Anthony Hopkins and the incredible films he performed during his career

It's hard to believe that, being one of the giants of Hollywood, Anthony Hopkins only received two Oscars (obviously for his role as the brilliant Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lamb, and very recently for his role in The Father), mostly because he has about 140 titles to his name as an actor (not just movies ) and that seeing it among the names associated with a project has, for decades, been synonymous with guarantee and greatness. At 83, Philip Anthony Hopkins is still working and proving that he is one of the great masters and that cinema is his true passion. He's charismatic, magnetic, chameleon-like, and mesmerizing, and can go from a brilliant, macabre psychiatrist to a frail man with dementia who makes you cry and reminds you of your own mortality. If we had to describe him in one word, we could say that the British actor is huge, but that doesn't quite define him, there are really no words to describe his genius. All we can do is sit back and watch him shine in every role he transforms and makes his own, and the magic he manages to create while allowing the rest of his co-stars, be it Jodie Foster, Chris Hemsworth or Olivia Colman, having their moment. We don't do actors like Anthony Hopkins anymore, but on the bright side, we have dozens of films to understand his influence on cinema and continue to inspire us to achieve great things. Here are the must-see Anthony Hopkins films:

The Father

The Father is a portrait of human frailty, the loss of memory and identity, and the cycle of life that leaves us as helpless as when we were born . Best Actor Oscar-winning Anthony Hopkins brings an elderly man with dementia to life and Florian Zeller, the film's director, did his best to take us down the same path, playing with the sets , the music, and even the characters to make us feel the same as a man desperately trying to make sense of his memories and ideas. Hopkins does exceptional, human and moving work, as does Olivia Colman, who brings to life a girl who makes us feel the pain of seeing our heroes wither.

The Silence of the Lambs

Classic of classics and probably the most iconic film of Anthony Hopkins' career. Hannibal Lecter is the character that won the actor his first (and until recently only) Oscar, and he went down in history as one of cinema's greatest villains. The Silence of the Lambs is not only the story of Lecter, but also that of a brilliant FBI recruit who must seek the help of a psychiatrist, who is the best person to help him catch a killer in brutal series of women.

The Two Popes

Hopkins has been able to evolve in his career and accept characters and roles that correspond to each of the stages he has gone through. In this 2019 Netflix film, Hopkins appears alongside Jonathan Pryce, who helps him recreate a real-life meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, who meet to discuss the future of the Catholic Church according to two very different perspectives, one traditional and the other progressive.

King Lear

This movie didn't get as much attention as it deserved, but that just means you can watch it without too much outside opinion. King Lear, based on Shakespeare's play, features Hopkins as a king in a modern, almost dystopian setting, alongside Jim Carter, Emily Watson, Florence Pugh and Emma Thompson, who put a modern spin on the classic and create something poetic and interesting.

Elephant Man

Hopkins, Anne Bancroft and John Hurt star in this 1980 film directed by David Lynch, which tells the story of 'a Victorian surgeon who rescues a deformed man from the life of abuse he was leading as one of the attractions at a carnival. Behind a terrible appearance, the surgeon discovers an intelligent and sophisticated man, who proves once again that appearances should not be trusted.

Thor: Ragnarok

Anthony Hopkins isn't the first actor that comes to mind when you think of superhero movies, but not only did he have his moment in the genre, but he appeared in one of the best movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Ragnarok, directed by Taika Waititi. Hopkins stars as Odin, Thor's father, and unfortunately this seems to be his last such film (although we have to remember that in the world of comics, no one ever really dies).

Return to Howards End

This film, based on the 1992 period novel by E.M. Forster, received excellent reviews and three Oscars. Hopkins and Emma Thompson (one of his great collaborators) star in this film which explores the relationships of three families in the early 20th century, divided by class difference, thanks to the great performances of a cast that also includes Helena Bonham Carter.

The Remains of the Day

Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro (who also wrote Near Me Always, adapted for film with Carey Mulligan), The Remains of the Day is another period drama in which Hopkins and Thompson appear together. The story follows an English family's butler at the start of World War II, who, after years of toil, realizes he wasn't really meant to be loyal to the man he served. It's an emotional, silent film (not in the sense that there's no sound or a great soundtrack), but, as always, the actor does an exceptional job.

Shadows of the Heart

Few people remember this 1993 film directed by Richard Attenborough, but it's time to change that. Here Hopkins becomes the author of the Narnia books, CS Lewis, and shows the relationship he had with an American admirer, the poetess Joy Gresham, who travels to England and begins a relationship with the author, leading to a love story that shows how one person can give meaning to another's life in unexpected ways.

The Dresser

Also starring Ian McKellen, this 2015 film (written and directed by Richard Eyre) is inspired by a famous play that tells the story of an elderly actor and of his assistant who, in the 1940s, helps him prepare to appear in a new version of King Lear, alternating moments of comedy and drama in an irresistible way.

Via GQ México y Latinoamérica.