Hopkins’ first leading role was as Richard the Lionheart in The Lion in Winter (1968).

In 1991, he portrayed Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, and achieved international recognition. The movie won many awards, including Oscars in all the top 5 categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Later Hopkins reprised the role in its sequel Hannibal (2001) and the prequel Red Dragon (2002).

In 2020, Anthony Hopkins played a man struggling with his memory in The Father. He also won a second Academy Award for Best Actor for his role at the age of 83.