Captain Bligh

We are almost up to date on our hero trek. Today's (December 31st's that is) hero is the smooth looking fellow above, one Anthony Hopkins born December 31st, 1937 in Port Talbot, Wales. Number 130 on our hero list was born the son of a baker, and did have a productive schooling due to his having dyslexia. He was encouraged to go into acting by country man Richard Burton, and has made quite a career of it. He was spotted by Sir Laurence Olivier, and impressed Sir Laurence enough to become his understudy at the Royal National Theatre. He soon grew tired of repeating the same role night after night, and longed to be in films. His first film just happens to be in one of my favourite films of all time "The Lion in Winter" his first film role, in which he plays Richard the Lion Hearted. That role was to propel him to stardom, and quite a few (well known) roles followed. Most people will know him from the role of Hannibal Lecter, the role for which he won an Academy Award (his screen time of 16 minuets being the shortest amount of time on screen for a winner of the Best Actor Award). However, a much earlier role, that of Captain Bligh alongside Mel Gibson as Fletcher Christian in "Mutiny on the Bounty" is one of my favourite roles of his. Not a great film, but one that he impressed me with his acting ability. He is renowned for his acting style in which he works on his lines over and over, sometimes repeating them upwards of 200 times before walking on camera to deliver them in an almost casual style. He appeared in numerous other films that people will easily remember him for Remains of the Day, Howard's End, and Legends of the Fall, but he has stated that his favourite role was as Burt Monro in "The World's Fastest Indian" a role that I doubt too many of us have seen. However, for those couple of roles that I actually did see, and was incredibly impressed with, Sir Anthony Hopkins (December 31st, 1937- present), you are my hero of the day (December 31st).