Anthony Hopkins Shares the Secrets Behind Hannibal Lecter’s Introduction

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Hannibal Lecter is one of the most famous horror villains ever created. While several actors, including Mads Mikkelsen and Brian Cox, have played the cannibalistic psychiatrist, it’s Anthony Hopkins‘ performance that people remember most. Hopkins recently shared the inspiration behind his portrayal, highlighting how he carefully crafted the character’s voice, eyes, and calm demeanor. He also discussed his first experience with the role and meeting Clarice Starling in the 1991 film, The Silence of the Lambs.

I recently read an interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins in The Guardian, and it was fascinating! He was looking back on his incredible career, which he goes into even more detail about in his new memoir, We Did OK, Kid. It’s amazing to me that at 88, he’s still working – he was in a film called Locked just last year, and has two more projects, Eyes in the Trees and Wife & Dog, coming out soon. Plus, he’s hilarious on social media, always showing off his dancing! Honestly, it’s clear Sir Anthony has no plans to retire anytime soon, and I, for one, am thrilled about that.

When discussing his role in The Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins often highlighted the unique personality he created for the character. He explained that Hannibal Lecter’s mannerisms were influenced by three surprising sources: Katharine Hepburn, a former drama teacher, and the artificial intelligence HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hopkins also contributed to Lecter’s visual presentation, even altering the director Jonathan Demme’s initial vision for how Lecter would first appear to the FBI agent.

So, I flew out to Pittsburgh for the first costume fitting, and they wanted me to wear a bright orange jumpsuit! I immediately pushed back. I told them I envisioned a sleek, tailored green suit for Hannibal Lecter. He’s a brilliant man, I explained, and perfectly capable of having anyone make it for him – and let’s just say, people tend to do what he asks, or face the consequences.

I recall Jonathan Demme asking me how I envisioned my first appearance to Jodie Foster’s character. He wanted to know if I’d be lying down or reading. I told him I wanted to be standing. When he asked why, I explained I wanted to be able to ‘smell her coming down the corridor.’ He jokingly called me weird.

Hannibal Lecter Was Also Inspired by One of Cinema’s Most Important Vampires


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In his memoir, Hopkins explained how he developed the character of Lecter. According to Gizmodo, he intentionally created a character that would make Clarice Starling uneasy, and this tension even affected Jodie Foster, his co-star, during rehearsals. Hopkins also shared that his inspiration for a key Lecter moment came from Bela Lugosi’s performance as Dracula.

I made a point of being intensely frightening during the first read-through of the script. The room was completely silent. Just a few seconds into my performance as Lecter, I noticed Jodie visibly tense up.

I drew on memories of doing my best Bela Lugosi impression from my school days. I’d seen him play Dracula when I was young, and the novel was one of the first truly captivating books I ever read. I specifically remembered a scene where the character Jonathan Harker cuts himself with a razor, and Dracula immediately focuses on him. I had a very distinct idea of what Dracula would sound like in that moment – a combination of a hiss and a slurp as he anticipated Harker’s blood.

“That’s where I got the sound I made with my lips as Hannibal, the one that gets imitated so much.”

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2025-11-08 18:33