Interview with Anthony Hopkins
Lecter attacks again.After receiving sufficient information from agent Clarice Starling and obtaining the confidential file of the cannibal from the Baltimore hospital, Cinemanía found a man who claimed to be an actor and to know the sought-after psychopath perfectly. His name: Sir Anthony Hopkins.
How has Hannibal changed after all these years?
He’s become more sophisticated and his humor’s more acidic. He likes to say things like “okey dokey,” “goody goody,” or “ta ta” that make him more terrifying and attractive. I wanted to play him as if he were bored with life after he’d escaped and when he realizes that that they’re after him again, he goes back to amuse himself.
Was it strange [to come back]?
No. I did the sequel because I liked the script and the people who participated were talented. I spent a long time with Hannibal in Silence of the Lambs, but when we finished filming, the character was over for me. I didn’t believe I’d really meet up with him again until I was in front of the camera.
Why do you think people are so fascinated by evil?
Because we are human. In the specific case of Hannibal, we admire his calm, his certainty, his confidence. Shakespeare knew what attracted people and had an impressive sense of his characters. Iago in Othello is one of the most attractive roles; at heart we want to be the equal of geniuses and madmen but that doesn’t mean we’re bad in real life. I suppose that the Jungians would say that it’s our dark side. It’s hypocrisy to say that we’re all pure and incorruptible. We are a mixture of the greatest evil and the most magnificent goodness, that’s what makes us great.
What’s your technique to scare the audience?
I don’t do anything, I just let their imaginations take off. The aesthetic of the film speaks for itself, it’s the images that cause terror. I based him a little on cats, on how they catch their victims, in his elegance, in his movements.
Did you like the changes that they made from the book to the final script?
I just decided to trust the director and the producers and accepted without questioning the decisions they made. I was happy with the results.
How did Julianne Moore seem to you in the role of Clarice Starling?
I liked their choice a lot. I met her on Surviving Picasso and I think she’s a great actress, she’s got personality and she works very hard. They even asked my opinion of the casting and of course I thought she was the best for the role. Would you like to make another sequel?
By the time Thomas Harris finished the next book, I’d already be too old. They may make a prequel based on his book Red Dragon, I’m going to read the script, but nothing’s certain yet.
Years ago it was rumored that you were going to retire...
Very simply, they misinterpreted me. I said that I was tired of working, not that I’d never make another film. I dedicated myself to resting, to taking care of my mental and spiritual health, I changed my diet, I wanted to be with my loved ones and once I felt totally replenished, I decided to return.
What scares you in real life?
Mediocrity.
With that we leave this man, who has quite an acid sense of humor and an absolute confidence in what he says, with the total right to refuse to answer all questions; we suspect that it’s not just a performance when he offers his hand, his look diabolical, his voice macabre, and invites to us "for dinner." Joke or not, we prefer to leave that for another occasion.
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