Sir Anthony Hopkins is one of the acting greats, working with the best directors of his time from Laurence Olivier to Woody Allen, who directed his latest film, “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.” Just don’t ask him about Hannibal Lecter: “I’ve said all there is to say about him,” Hopkins told TheWrap. And no, he will never play him again.
Here, Hopkins talks about drinking with Peter O’Toole, arguing with David Lynch, getting old, falling out with friends and playing cards with Bill Clinton.
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This is your first time working with Woody Allen …
He was communicative, friendly, constructive in any suggestions. But what I liked about it is that there’s no fuss, there’s no big deal. He does his setups from the rehearsal in the morning and keeps it very simple. There’s no fancy shooting. I like that.
You’ve worked with legendary directors. What do the best have in common?
They’re the boss, they’re the guvner, they’re the ones who are driving the ship, they’re the ones who are driving the bus. So I take them at their word. Sometimes you get an inexperienced director who’s arrogant and starts pushing you around. He’ll say, “I want you to do it this way.” And I’ll say, “No.” Someone who micromanages you and does take after take, I’ll say, “No, I’m sorry. I can’t do anymore. That’s it.”
Is that right? You just put your foot down.
Oh, yeah, I’m not going to do 15 takes for anyone. But a really good director like Branagh or Woody Allen will just let you do the performance, that’s what you’re paid for, and they select.
They may say, “Well, maybe you could do it a little faster, don’t rush, don’t do that too fast.” Or maybe they say, “The scene is too slow. Maybe you can pick up the rhythm a bit.” Whatever they want.
You’re rumored to read the script aloud over 200 times. Is that true?
No, no. I say that just to be mischievous.
What’s the story between you and David Lynch on the set of “The Elephant Man”?
In those days I was younger and I was impatient because he liked to do a lot of takes. I said, “I don’t want to do all that.” Many years later I wrote him a letter apologizing for my behavior ‘cause I saw “Elephant Man” and it was really a terrific movie.
“Mulholland Drive” and all the films that he’s done since then are the proof of it.
You don’t seem to play it for laughs in “Tall Dark Stranger,” but you get a lot of laughs.
I do have a wry sense of humor and sense or irony, coming from Britain … self-mockery. And I’ve got a wicked sense of humor. I find most things absurd and ridiculous, but I keep my comments to myself.
