“I’m still improvising new pieces. I’d like to arrange them for orchestra someday.”
British actor Anthony Hopkins, 89, who recently released a classical album *Life is a Dream* featuring 12 orchestral compositions he wrote, said this in a written interview on September 21. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor for *The Silence of the Lambs* (1991) and *The Father* (2020).
Hopkins began learning piano at age four and started improvising at six. In his teens, he composed music for local theater. *And the Waltz Goes On*, which he composed in his 20s while working as a stage actor, became a favorite piece of violinist André Ryu. He also showcased piano performances in the films *Hannibal* (2001) and *The Two Popes* (2019). Hopkins recently said, “Music was my first wish and desire, and I’ve been composing all my life.”
In the written interview, he said, “When composing music, I’m inspired by the great British composer Edward Elgar, and when painting, by Pablo Picasso.” Hopkins is also known as an amateur painter. During the 2021 British Academy Film Awards, he won Best Actor for *The Father*, but he didn’t watch the ceremony and was painting in another room when he heard cheers from the next room, learning of his win through the commotion, as reported by foreign media. In the interview, he said, “Acting, composing, and painting are different forms of my creative expression. They are the same in that they all express emotions and convey stories.”
Hopkins graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1963 and began his acting career. He was later scouted by legendary actor and director Laurence Olivier (1907–1989) and joined the National Theatre. He never formally studied composition. In the interview, he said, “Since I’m not formally trained in music, I’m not bound by fixed structures, and that’s where I find freedom.”
He also has a mentor to thank. Hopkins said, “The first person to encourage me to write the music for my film *August* was the great film composer George Fenton, 77.” Fenton, who won an Emmy for *Gandhi* and *Dangerous Liaisons* and was nominated for the Academy Award five times, advised Hopkins to compose the score himself for the 1996 film *August*, an adaptation of Chekhov’s *Uncle Vanya*, which Hopkins directed and starred in.
The album was released through Decca Classics. Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the New York Philharmonic, conducted, and the Philharmonia Orchestra performed. Regarding the album’s title *Life is a Dream*, he said, “It’s a love letter to life. From birth to death, life is like a long farewell.” But does he still have dreams? Hopkins said, “My dream is to compose film music.” One might wonder if he’ll one day challenge for a composing award instead of Best Actor.
jasdooit 
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