Sir Anthony Hopkins, 83, becomes oldest winner of Best Actor Bafta award

Watch the report by Sally Biddulph


Acclaimed actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins, won the Bafta for Leading Actor on Sunday night as the award ceremony moved online because of the pandemic.

The Silence of the Lambs star, 83, became the oldest winner of the award for his role in The Father, which is about a man who has dementia.

Sir Anthony, who is from Port Talbot but usually lives in Los Angeles, did not attend virtually to accept the gong but did speak to press afterwards.

He won his first Bafta in 1973 for War and Peace and admitted that he did not expect to be recognised again. In total, the Welsh-born star has won four Baftas for acting roles.

Anthony Hopkins won a Bafta for his role in Silence of the Lambs. Co-star, Jodie Foster, also won best actress. Credit: PA Images

The famous actor has received 11 Bafta and Bafta Cymru nominations in total and was awarded the Bafta Fellowship in 2008.

Reacting to the latest win, he said: "This is wonderful. I'm at this time in my life where I never expected to get this you know.

"I mean, I got to a point in my life and I thought I wonder if I will ever work again, an actor's nightmare.

"I'm just so astounded. I'm sitting here painting in fact, in my room in a hotel, and I'm covered in paint and this cheer went up from next door and I thought 'Are they were watching a football match?' and then I got a message from [the director]."

Sir Anthony said he is still acting because it "keeps me out of trouble", adding: "I don't want to sound heavy about it but it's the only thing I know how to do.

"I don't know how I became an actor. I had no intention of doing anything, really.

"But it's something that's passing my blood now I think I enjoy it.

"I keep it simple. I love it. It's a great life. And to be able to express things, I try not to take myself too seriously, I hope I don't."