Anthony Hopkins: A Three-Act Life [Hardcover]

Michael Feeney Callan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Regarded by many to be among the greatest actors of modern cinema, Anthony Hopkins has amassed a prodigious body of work and created some of the most memorable characters in recent film. Awarded the Best Actor Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, Hopkins was also nominated by the Academy for his work in Nixon, Amistad, and The Remains of the Day. In both box-office returns and career longevity, the Welsh actor has outpaced all the British luminaries to whom he has been likened, among them Richard Burton and Sean Connery. Ranging from his earliest days, including his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, to his lauded work on stage and screen, Michael Feeney Callan’s definitive biography does full justice to this versatile and esteemed star.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Irishman Michael Callan, is an award-winning writer and dramatist, and the author of 'Richard Harris - Sex, Death & the Movies,' also published by Robson Books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Anova Books (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 186105761X
• ISBN-13: 978-1861057617
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Talent Hobbled by Inner Demons!, October 21, 2007

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anthony Hopkins: A Three-Act Life (Hardcover)

Michael Feeney Callan's biography of Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins is not your typical cut-and-paste "and then he starred in..." movie actor bio. Rather it's an erudite, in-depth, psychological profile of a wonderfully talented actor whose professional and personal life has been ruled - and crippled by - lifelong feelings of insecurity.

Hopkins' inner demons were created early on. An only child born in wartime Wales he grew up insulated and withdrawn, a bit of a dreamer with few friends. A demanding, workaholic father combined with all of the above to produce feelings of insecurity that plagued him most of his life. Pretty much of a failure academically, a chance visit to a local theatre group sparked the seemingly one and only passion in his life, acting.

Callan spends 400-odd pages detailing Hopkins' tortured development as an actor and human being. There are obvious career highs - a featured player with Olivier's National Theatre in the early '60s, his big break opposite Katherine Hepburn in THE LION IN WINTER, eminently watchable performances in films like A BRIDGE TOO FAR, ELEPHANT MAN and THE BOUNTY, his definining moment-in-the-sun in 1991's SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and so on.

Yet, as a person, Hopkins rarely seemed to enjoy any of it for long, his inner demon - which he labeled 'His Majesty the Monstrous Baby' -undermining whatever professional and personal achievements occurred. Hopkins' alcoholism didn't help matters along the way, which included a number of marriages and squandered friendships. Hopkins has apparently triumphed over his inner devils but...

Callan's book is not an easy read. He is a masterful writer but the subject is depressing with the endless top-of-the-world/hitting-bottom cycles of Hopkins' life. A more selective use of material from interviews Hopkins gave over the years and and fewer reminiscences from his fellow actors and friends would have made Callan's points more effectively.

Movie fans should take a look at ANTHONY HOPKINS, A THREE ACT LIFE. By book's end, you definitely know Anthony Hopkins...but with knowledge comes sadness. It's such a pity that this talented individual led the sad life described in this book.