Anthony Hopkins has shared that his wife suspects he may be autistic, although he has no plans to pursue testing.
The iconic Welsh actor, renowned for his role as Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 thriller The Silence of the Lambs and over 90 other films, mentioned that his wife, Stella Arroyave, believes he might be on the autism spectrum.
Despite her thoughts, the 87-year-old actor is not inclined to seek a formal medical diagnosis.
In a conversation with The Sunday Times while promoting his memoir, We Did Ok, Kid: A Memoir, Hopkins opened up about various parts of his life, including his childhood, career, struggles with alcoholism, and mental health. He revealed that he once had a brief encounter with therapy.
Hopkins explained that Arroyave, his wife of over two decades, suspects a neurodevelopmental disorder because of his certain “obsessions.”
The Oscar-winning actor stated, “I’m obsessed with numbers. I’m obsessed with detail. I like everything in order. And memorizing.”
“Stella looked it up and she said, ‘You must be Asperger’s.’”
“I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about,” Hopkins continued. “I don’t even believe it.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Asperger’s syndrome, once a separate medical classification, is now seen as part of the wider autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This neurological and developmental disorder can influence communication and behavior.
ASD symptoms typically appear within the first two years of life, though diagnoses can occur later.
When reporter Decca Aitkenhead noted that a diagnosis can provide “tremendous relief,” Hopkins dismissively remarked that he’s quite skeptical about it.
“Well, I guess I’m cynical because it’s all nonsense,” he said. “It’s all rubbish. ADHD, OCD, Asperger’s, blah, blah, blah. Oh God, it’s called living.”
“It’s just being a human being, full of tangled webs and mysteries and stuff that’s in us. Full of warts and grime and craziness, it’s the human condition. All these labels.”
“Who cares? But now it’s fashion,” he concluded.
Regarding mental health, he admitted that he once considered there might be something amiss with him.
Reflecting on his therapy experience, he stated: “He kept saying, ‘Let’s go back.’ And I’d just go, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ So boring.”
He also openly discussed his past battle with alcoholism, celebrating 45 years of sobriety. A significant event in 1975 made him realize he needed help.
In a separate interview on The New York Times’ podcast, The Interview, Hopkins elaborated further: “I’m always slightly reluctant to talk about it because I don’t want to sound preachy or like a goodie two-shoes.”
“But I was drunk driving my car here in California in a blackout – no clue where I was going. And it was a moment when I realized I couldn’t have killed somebody or myself – which I didn’t care about – but I could’ve killed a family in a car.”
Hopkins’ memoir, We Did OK, Kid, is set to be released on November 4.