insolence” [14:50]
• Silent Power Behind Lecter – Inspired by Hal 9000 [22:10]
• Fava Beans Scene Reminisced and Recreated [24:21–25:16]
• Katharine Hepburn’s Advice on Camera Work [29:15]
• Sobriety and AA Community Reflections [31:40–33:43]
• Hopkins Reads Prufrock, Discusses Death [35:48–38:35]

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Tone and Language

The episode balanced Colbert’s signature wit and nimble pacing with Hopkins’ gentle introspection and self-effacing humor. The conversation veered easily from playful exchanges (“I’ve been pretending to be smart all my life” – Hopkins) to deep and existential musings on legacy, vulnerability, and mortality.

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Summary

This Late Show Pod Show episode delivers a rewarding mix of laughter, wisdom, and raw honesty. Hopkins’ humility and candor pervade the conversation, making it a moving account of self-discovery, creativity, and acceptance. The chemistry between Colbert and Hopkins offers warmth and intelligence, and the episode serves as an inspiring reflection on art, aging, and what it means to “do okay” in life.

Transcript

[Anthony Hopkins]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Anthony Hopkins]

Experian.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know what?

[Anthony Hopkins]

You know what?

[Stephen Colbert]

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Welcome one and all, down here and up there and out there to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert, and I just. I gotta tell you, I cannot believe the response I just got coming out here, because I want to start tonight by saluting this audience who endured rainfall on a biblical scale while waiting online in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater this evening. It was coming down so hard in New York today that I saw an old man building an ark out of old pizza boxes and then gathering two of every rat. But these people endured it. Thank you.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen.

[Stephen Colbert]

The greatest artist of all time.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Of all time.

[Stephen Colbert]

Speaking of punishments from God, Donald Trump is back in America. He's. He's backed. After going door to door collecting treats in Asia, he gave us an update on his crucial diplomatic mission last night when he went online and posted South Carardood. Uh oh, I spy a cognitive. When it comes to his brain, things are clearly going south.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Carol. Duh duh duh duh.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, were I generous? Hello, lovely people, lovely people. Now, were I to be generous here, I would guess that when he typed South Ka, R, D, D, D, D, he was possibly trying to write South Korea, spelling it with a C and an A and an er. D, D, D, D. But he can never be wrong. So get ready for new world maps featuring South Kar duh duh duh. North Car, the Fallopians, and of course, Japanorama. Ding dong Japan.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Down in Bermuda.

[Stephen Colbert]

Last leg of Trump's tour was in Korea, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to negotiate tariffs. Watch how thirsty Trump seems while Xi plays at dictator Kuhl.

[Anthony Hopkins]

We're going to have a very successful meeting. I have no doubt. He's a very tough negotiator. That's not good.

[Stephen Colbert]

We know each other well. Yeah, I'm not confident we're going to win this one. He's a very tough negotiator. We know each other very well. That's why he doesn't have to say anything while I'm talking. We're just so comfortable with silence, aren't we, buddy?

[Anthony Hopkins]

There you are.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's how you know you're close. Okay, first offer. No more tariffs. Still quiet. Okay, you want Hawaii, you can have it. Call it pineapple China. Whatever you want. Let you go that way now. So what did the two big men hammer out? Well, Trump gave Xi a reduction in tariffs, and he delayed controls on Chinese firms buying American technology. In exchange, Xi agreed to hold off on restricting exports of rare earth minerals and and to return soybean purchases to regular levels, which largely restored the pre tariff status quo. So, after dragging United States retailers, manufacturers, farmers, and consumers over an economic cheese grater for the last nine months, claiming he was going to get big concessions from China, at best, Trump was going to get the same deal we had to begin with before the tariffs. Now, I know that sounds like madness, but it is strategy, and it's all outlined in Trump's bestseller, the Art of the Currer.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Da, da, da, da, da. Of course.

[Stephen Colbert]

Got there, you got there, you got there.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Long walk.

[Stephen Colbert]

It was worth it. Of course, Trump is telling everyone he won the negotiations big time, according to the sounds that came out of his word hole.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Overall, I guess, on the scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12. I think it was a 12.

[Stephen Colbert]

Trump must have been insufferable as a teenager. Oh, how was my date last night? Let's just say we got to 14th base. That's over the bra under the hat. I even got to touch her secret second butt. They hide that one right between the shoulder blades. That's why the bra class back there. Trump's not the only one. Jet setting. So is FBI Director Kash Patel, who allegedly used the FBI's private jet to go on a date. That is a stunning ethical violation. No one, but no one, should date Cash Patel specifically.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. Finish him strong. Specifically, Patel appears to have taken the agency's plane to meet his girlfriend at Penn State to Watch a wrestling match. Part of a new unscripted wrestling league founded by Hulk Hogan. Now, that does not sound like the most romantic date, but you can't blame Cash Patel. He's been diagnosed with a severe case of adult onset Hulkamania. And sadly, there's no cure, brother. There's no right. There's no cure. Now the girlfriend in question is conservative influencer Alexis Wilkins. In case you're wondering, Patel is 45 years old and his girlfriend is 26. I am really surprised she would date someone 19 years older than her. But not as surprised as he appears to be now. Appears to be. Appears to be. That's a good end there, right there. Now, there are many signs that America has hit a bit of a rough patch. But we may have hit rock bottom this week because Dictionary.com has picked 6, 7 as the 2025 Word of the year.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Mm.

[Stephen Colbert]

Mm. New word of the year has to be a word, not numbers. Okay, this. Some things can't be numbers. This is worse than when Playboy announced their playmate of the year was eight. Hold on, Yvonne. This is cbs. We can't show that. Thank you. Now for the unaware. For the uninitiated, 67 is a viral trend where if anyone says the number six or the number seven or if there's any reason to talk about numbers at all, every young person within earshot goes, 6, 7. As in, what time do you get off work? 6 7. Or how many cookies did you eat? 6 7. On a scale of 1 to 5, how dumb does Stephen feel explaining this? 6, 7. Part of what's so are they talking to? Is that an echo? Part of what's so bewildering about it is that in spite of its popularity, Six7 doesn't have a concrete meaning, unlike words that adult use like south car.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Da da da da da.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, if you're.

[Anthony Hopkins]

So.

[Stephen Colbert]

If you're still confused about this, I'm about to give you some information that just might not help. Apparently the trend comes from a 2024 song by the rapper Skrilla, doot doot. In which he raps six, seven, I just bipped right on the highway. But even Mr. Scrilla says that quote, I never put an actual meaning on it and I still would not want to. Ah, so it's more of an abstract thing. It reminds me of my favorite Picasso quote, art is a lie. Doot doot. Six' seven, I just bimped right on the highway. Now, school.

[Anthony Hopkins]

I don't know.

[Stephen Colbert]

I like it. Okay, seems fine. Six, seven, school teachers have it especially tough with six' seven, because kids will take any excuse to scream it. Which might be why one teacher sent Dictionary.com a plea that simply read, do not make 67 word of the year. Don't worry, teachers. If anything will kill this trend, it's me mentioning it here on cbs.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Where, where.

[Stephen Colbert]

Where? And this is true. The median age of our viewers is six, seven. Oh, we've got a dramatic royal across the pond. You remember Prince Andrew, the guy who used to hang out with Jeffrey Epstein, who's not Donald Trump? Well, for years, the randy royal tried to put his Palm beach party days behind him. But recently, an email emerged from 2011, long after Epstein was convicted as a sex offender, in which Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein, we are in this together, and expressed a wish to play some more soon. You know what? Maybe men shouldn't have friends. Well, that apparently was the royal straw that broke the peasant's back, because we just learned that England's Prince Andrew is going to be stripped of his royal title.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's understandable.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's easy. Okay, That's. But before you strip him of his title, just make sure he's got something on underneath it. With the royal title gone, from here on out, the prince will be known merely as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Of course, to many, he'll always be known as the pervert formerly known as Prince. We got a great show for you tonight. My guest is Sir Anthony Hopkins.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Stick around, folks.

[Stephen Colbert]

Few actors have loomed as large over the past 50 years as Sir Anthony Hopkins. Born in Wales in 1937, Hopkins is quite possibly the only actor to have shared the screen with Katharine Hepburn, Brad Pitt, and Optimus Prime. He has won two Oscars for his iconic portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in 1991's The Science of the Lambs, and more recently in 2020 for his brilliant performance in the Father. Off screen Hopkins. I agree. Off screen, Hopkins has been married to his wife Stella for over 20 years and enjoys spending his free time playing piano. It was just one of the many aspects of his life that he was generous enough to share with me when we sat down in Los Angeles to discuss his new memoir. I'm here with Anthony Hopkins. Before we begin, for the people out there who don't know you were knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1993, what are the rules? How should I address you? Is it sir Tony, Tony or Tony Tony.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah. Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Tony.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Good. Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you have any questions about how you should address me?

[Anthony Hopkins]

So.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, you don't have to do that. You Just call me Steve.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah, I know.

[Stephen Colbert]

All the knights call me Steve. You've written a fantastic new memoir.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

We did okay, kid. Why did it take you so long to write this book?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Well, Stella May, she said you could write this book.

[Stephen Colbert]

She made this.

[Anthony Hopkins]

I said, I don't want to write a book. Who wants to talk about acting? Not that I'm dismissive about acting, but I don't want to write a book about it. You know, what I did. And she just do it. Sit down and write it. I didn't know where to. So I started, you know, my childhood and about the loneliness, but never about being a victim or anything, but about trying to come to terms with what made me what I am today. And I look at my life with a sense of humility because I can't honestly take credit for any of it. You know, it just happened.

[Stephen Colbert]

What's the significance of that title?

[Anthony Hopkins]

That's the crux of it, really. There's a photograph of me with my father and several photographs of me as a boy. And as a boy, I was not too bright in school. I was hopeless. Hadn't a clue about anything. Couldn't add up two or two. And my parents were naturally worried because I was backward, as they say. They didn't know what to do with me. My father was very loving, and they worked very hard to get me going. But I never felt in place. I never felt socially viable as I was growing up. Even as a teen and later on in life, even after I started to work as an actor, I always felt the odd one out. And I thought, what is the matter with me? Is it me? But I learned the trick to be defiant, to stare them out. It's called dumb insolence. Now, this is very early in my life that I will not respond. And I knew somehow as a child that it would drive them nuts.

[Stephen Colbert]

How old are you talking?

[Anthony Hopkins]

I was about 7.

[Stephen Colbert]

So that young, you're saying to yourself.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Something clicked me, don't respond. They bullied me, don't respond. So I gathered that as a role to play in my life. And it was useful, but also a detriment to me because I became isolated. What happened was a significant moment in my life, was I was the age of 17. I was in school, my last term in school, 1955. My school report had arrived, Easter 1955. And they opened it. My father, he said, I don't know what's going to happen to you. I don't know. You're hopeless. My mother said, oh, leave him alone. I Took a step back and I said, one day, I will show you. I'll show both of you. My father looked at me and said, well, I hope you do. He tore up the report, threw it in the fireplace. My mother said, I'm sure he will. This is the weirdest thing. Within a few months, I got a scholarship to an acting school. I couldn't act. I did an audition and they gave me a scholarship. To this day, I'm mystified.

[Stephen Colbert]

What made you go audition? What was the catalyst to have that happen, Tim?

[Anthony Hopkins]

What happened, to be precise, that night. And I said to my father, I'll show you. We were going to the cinema. So we walked up the road to the Plaza Cinema. That night when I said I'd show you, and something had shifted in me, I thought it was like a voice said, you don't belong here. Fasten your seat belt. Something deep inside me thought something had changed. And we were walking past the ymca. There was an advert for this Easter play. Next day, my father said, I want you to join the ymca. He got hold of a neighbor next door, Jack Edwards, at the groceries. Take him to the ymca, for God's sake. Get him out of the house. He's no friends, you know. Do something. Meet somebody. So I went there, and I was so bored, and so I wandered down the hall and they're doing the Cease to play. A man came up to me. Cyril Jenkins is who you? I said, can I watch? He said, yeah. What's your name? I said, anthony Hopkins. Oh, you Dick Hopkins as boy? I said, yeah. Do you want to part? He said, ask your mother to give you a blanket. Play a saint, one of the saints. But I had this blanket, and I had one line. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. It was about the birth and nativity. And sir, also, that's very good, Very good. Good voice. And I think the seed was planted.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, someone said you were good at something.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah. And my mother, actually, they came to see the play and they were very proud of me. And I remember my father said, very good here. You'll end up like Richard Burton.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm curious if that sense of having to prove yourself went away after your parents had passed.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah. Yes. I think when my father died, he died of heart disease. He was 73. Was not a great age today. And I got very close to him toward the end. Oh, yeah. And I take him out in the car, we walk on the beach, and he'd ask me, he would say to me, he said, can you do that? Speech for me again. Which one? That Hamlet to be or not be or whatever. He said, how on earth did you learn all that? He said, because in school you were hopeless. I said, no. He said, I don't understand. Can you do it again? I do wrong speeches for him. So my need to prove myself simply vanished with that when he died.

[Stephen Colbert]

I want to ask one more question about this playing dumb that you did. Was that the first role that you played?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah. Play insolent dumb. Insolence, Stillness. Never give in.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you ever consider pretending to be smart? Because that's worked for me.

[Anthony Hopkins]

I'd be pretending to be smart all my life.

[Stephen Colbert]

When we return, Hopkins explains which iconic film characters inspired Hannibal Lecter. We'll be right back.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Hi, I'm Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board certified OB GYN and menopause specialist. My new podcast, Unpaused, is the place for bold, unfiltered conversations about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Every week, I sit down with medical experts, cultural icons, and powerhouse women to talk about what really matters. Your health, your power, and your future, recovering hormones, identity, finances, relationships, and so much more. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Listen to and follow unpaused with me, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, everybody. And now we return to my legendary interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins. After some encouragement, you end up at RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, in 1961. One of your two audition pieces you chose was to do Iago from Othello. In the book, you say it was through this process that you learned that quote on that stage. For the first time in my life, I suddenly knew how to play a diabolical villain. Can you explain how that thinking went?

[Anthony Hopkins]

There's an instinct I had about playing the devil because he is the devil. I'm possessed of the devil. In modern terms, I'd be a psychopath.

[Stephen Colbert]

So we know you can play a villain. Hannibal Lecter, of course. An iconic role. Let's talk Silence of the Lambs for a moment here. What was your first impression of the script?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Excellent. I started reading and my agent sent it over. I was in the. In the play in West End, and he says it's part of Hannibal Lecter, Silence the Lambs. I thought, this is a children's story. He said, no, this is not a big part, but read it. Jodie Foster. Yeah. Okay, good. I started reading it, and I got to Lecter's lands. That first scene, I phoned him up and I said, is This a deal? Is this an offer? He said, I'm not sure yet. I said, no, I don't want to read any more. And I said, it's a part of a lifetime. I want to play this. It's only a small part. He phoned me back about 5 o'. Clock. He said, jonathan Demme is coming over tomorrow to see you. The director. Would you have dinner with him? I said, yeah. He's coming from New York, so it's an office. He said, yeah. So I met Jonathan. We had dinner. He said, you know how to play? I said, yeah, I know exactly how to play it. Okay. And that's how he started.

[Stephen Colbert]

I understand that the part of Lecter, your performance was inspired by another iconic film character. Would you mind telling the audience who that was?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Hal, the computer in 2001.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why Hal?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Because he's a machine. Open the pod bay doors, Hal. I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that. It's the mechanical sound of his voice. Hello, Clarice. He's inhuman. He's a machine. A killer machine. And you're not real FBI, are you? All the way to the FBI.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, when you drop into that, everyone wants to leave the room as quickly as possible.

[Anthony Hopkins]

But it's the trick of the knowing what. What frightens people. What does scare us all?

[Stephen Colbert]

What does.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Well, we've got so much inside us, demons that we don't even know about. And something can trigger them. Just that little bit of all the way to the FBI. They know that Lecton knows Clarice better than anyone. They can't deal with him. And I think from my childhood that closed off part of myself. You will never get me. Stayed with me all my life. By not reacting, you have power now. I don't play those games. I'm quite friendly. But it stayed with me most of my life. So I understood I'm only discovering this now as I'm talking to you. That's how I understood Lecter. Never give an inch. Like Carl, the computer. And you know that you're in the presence of a nightmare, a living nightmare machine. And that's what Hannibal act is when she comes down the curtain. Because Jonathan Denby said, how do you want to be seen? When she comes down the curtain to see you in the cell, do you want to be sitting on the bunk hall? I said, I was standing in the middle of the cell. I said, yeah, I can smell her. And John said, you're weird.

[Stephen Colbert]

One of the most iconic moments, of course, in, in. In the Movie is. Is this moment. May I play it for you right now? May it play you a moment. Hannibal Lecter.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah. A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. There's a lot to unpack there.

[Anthony Hopkins]

When I used to. When I was a little boy, I'd seen Dracula, Bela Lugosi, and I'd probably read some of that. When he sees Jonathan Harker shaving. Yes. And he cuts himself. And Bella Lagos goes. And I remember saying, these little girls, knowledge. Let's buy and do that. And they all run, scream for me. But at that moment, I ate his liver. I didn't plan it. I ate his liver with some fava beans and nice candy. And I thought. And. John, my God.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you know the reference or was it all.

[Anthony Hopkins]

No, I didn't say explain. But I knew that it would scare people because we are all primitive. We are just under the surface of our civilization. We are very primitive, full of fears.

[Stephen Colbert]

And we fear the wolf that we've never seen.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah. We're scared of the shadows in the dark. But we all pretend to be. Everything's fine. Yes. And. But it's not.

[Stephen Colbert]

With that little. At the end, I believe you could make any line sound terrifying. Would you be willing to read a famous line from cinema and add the. At the end.

[Anthony Hopkins]

What's that?

[Stephen Colbert]

Any one of these three, or all three, if you could.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

[Stephen Colbert]

Would you mind? The last one. Read the last one.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Who's this? Bette Davis?

[Stephen Colbert]

It's from Dirty Dancing.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

[Stephen Colbert]

When we come back, Tony and I hit the dance floor. Ladies and gentlemen, more of my Academy Award winning interviewee, Anthony Hopkins. A lot of theater after graduation. You auditioned successfully for Laurence Olivier at the National Theater.

[Anthony Hopkins]

I played Othello for him. And he was doing Othello himself.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right. Which it was considered like the definitive performance. Like everyone was raving about his Othello. That takes some guts. Yes. Or some other part of the body.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Waiting. Then went to the rehearsal room and there was the man. He looked like a bank president. Three piece suit, thinning hair. Lawrence, Olivia. And I'd seen him the night before in Othello. He sallied your bob. What is your name? I said, so what you gonna do for us? I said, othello. Othello. You've got a bloody nerve, haven't you?

[Stephen Colbert]

But when you planned to do Othello, did you know you'd be doing it for Olivia?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Oh, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, wow.

[Anthony Hopkins]

You've got to be audacious. So I did the first piece. Good. So let's see your Shakespeare. I'm very nervous in case you battled me. So I started the. It is the course. It is the course. And afterwards he said, very, very good. I don't think I will lose too much sleep tonight, but you're a very good boy. And he took an interest in me because I had the gore to do it, and he liked gore. And I became friends of his, although he's a much older man. But he took an interest in me, he said, because I was physically strong. I was a bruiser, you know, Welsh boy. And he said, your strength is your power. He said, always stay fit. And it's remarkable because I look at my life now and I think, I don't know how the hell I got here. I still don't understand it. I was doing, you know, Three Sisters, Olivia's Three Sisters, splaying Andre and that had good reviews and all that.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is on the West End?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Yeah, in the National Theatre. And I was in the dressing room getting ready to go to the pub next door. Knock on the door, there's Peter o'. Toole. He said, hello, how are you? He'd had quite a few to drink. I said, let's go and have a drink. He said, I want you to do a film test for me on Saturday morning. A film test. I see you kidding you space artur. A film test with K3. Hepburn called lion in Winter, the vine in Winter. I think he was crazy. And we did the film test. No tools off the camera. And he read the lines of Hepburn. And I then said to do an improvisation. And he got up and said, you got the part.

[Stephen Colbert]

I understand that you got some camera acting advice from Katharine Hepburn on set.

[Anthony Hopkins]

We had a scene together. It was my first scene with her. She come here. He said, that thing, that's the camera. That's your bread and butter machine. I said, don't act. You don't need to act. You've got shoulders on you got a good voice. Don't act. Don't listen to me because I overact. She said, watch Spencer Tracy and Bogart. They never acted either one. She said, don't act. Just say, still, speak the lines. You don't need to push it. She said one thing. The camera will do it for you. You let the camera take you into it. Don't you go to it. Bogart said, you know, acting is six feet behind the eyes. And Spencer traces with the same. And they were Great actors, great movie star actors. But she was. That was the best advice that had ever been given. She said, don't act. You don't need to. You've got a good head, good shoulders. Just be. Don't turn your back to the camera. She'll do that. I'll steal the whole scene from you. I'll probably do that anyway.

[Stephen Colbert]

During COVID you became Internet famous for playing the piano. And people love your dance moves on the Internet. If you could teach me one of your dances, I'd be very grateful.

[Anthony Hopkins]

I don't have a clue about dancing.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, we'll draw a little music. Dance me through the painting til I'm gambled safely. When we return, Anthony Hopkins shares which roles he wishes he could have played. Someday, your grandchildren will ask you. When you watched the dramatic conclusion of my interview with Anthony Hopkins, you were right there for much of your early life. As you're beginning to ascend in your career, you were also developing a pretty serious drinking enthusiasm. And this December will mark 50 years of sobriety for you, which is an incredible milestone. What would you want to say to someone who might be inspired by your experience?

[Anthony Hopkins]

If they're drinking themselves. Yes. Be careful and get help. Because the illusion in those days to drink help, because everyone did. Actors drank. And this is before drugs. I mean, everyone drank. Exactly.

[Stephen Colbert]

Everyone had their stories about it.

[Anthony Hopkins]

And it's useful because it makes you feel good and you feel that you can belong. And if you're socially incapable, it makes you feel good and it's fine. You have some fun. Yeah. And then it becomes a kind of egotistic. Yeah. Well, rip roaring. Richard Harris says, yeah, drink up. We're rebels. Wonderful. But death waits you very quickly. It can rip you apart. And that's what happened to me. And I was drinking and I mean, I'd drink anything. I couldn't chew, but. And I couldn't stop. And then one day I was here in Beverly Hills and driving my car in a blackout. December 27, 1975. And I lost my car. And my agent was there at the time and he said, no, you didn't lose your car. We took it from you, took it back to your garage and took it to the party to keep you off the streets. And I said, I'm an alcoholic and I need help. I looked up the eucalyptus, she said. I said, somebody up there likes me. And made a phone call to aa and it changed my life drastically. I look back and I can't believe 50 years. And I went to my first meeting and I realized that everyone in that room was like me. And the great ego buster was knowing that I was not alone, that I was not different, that I was not unique, I was just a frail human being. And that everyone in the room. What I love is the laughter, you know, the fun that people are telling their stories because drunks are crazy and dangerous. But I always say to. I never preach, I never say do this, do that. I've worked with people and I know they're drinking and I know they're alcoholics. By saying not a word.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm curious in what other ways, other than not drinking, the community of AA has changed your life or how it informs your worldview?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Well, I've got evidence Right now, I'm 88 years of age. I should have been dead years ago. I was seriously dead. And a lot of my contemporaries, they died. But I've got the evidence that I'm still alive and I don't know how. And I feel fit and strong and I've had my bad moments of depression, all that, but there was now I look at it now, thinking, just get on with life. Just enjoy the moment by moment business of it. That's all. Just enjoy it.

[Stephen Colbert]

You won another Oscar for your extraordinary performance, which we've talked about in 2020's the Father at age 83, making you the record holder for the oldest actor to ever receive the award. And I'm curious, how do you think aging has changed how you approach acting, if at all?

[Anthony Hopkins]

I have more enjoyment than ever now and then, still often work, but I still apply the same principles. I work diligently in a crazy way. I'm going to go over it and over and over simply because I enjoy it and it keeps my brain active, keeps the neurons working and because I just enjoy the process. I mean, I live for it, I love it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Any part that you wish you could have played, that you hadn't played, that, perhaps you're too old for now. How about Romeo? Oh, no. A lot of climbing and kissing. That's awfully nice.

[Anthony Hopkins]

No, no, I'm not a romantic actor. No. I would have liked to have done Hamlet, but I'm too old for that now. But I don't really have regrets. I've had such a wonderful life, such a wonderful time.

[Stephen Colbert]

You have a love of poetry. You even close your book with some of your favorite poems. For me, the poems that I return to all the time are Prufrock. Yes, the Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock, which I know you have an excerpt from in here. Would I be Able to ask you to read just a little bit of Prufrock for us.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Sure. Let us go then, you and I. When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient he thriced upon a table. Let us go through certain half deserted streets the muttering, muttering retreats of restless nights. And one night, cheap hotels.

[Stephen Colbert]

Would you mind reading the end there?

[Anthony Hopkins]

I grow old. I grow old. I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers and walk upon the beach. I've heard the mermaid singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me. I've seen them riding seaward on the waves Combing the white hair of the waves Blown back when the wind blows the water white and black. We have lingered in the chambers of the sea by sea girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown. Till human voices wake us and we drunk. Ah, right there.

[Stephen Colbert]

There are several poems in here.

[Anthony Hopkins]

They're beautiful, aren't they?

[Stephen Colbert]

There are several poems in here. They're all beautiful. Several of them are about death. I'm curious, at 88, how much does that occupy your mind?

[Anthony Hopkins]

Well, in a strange way it does and it doesn't. I mean, my wife and I, Stella and I have made plans, you know, and she's younger than me and I. She laughs at me. She says, you're going to live until you're 100. I hope she's right. But I do think, well, next year, who knows? The year after that. I don't know. But now I have an attitude. We're not going anywhere. There is no escape. We're all going to die eventually, aren't we? And now my thing is birds. This effect. Screw it. Who cares? Nobody really cares. We all think we do. But it's all a dream within a dream. So I'm happy with that now. I'm not scared of it. I have no fear. I'm too old to be frightened. And that's the great freedom. I am too old to be scared. I'm too old to be frightened. Because one day I will learn the big secret. And that's it. My father used to say, if somebody died. Oh, well, he's learned the big secret, hasn't he?

[Stephen Colbert]

Tony, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me about your books and your life and your art.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Oh, thank you so much. It's a pleasure.

[Stephen Colbert]

The book is we did okay Pig, and It's coming out November 4th. The man is Tony Hopkins.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Thank you so much.

[Stephen Colbert]

Thank you for listening to the Late show pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. The secret's out.

[Anthony Hopkins]

May I speak freely? I prefer English.

[Stephen Colbert]

The Naked Guy is now streaming on Paramount. Plus I've seen it a hundred times. It's a return to comedic glory.

[Anthony Hopkins]

A little lower. A return to comedic glory.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's awesome. The naked GodFit of PG13 now streaming on Paramount. Plus Sunday count on an NFL on CBS doubleheader in the early window. Daniel Jones and the Colts face Aaron Rodgers Steelers. Then a game that always brings the.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Drama is back for an encore when.

[Stephen Colbert]

Mahomes and the Chiefs take on Allen.

[Anthony Hopkins]

And the Bill kiss him goodbye. Touchdown.

[Stephen Colbert]

Our coverage begins at noon eastern with the NFL today live in Buffalo.

[Anthony Hopkins]

Count on Sundays with the NFL on.

[Stephen Colbert]

CBS and streaming on Paramount. Plus.