Anthony Hopkins Opens up About His Toughest Role Saying Why the Hell Did They Cast Me

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It’s a long-standing tradition for British actors to play famous American characters. Christian Bale is widely praised for his portrayal of Dick Cheney, and Naomi Ackie powerfully brought Whitney Houston to life on screen.

This trend extends to superhero movies, where international actors often take on the roles of American heroes. While Anthony Hopkins began his career before this became common, he’s had a remarkably long career and has played many American characters.

His most famous American role is undoubtedly Hannibal Lecter, which earned him an Oscar and has frightened audiences for decades. But looking at his full filmography shows that he’s frequently taken on roles requiring him to portray an American persona.

Considering how frequently he and his fellow countrymen have had to mimic American speech and mannerisms, you’d assume it would be fairly easy for him to play an American. However, Sir Anthony Hopkins says that’s not always true. He actually believes the most challenging role of his entire career was portraying a controversial U.S. President. In a 2013 interview with Backstage, the two-time Oscar winner confessed that playing the lead in Oliver Stone’s Nixon almost broke him. He pointed out that, as a non-American, he wondered why he was even cast in the role. Despite giving it his all, he ultimately found it the most difficult performance of his career to pull off.

Despite earning his third Oscar nomination for the role, Hopkins didn’t seem to think the film was a worthwhile project and approached it without much excitement. Critics still disagree on whether his portrayal of Richard Nixon was accurate, with some calling it an over-the-top performance typical of 1990s biopics, and others seeing it as intentionally exaggerated. However, Hopkins himself found the film’s three-hour length and extensive dialogue incredibly demanding.

Many people who enjoy his films are surprised he thought this was his most difficult role. Hopkins has played a wide variety of characters, including Zorro and a remarkably accurate portrayal of Alfred Hitchcock, so it seems odd that playing Nixon wouldn’t have been simpler for such an experienced actor.

It’s famously challenging for actors to portray presidents because the public is so familiar with their look and voice. To pull it off, a transformation usually requires extensive makeup or a truly captivating performance that makes viewers forget they’re watching an actor.

Anthony Hopkins achieved this in his role as Nixon, earning an Oscar nomination – a significant accomplishment for his career. Remarkably, at 88 years old, Sir Anthony Hopkins continues to be incredibly active, recently celebrating 50 years of sobriety.

He’s still working at the same pace as much younger actors and is currently preparing for the release of Guy Ritchie’s new comedy, Wife & Dog, on October 23. The film features a stellar cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike, and James Norton.

Anthony Hopkins is also starring in Maserati: The Brothers, a movie about the founders of the Maserati car company, directed by Bobby Moresco. He’ll play the businessman who helped fund the brothers. Recently, he appeared in the thriller Locked and is still working on his role as composer George Frideric Handel in the upcoming film The King of Covent Garden. Despite a long and successful career, Hopkins shows no signs of slowing down, with several major films planned for release soon.

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2026-02-26 14:45