The actor opens up to ET about what it was like playing Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 thriller.
Anthony Hopkins is taking a trip down memory lane, reflecting on his role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.
In honor of the film's upcoming 30th anniversary in February 2021, the 82-year-old Oscar winner opens up to ET about what it was like starring in the Jonathan Demme-directed thriller alongside celebrities like Jodie Foster and Scott Glenn.
"My gosh, thirty years. That wasn't me, by the way, I was just acting," Hopkins joked to ET's Nischelle Turner. "I'm not really Hannibal Lecter. At least I don't think. I knew when I started playing him, I knew it would work. It's one of those parts [where] yes it changed everything. I'm very grateful to that."
Hopkins added that one of his fondest memories on set was spooking everyone out.
"I remember scaring everyone. Everyone was scared of me," he recalled. "It was just a lot of fun. Jonathan Demme is a great director ... and Jodie Foster is marvelous to work with. It was wonderful."
"I just knew exactly what I was doing and I enjoyed it," he continued. "I always make sure I enjoy what I do, not make a big deal of it. And that's OK, I'm an actor. That's why I pretend that I'm somebody. I'm not those people, but I pretend to be them. "
Nowadays, Hopkins is focusing on a new passion -- his AH Eau de Parfum and Home Fragrance Candle and Diffuser Collection. Available this Friday, every purchase provides up to 50 meals to help end childhood hunger through No Kid Hungry.
"I've been very fortunate in my life and so I want to give back," he explained of how the idea came to be. "The purpose of this brand was something I had dreamed up in isolation here. The purpose of the brand is rooted in my commitment to the partnership with No Kid Hungry."
"There is so much confusion and pain in the world and I just wanted to give back and spread some kind of help to kids," he added. "So I came up with this idea of these essences, these aromas and perfumes. I love flowers, I have these lighted candles, I paint and I play music. I do all these things and so I used this studio as a form of meditation. These aroma candles and fragrant candles add to the sense of peacefulness."
Another thing keeping Hopkins busy amid the coronavirus pandemic? TikTok! The Westworld star has been having fun with the app in recent months, even participating in the dance challenge to Drake's "Tootsie Slide."
Of why he decided to join in on the fun, Hopkins told ET, "I've always been the guy that's always the dark actor... I'm not that at all in fact."
See him in action in the video below:
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