Anthony Hopkins opened up about battling alcoholism in his early career days. The actor sat down for a conversation with the Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who congratulated the former on his 50 years of sobriety, as he recalled episodes of when he let alcohol control him. The Hannibal star went on to reveal that he was addicted to the point that it could have taken his life.
Hopkins also reflected on getting help from AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and claimed that it changed his life drastically.
Anthony Hopkins on battling alcoholism
While in an interview with Colbert, Hopkins shared an incident from 1975 that helped him quit drinking. The Father actor said, “I would drink anything I couldn’t chew, and I couldn’t stop. One day I was here in Beverly Hills, driving my car in a blackout. December 27, 1975, and I lost my car.” He further added that his agent was present too, and when asked about the vehicle, his agent revealed that the actor had not lost his car; it was taken to the garage to keep him from driving.
Hopkins continued to say, “I looked up to a eucalyptus tree and said, ‘Someone likes me.’ I knew that I was an alcoholic, and I made a phone call to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), and it changed my life drastically.”
Speaking about his AA sessions, too, Hopkins revealed that he felt relief in knowing that he was not unique. The Meet Joe Black actor recalled his first meeting, where he realized that everyone in the room was like him. He wasn’t different, just afraid. “That laughter, when people were telling their stories because drunks are crazy and dangerous. I never preach it to other people; I never say a word.”
When the talk show host asked Hopkins how else AA helped, the actor claimed that he is 88, and if he had continued with alcoholism, he would have been dead years ago. He said, “I have evidence right now. I am 88 years of age, and I should have been dead years ago. Seriously dead. A lot of my contemporaries, they didn’t stop; they died.”
Also read: Michael Madsen’s death draws attention to heart disease risks: Can alcoholism cause heart failure?
Anthony Hopkins on living again
Elsewhere, while reflecting on his journey from alcoholism to sobriety, Hopkins revealed to The Guardian that following the AA sessions, “I got out on the street, 11 am, 29 December 1975, and everything looked different. Everything seemed sunnier; everything seemed more … benign. No threat in the air.”
The actor went on to shift his focus to working and the cinema. Hopkins shared with the media portal that he did not want to be standing around holding a spear for the rest of his life. He also shared that after the 1975 incident, he never craved for a drink. He added, “We all have that power within us, and we choose our lives and navigate through that kind of … inspiration, I suppose it is.” Meanwhile, his memoir, We Did OK, Kid, will hit the bookshelves on November 4.
FAQs
Q1. How old is Anthony Hopkins?
Anthony Hopkins is 88 years old.
Q2. Is Anthony Hopkins married?
Yes, Anthony Hopkins is married to Stella Arroyave.
Q3. What is the title of Anthony Hopkins’ memoir?
Anthony Hopkins’ memoir is titled We did OK, kid.
