Sir Anthony Hopkins, 84, reflects on reaching 47 years of sobriety in new video… after revealing he was on the verge of drinking himself to death
Sir Anthony Hopkins reflected on reaching 47 years of sobriety in an inspiring new video in which he encourages others to “keep fighting” and stay strong.
In his latest Instagram post on Thursday, the 82-year-old Oscar winner shared an inspirational message with his nearly four million Instagram followers.
“I just want to wish you all a Happy New Year and also to say that today I’m celebrating 47 years of sobriety,” the actor told his fans.
Congratulations! Sir Anthony Hopkins reflected on reaching 47 years of sobriety in an inspiring new video in which he encourages others to “keep fighting” and stay strong
He continued, “I’m an alcoholic in recovery, and for you guys out there, you know there are people who are struggling… Be kind to yourself, be proud of your life.”
The Silence of the Lambs star went on to recall that he was in a “desperate situation of despair” and that he “probably” didn’t have “long to live” while he was still caught in the clutches of addiction.
One day in 1975, however, the father of one child said he realized “there was something really wrong with him” but didn’t realize at first “that it was some kind of mental, physical condition called alcoholism…addiction.”
Encouraging: In his latest Instagram post on Thursday, the 82-year-old Oscar winner shared an inspirational message with his nearly four million Instagram followers
“I just want to wish you all a Happy New Year and also to say that today I’m celebrating 47 years of sobriety,” the actor told his fans
His comments section was flooded with congratulatory messages, including notes from Alec Baldwin, Amanda Kloots, Hugh Jackman and more.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who has been sober since 2008 after a long struggle with cocaine and alcohol, hailed the actor as a “shining beacon” and an inspiration for her own “journey of recovery.”
Two years ago, he announced on social media that he had received a “wake-up call” that he was “drinking himself to death” at 37.
Well wishes: His comments section was flooded with congratulatory messages, including notes from Alec Baldwin, Amanda Kloots, Hugh Jackman and more
Cute: Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who has been sober since 2008 after a long battle with cocaine and alcohol, has hailed the actor as a “shining beacon” and an inspiration for her own “journey in recovery.”
“You young people, don’t give up, just keep at it, just keep fighting. Be brave and powerful forces will come to your aid,” he said in a 2020 video.
Hopkins began in British theater in 1960 and had his international breakthrough in 1968 in the historical drama The Lion in Winter, opposite Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn.
A minor hellraiser as a young man, Hopkins has admitted that he was often “drunk” and “hungover” early in his career.
Legendary: Hopkins began in British theater in 1960 and had his international breakthrough in 1968 in the period drama The Lion In Winter, opposite Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn; seen in March 2022
In 1975, however, he made a commitment to sobriety and stayed the course.
In 1992 he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
He has since been nominated for four Academy Awards – for Remains Of the Day, released in 1993; for Nixon, published 1995; for Amistad, published 1997; and for 2019 The Two Popes.
His other credits include Legends Of The Fall, The Mask of Zorro, Shadowlands, Hitchcock, the Thor movies, and HBO’s Westworld.