Sir Anthony Hopkins Reflects on His Past and Personal Struggles
Sir Anthony Hopkins, the 87-year-old Welsh actor renowned for his roles in films such as The Silence of the Lambs, Nixon, The Two Popes, and The Father, has recently opened up about his personal life in his upcoming memoir, We Did Ok, Kid. The book delves into the complexities of his relationships, including his first marriage, which ended in 1972 after a turbulent five-year period.
Hopkins admits he walked out on his first wife, actress Petronella Barker, due to fear that he might become physically violent. He described the emotional turmoil he experienced during their marriage, including deep depression and a reliance on alcohol to cope. “In the evenings, I bought bottles of whiskey at the off-license and took them back to the flat. My depression was boundless; the booze was my pacifier. I brooded. She raged,” he wrote in the memoir.
The couple’s relationship deteriorated further when they realized they were an incompatible match. By that time, Petronella was pregnant with their daughter, Abigail. Hopkins admitted that his wife loathed his working-class parents and often left the house when they visited. He also acknowledged that he was “impossible to live with” during this period.
One particular incident escalated tensions between them. After returning from a long trip to Scotland, Hopkins found himself exhausted and emotionally drained. Upon arriving home, Petronella mocked him, calling him “Mr Lord High and Mighty.” In that moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of revulsion and fear. “I had never been physically violent, but in that moment, I was filled with such revulsion that I became afraid for both myself and her,” he shared.
After saying goodbye to their then 14-month-old daughter, he packed his bag and left. “Aside from sending financial support, I didn’t have contact with Petronella and Abigail for a few years after that. It is the saddest fact of my life, and my greatest regret, and yet I feel absolutely sure that it would have been much worse for everyone if I’d stayed,” he reflected.
Hopkins went on to marry film production assistant Jennifer Lynton in 1973, but the marriage ended in 2002. He has been married to antiques dealer Stella Arroyave since 2003.
Earlier this week, he spoke about his strained relationship with his daughter, whom he is estranged from. When asked about the situation, he said, “Not a word of response. So I think, okay, fine.” He added that he wouldn’t “waste blood” over their situation: “I wish her well, but I’m not going to waste blood over that. If you want to waste your life being in resentment, fine, go ahead.”
He emphasized that he wouldn’t carry any feelings of resentment and acknowledged his own imperfections. “I could carry resentment over the past, but that’s death. You’re not living. You have to acknowledge one thing: that we are imperfect. We’re not saints. We’re all sinners and saints or whatever we are. We do the best we can.”
When asked if he hoped his daughter would read his new memoir, he said he didn’t care. “I’m not going to answer that. No. I don’t care.” He added, “Please. I want you to. Because I don’t want to hurt her.”
Hopkins has previously commented on his daughter, who is now in her mid-fifties, admitting he has no idea what her life is like now. In 2018, when asked by Radio Times if he is a grandfather, he replied, “I don’t have any idea. People break up. Families split and, you know, ‘Get on with your life.’ People make choices. I don’t care one way or the other.”
In another interview in 2002, with the American DJ Howard Stern, Hopkins said, “I hardly ever hear from her. She probably has good reasons. I guess we are estranged. I hope she is well. She is too busy and has to do her own thing. I think she is in England somewhere. Life is life. You get on with it.”
In a 2006 interview with The Telegraph, Abigail, who is a singer, said she could possibly be open to a reunion. “It would have to be a two-way thing, though. I don’t know how I would feel about it. We have never really been close. We’ve never discussed big life issues. Because, well, our relationship was always so sporadic. I’ve never felt I could discuss those sorts of things with him.”
She added that she saw her father once a year growing up, until they fell out when she was 16, about her mother. “I would see him, but maybe once a year. There is a little bit of sadness but I have to get on with my life. It has always been like that. See him, and then not. Then, when I was 16, there was some row,” she said.
We Did Ok, Kid will be released on November 4.