Anthony Hopkins details ‘fatal day’ that led to 49 years of sobriety

‘I couldn’t remember anything,’ recalled actor

Anthony Hopkins has reflected on the “fatal day” he realised he needed help with alcohol addiction.

The 86-year-old Silence of the Lambs actor shared his annual message online in which he celebrated another milestone year of sobriety, and offered a hopeful message for those struggling with alcoholism.

Hopkins described a situation almost five decades ago, aged 37, where he was driving drunk and “couldn’t remember anything”.

“Happy 29 December,” he began. “Why 29th? Well, 49 years ago today, I stopped drinking.”

“I was having such fun and then I realised I was in big big trouble because I couldn’t remember anything and I was driving a car, drunk, out of my skull,” he said. “On that fatal day, I realised I needed help.”

Hopkins recalled phoning up a group that supports people dealing with alcohol addiction and finding the help he needed.

“I phoned up a group, of people like me, alcoholic, and that was it, it was over,” he said.

He added that the past 49 years of his life have been “more fun” than those that came before, and urged viewers who are struggling with addiction to seek help.

Hopkins told fans of ‘desperate situation’ that led to him seeking help (@anthonyhopkins via Instagram)

“Having fun is wonderful, having a drink is fine – but if you are having a problem with the booze then there is help. It’s a condition – there is help, there’s plenty of help around,” he said.

Hopkins remarked that he will be celebrating his 87th birthday on New Year’s Eve, and that he is bringing in 2025 by “celebrating my unexpectedly long life”.

“I got sober and I’ve had a wonderful life. They stood by me, they still give me jobs,” he said.

“If you have a problem, you know where to go. Phone any group, 12-step programme, whatever you can do, because it is a killer. With that, happy new year.”

Reflecting on getting sober in a similar post shared in 2022, Hopkins said he had been in a “desperate situation” with “probably not long to live” before he decided to seek help.

He explained that he wasn’t aware that addiction was a “condition” or that he was battling with a “mental, physical, emotional condition called alcoholism”.

Anthony Hopkins pictured in 2022 (Getty Images)

“Talk to someone you respect. Whether it’s a counsellor or to go to a 12-step programme. There are 12-step programmes all over the world, every city, every community. They can help you identify what you are and it doesn’t cost a thing, but it will give you a whole new life,” he said.

Hopkins first won acclaim after playing cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991.

In 2021, Hopkins was named best actor at the Academy Awards for his role in The Father, making him the oldest ever Oscar-winner.

If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.

If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: actiononaddiction.org.uk, mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.