More than three decades after The Silence of the Lambs won the big five at the Oscars, one rumor refuses to die: that stars Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster clashed—or at least kept a frosty distance—on set. The myth has morphed over the years into a grab bag of alleged “feud” details, usually tied to Hopkins’ unsettling performance as Hannibal Lecter and the idea that Foster avoided him between takes to protect her headspace as Clarice Starling. Hopkins took a moment from his busy 2025 movie schedule to finally weigh in on the rumor.

Anthony Hopkins recently appeared on an episode of The Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard. During the conversation, Hopkins addressed the long-circulating chatter head-on, saying the vibe with his co-star was professional and decidedly not "spooky." It’s as definitive a correction as we’ve had in years, and it comes straight from Lecter himself. As he explains it:

That’s a clear counterpoint to a story Foster has told. In 2016, on The Graham Norton Show, she addressed the same rumors and remembered the set very differently. As she recalled:

It’s a fascinating split in perspective—and not as odd as it sounds. As imposing as Lecter looms in our collective memory, he and Clarice actually share the screen for only about 16 minutes of a nearly two-hour film. Given that limited overlap, it makes sense they could pass whole shooting days with little interaction, even as each recalls the experience in very different ways.

Jonathan Demme’s film is famously precise, possessing tight blocking, direct-to-lens close-ups and long takes that force Clarice and Lecter into a psychological duel. That on-screen electricity rarely requires real-life animus; it usually comes from two actors trusting the same plan and director. The Welsh actor's comments point to precisely that.

Jonathan Demme’s film is famously precise, possessing tight blocking, direct-to-lens close-ups and long takes that force Clarice and Lecter into a psychological duel. That on-screen electricity rarely requires real-life animus; it usually comes from two actors trusting the same plan and director. The Welsh actor's comments point to precisely that.

Hannibal Lecter landed like a lightning strike in 1991, cementing him as one of the greatest horror movie villains, but that was with less than 25 minutes of screen time, and every syllable hits like a scalpel. Performances that iconic tend to spawn myths to explain the power. Sometimes those stories get juiced in the retelling. Hopkins’ version demystifies the rumors just a tad.

By the Hearts in Atlantis star’s account, the “feud” talk is way off base, and debunking it doesn’t dull the movie one bit. The Silence of the Lambs is still a masterclass in performance and tone, driven by two leads who knew precisely what the film needed. His clarification just underscores a simple truth: great on-screen chemistry doesn’t require off-screen drama.

Want more Hopkins right now? His latest film, Locked (co-starring Bill Skarsgård), is streaming with a Hulu subscription. You can also grab his new memoir, We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir by Anthony Hopkins, wherever books are sold.

As for The Silence of the Lambs, you can revisit Lecter in all his horrifying glory with a subscription to AMC+.

It’s not every day that someone who’s known to have made their name on reality television draws the attention of who many would call one of our greatest living actors, but here we are. It was just a few days ago that The Kardashians star/multi-media mogul Kim Kardashian launched a product for her SKIMS brand, the $48.00 Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap, which outright baffled many of her most diehard fans. Now we’ve even got Sir Anthony Hopkins making Silence of the Lambs jokes about the odd new item.

What Did Anthony Hopkins Say About Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Face Wrap?

You know, while I haven’t bought any SKIMS, I do actually like the look of a lot of the more comfy-looking products from Kim Kardashian’s body sculpting/fashion brand. I have to say, though, never in a million years would I have figured that she and her designers would come up with something like her face wrap, which those on the internet have already pointed out is basically what you get after jaw surgery or to help with TMJ symptoms, which are not exactly fashionable comparisons.

Well, make fun of it all you like, because I doubt anything you say will compare to the thoughts of Oscar-winning thespian Anthony Hopkins. He posted a short clip on Instagram that took the ribbing that the All’s Fair (which hits the 2025 TV schedule in the fall) star is getting over the product to new, Hannibal Lecter heights. Take a look:

Wow. Just when you think you’ve seen everything, right? I have so many questions. First off, this does appear to be the actual wrap that the legal ace and mom of four is selling, so did Hopkins buy it because he desires some facial sculpting in his later years?

He thanks her in the caption. Did Kardashian (rather randomly) send it to him? Are they buddies?! Just as importantly, is he wearing a Swatch Watch? Guys? I would actually love it if he bought this just so that he could make a Silence of the Lambs joke about it for all to see. “Ten years younger” indeed!

If you don’t know why this is beyond cool, it’s pretty clear that you’ve been living off the grid in a cave somewhere for nearly 35 years. Welcome back to civilization (it might be best to gather some supplies and just head back to the cave, fyi)! Since you missed the 1991 release of the thrilling horror classic (one of the best Anthony Hopkins movies), he starred as an infamous imprisoned cannibal who begins assisting Jodie Foster’s FBI agent in finding another wild serial killer.

His Lecter was so dangerous (And hungry, I guess?) that he was forced to wear a mask that covered most of his face and mouth, in a look that is suspiciously similar to the one created by the billionaire bikini-lover. I mean, just look:

My goodness. I don’t know about you, but I would kinda love it if this starts a new wave of fame for Hopkins where he’s an Insta star who makes fun of fashion trends in his own perfectly deadpan way. You simply cannot beat this kind of publicity!

It never ceases to amaze me when an actor is the spitting image of the real person they are selected to play. I do not think a historical portrayal necessarily lives or dies by the performer’s resemblance to the subject, but I think it is something to appreciate, especially when you consider the amount of biopics starring actors who bear absolutely no resemblance to their role. Here are a few notable examples of actors who were clearly hired for their talents above anything else.

Michael Shannon As Elvis Presley (Elvis & Nixon)

The most requested photo in the National Archives depicts Elvis Presley shaking hands with Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, and the events surrounding this historic meeting at the White House are dramatized in 2016's Elvis & Nixon. Kevin Spacey makes for a visually believable depiction of the 37th United States President, but the otherwise wonderfully talented Michael Shannon simply does not cut it as the one many call the King of Rock 'n Roll, even with a decent jumpsuit and wig.

John Wayne As Genghis Khan (The Conqueror)

Oh, boy, where do we begin with this one? The only visual evidence we have of what Genghis Khan looked like is artist renderings, but it does not take an expert to notice that John Wayne was not Asian. Still, the legendary Western movie star was cast as the Mongol chief in 1956's The Conqueror, which has since been regarded as one of the worst films ever made.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson As John Lennon (Nowhere Boy)

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson's 2009 music biopic Nowhere Boy focuses on the pre-Beatles life of John Lennon, as portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. If you ask me, the Golden Globe-winning actor might have been a better fit to play, perhaps, Paul McCartney or, better yet, George Harrison.

Tom Cruise As Barry Seal (American Made)

If more people knew about Barry Seal and what he looked like, I believe Tom Cruise's portrayal in 2017's American Made would have been criticized as one of the most egregious miscastings in Hollywood history. The otherwise talented movie star did absolutely nothing to alter his appearance and pass for the ill-fated, heavy-set CIA smuggler, save what I regard as an embarrassing Southern accent.

Julia Roberts As Erin Brockovich (Erin Brockovich)

Julia Roberts gives, arguably, the finest performance of her career as a single mother and paralegal who uncovers a small town pollution scandal in Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich from 2000. However, if a resemblance to the person an actor is portraying were part of the Academy's voting criteria, she might not have won the Oscar.

Denzel Washington As Frank Lucas (American Gangster)

Ridley Scott's 2007 biopic American Gangster dramatizes the career of mobster Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington, and also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lucas' brother, Huey. Curiously, Ejiofor actually looks a whole lot more like the real Frank than the two-time Oscar winner. However, Washington was a good friend and frequent collaborator of the director's brother, Tony Scott, so he probably had the role in the bag for that, among other reasons.

Johnny Depp As J.M. Barrie (Finding Neverland)

Oddly enough, J.M. Barrie boasted a striking resemblance to another influential author, Edgar Allan Poe, with his tall forehead and small moustache. However, Johnny Depp, who played the Peter Pan author in 2004's Finding Neverland, does not boast a resemblance to either of them, if you ask me.

Hugh Jackman As P.T. Barnum (The Greatest Showman)

Let's not even bother talking about the many historical inaccuracies from The Greatest Showman, 2017's musical retelling of the origins of the circus, and even ignore the fact that P.T. Barnum was not the kindhearted man Hugh Jackman portrayed him as. All that matters to this list is whether or not the Wolverine star looked the part, and the famously attractive Australian actor most definitely was not a match for Barnum in that regard.

Michael Fassbender As Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs)

Michael Fassbender's Oscar-nominated performance in director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs from 2015 is widely regarded as superior to Ashton Kutcher's portrayal in Jobs from two years earlier. However, at least the former That '70s Show cast member can say he resembled the tech pioneer more closely.

Jesse Eisenberg As Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network)

Mark Zuckerberg once made a surprise SNL cameo, during which he stood right next to host Jesse Eisenberg on the Studio 8H stage, proving that they are certainly not a visual match. The actor does not even bother to imitate the Facebook founder's distinctly low voice when portraying him in 2010's The Social Network, but his Oscar nomination proves that that is not what really matters in the end.

Tom Hanks As Fred Rogers (A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood)

Casting a universally beloved actor such as Tom Hanks to play a universally beloved children's television personality like Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood fame, is brilliant in theory. However, even giving the Oscar winner the icon's signature haircut and sweaters is not quite enough to distract from the fact that you are still unmistakably watching Hanks on screen.

Leonardo DiCaprio As Howard Hughes (The Aviator)

A major inspiration for Marvel's Tony "Iron Man" Stark was Howard Hughes, whose resemblance is actually a striking match for both Robert Downey Jr. and Dominic Cooper, who plays Howard Stark in his early years in the MCU. In fact, I think either one of them would have been a better visual fit for the eccentric millionaire in The Aviator than Leonardo DiCaprio, even if his performance in the 2005 biopic makes it one of his best collaborations with the director, Martin Scorsese.

Warren Beatty And Faye Dunaway As Clyde Barrow And Bonnie Parker (Bonnie And Clyde)

From a performance standpoint, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway make a great onscreen duo portraying the titular notorious bank robbers in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. However, the screen legends' casting does not earn the film any points for historical accuracy, considering Beatty does not have Clyde Barrow's jug ears, nor does Dunaway boast Bonnie Parker's sharp, thin face.

Taraji P. Henson As Katherine G. Johnson (Hidden Figures)

Taraji P. Henson gives an undeniably commanding performance in 2016's Hidden Figures as Katherine G. Johnson, a mathematician who was pivotal in helping NASA figure out space travel. Yet, when comparing the Empire star to photos of the real Johnson, it is clear the actor does not resemble her much at all.

Anthony Hopkins As Richard Nixon (Nixon)

Reportedly, Anthony Hopkins had some hesitation about taking on the lead role of Oliver Stone's 1995 biopic about Richard M. Nixon. Ultimately, I would say the Academy Award winner went on to give a great performance in Nixon, but I find myself distracted by his struggle to hide his accent and his obvious fake teeth and hairpiece that really do not help make him look any closer in resemblance to the disgraced U.S. president.

Margot Robbie As Queen Elizabeth I (Mary Queen Of Scots)

Cate Blanchett previously gave an Academy Award-nominated performance as the lead of 1998's Elizabeth, and even bore a strong resemblance to the royal based on artist renderings. I cannot say the same about Margot Robbie, even if the Australian actor's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots was still worthy of praise.

Benedict Cumberbatch As Alan Turing (The Imitation Game)

Benedict Cumberbatch has such a distinct appearance, making it difficult for him to resemble anyone else without heavy alterations. However, nothing was done to make him look any closer to World War II-era computer scientist Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

Javier Bardem As Desi Arnaz (Being The Ricardos)

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman went above and beyond to physically become Lucille Ball for writer and director Aaron Sorkin's dramatization of what went on behind the scenes of the beloved TV sitcom, I Love Lucy. However, playing her onscreen husband is Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who does not pass for Desi Arnaz in the slightest.

Ray Liotta As Shoeless Joe Jackson (Field Of Dreams)

Technically, Ray Liotta plays the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams, but even a person's spectral remnant should look something like them. The infamous MLB player had a much narrower face and wider ears, not to mention that he pitched left-handed, while the actor did the opposite in the beloved sports movie.

Beyoncé As Etta James (Cadillac Records)

No one could possibly deny that Beyoncé has the pipes to match Etta James, which had to have been the reason why she was cast in 2008's Cadillac Records. However, the "At Last" singer was short and round-faced, and the former Destiny's Child member is neither.

Dominic West As Prince Charles III (The Crown)

I mean no disrespect to Prince Charles III, but is it just me, or was The Wire star Dominic West just a little too handsome to play the Royal Family member on The Crown? Then again, any one cast member's portrayal on the historical Netflix series might pale in comparison to Elizabeth Debicki's striking resemblance to Princess Diana.

Kane Hodder As Ed Gein (Ed Gein: The Butcher Of Plainfield)

The most famous actor to wear Jason Voorhees' hockey mask in the Friday the 13th films must have seemed like an inspired choice to play one of the most notorious serial killers in history in 2007's Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield. However, the 6'2", broadly built Kane Hodder does not boast Gein's narrower face and small stature.

Clive Owen As Bill Clinton (Impeachment: American Crime Story)

In most cases, prosthetics can be very helpful in making an actor look more similar to the person they are portraying, such as when Charlize Theron became Megyn Kelly for Bombshell. Clive Owen adopted this method to play Bill Clinton on Impeachment: American Crime Story, but the makeup only caused the English actor to resemble the 1990s-era President even less.

Angelina Jolie As Christine Collins (Changeling)

Christine Collins is the subject of Clint Eastwood's 2008 period film, Changeling, which is based on the true story of when her missing son was replaced by an impostor. Had she been an even better-known historical figure, there might have been more criticism over casting Angelina Jolie, an actor known for her voluptuous lips, as the thin-lipped 1920s woman.

Fred Armisen As Barack Obama (Saturday Night Live)

Considering the fact that the otherwise extremely talented SNL star Fred Armisen is a white man with a subpar impersonation of the 44th. U.S. President, I'll just say that I am glad Jay Pharoah eventually took over as Barack Obama.

Tom Hulce As Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Amadeus)

Just based on artist renderings of the seminal composer, Tom Hulce was nowhere near a match to play the title role of director Milos Forman's Best Picture Oscar winner, Amadeus, from 1984. However, the actor is widely admired for his performance as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which earned him a well-deserved Academy Award nomination.

Robert Redford As Harry Longabaugh (Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid)

I wonder how many others like me had no idea that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was based on a true story, which might be how the film was able to get away with casting actors who look nothing like the Western outlaws they play. For instance, Robert Redford's mustache works just fine for the role, but Harry Longabaugh, a.k.a. "The Sundance Kid," did not have long blonde locks.

Diana Ross As Billie Holiday (Lady Sings The Blues)

Most would agree that 1972's Lady Sings the Blues is the superior biopic about the trailblazing "Strange Fruit" singer over The United States vs. Billie Holiday from 2021. However, those same people might also agree that Andra Day was a better fit to play Holiday, physically speaking, than the otherwise wonderfully talented Diana Ross in the earlier film.

Robin Williams As Patch Adams (Patch Adams)

The real Patch Adams hates Tom Shadyac's biopic based on his life, which has nothing to do with the fact that Robin Williams looks nothing like the influential doctor. However, it's still impossible to ignore, especially with how they do not even bother to give the Oscar winner Adams' signature mustache.

Mel Gibson As William Wallace (Braveheart)

In the most well-known illustrations of William Wallace, the Scottish warrior is depicted as having short hair and a beard. Why director Mel Gibson opted against this look when he portrayed Wallace in Braveheart is beyond me.

Serena Scott Thomas As Princess Diana (Diana: Her True Story)

Many actors have portrayed Princess Diana to varying degrees of success, but most consider Serena Scott Thomas from the 1993 two-part miniseries, Diana: Her True Story, to be one of the weakest matches, purely in terms of her physical resemblance.

Zoe Saldaña As Nina Simone (Nina)

The 2016 biopic, Nina, sparked controversy when Zoe Saldaña donned skin-darkening makeup and a prosthetic nose to better resemble singer Nina Simone, which the actor would later admit she regretted.

Some SPOILERS are ahead for all of the Mission: Impossible movies, now streaming with a Netflix subscription (except for The Final Reckoning, which is in theaters).

I’m still in shock over here. Are the Mission: Impossible movies really over and done with? Watching Tom Cruise hang off a biplane and try to recover a module in the depths of the ocean on the big screen really awakened something in me. And that something was going back over the Mission: Impossible movies now that they recently joined the 2025 Netflix releases.

And I have to say… I really forgot how many incredibly talented actors have shown up in the movies over the years! Of course, I had remembered Ving Rhames' Luther being there from the beginning, and it only made knowing his death in Final Reckoning hit harder. And, there’s no way I’m ever forgetting Philip Seymour Hoffman’s role as Owen Davian. But, there were quite a few appearances that genuinely shocked me. I’ll break them down below:

Jon Voight

Starting with the first Mission: Impossible movie, it pretty much felt like I was watching it for the first time when I kicked it on first. I’ll be honest, the last time I watched it before this, I found it boring in comparison to the newer installments, so I kind of have been sleeping on it, but I really enjoyed going back to basics with it this time around.

One of the reasons I actually decided to watch it was because Final Reckoning had a flashback to Jon Voight’s role as the leader of the IMF, Jim Phelps, and I had no memory of him in the movie. But, what a great role for the Oscar winner. He plays an excellent first villain for the M:I franchise.

Emilio Estevez

And, early in the Mission: Impossible, I did not have it on my bingo card to see The Breakfast Club’s Emilio Estevez! He plays an IMF agent who dies in an elevator shaft, but what a treat. It’s a fun little role for the actor because both Cruise and Estevez were in The Outsiders together over a decade earlier.

Kristen Scott Thomas

Another pleasant surprise in the first Mission: Impossible was Kristen Scott Thomas as another IMF agent. I’ve seen her in a ton of movies and TV shows over the years, but I just didn’t realize one of the first movies I likely saw her in was actually the first Mission: Impossible.

Jean Reno

And Jean Reno? I was literally going through my viewing of the 1996 first film, gasping left and right at the list of talent. Reno is an accomplished French actor first and foremost, but I’ve loved English-language movies like Léon: The Professional or The Pink Panther with Steve Martin. He’s so solid in Mission: Impossible as an ex-IMF agent who is the man who’s holding up Ethan during his iconic scene where he’s suspended by a wire.

Henry Czerny

The last one I want to bring up from the first movie is Henry Czerny. The character of Kittridge, the director of the IMF, is obviously in The Final Reckoning after being in Dead Reckoning as well, but I had sincerely forgotten that he was actually brought back from being in the original film. Rewatching the first movie after Final Reckoning is honestly so satisfying because they added so many callbacks from the first movie, that it’s even better because the last movie exists.

Brendan Gleeson

I moved on to Mission: Impossible 2 next, which I know is not a favorite among fans, but actually remained in my memory a lot more clearly than the first for some reason. I absolutely remembered Dougray Scott and Thandiwe Newton’s key roles in the John Woo film. But the first actor that caught me by surprise was seeing Irish actor Brendan Gleeson of the Harry Potter movies, The Banshees of Inisherin, and 28 Days Later. He plays a CEO who gets kidnapped in the 2000 sequel.

Anthony Hopkins

The other surprising actor in Mission: Impossible 2 was none other than Anthony Hopkins at the very end of the movie. I never would have guessed him showing up late in the action movie just to play Mission Commander Swanbeck for a little scene with Tom Cruise, but it definitely exists. I read that he was actually uncredited in the movie in order to give audiences at the time a shock when he made his appearance, and I find that fun.

Laurence Fishburne

Moving on to J.J. Abrams’ Mission: Impossible 3, I thought I had this one figured out, but yet again I was short-sighted by a few unexpected actors in the mix. This is a great rewatch because it has the first appearance of Simon Pegg’s Benji, and I loved seeing Ethan and him interact for the first time. But Laurence Fishburne being the IMF director? It’s literally perfect casting, and I had no memory of it.

Aaron Paul

Another fun one in Mission: Impossible 3 is Aaron Paul being in a key scene just a couple of years before he officially became Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad. He plays Ethan Hunt’s future brother-in-law, Rick, whom he calls during a pivotal scene where the agent is worried about the safety of his fiancée, Julia (played by Michelle Monaghan). Rick is completely clueless; he just aids the movie’s villain in capturing his sister, but Ethan ultimately saves her, so it all turns out OK.

Léa Seydoux

The last movie I watched is one of my favorites, Ghost Protocol. And, I’ve seen this one a lot. I had remembered that Lost’s Josh Holloway briefly shows up in the beginning and dies, because I was obsessed with that show at the time, and that Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner were part of Ethan’s team. Somehow, I forgot the insanely talented Léa Seydoux played an assassin named Sabine. This movie somehow almost came out fifteen years ago? Seeing Seydoux looking much younger made me realize that, but yeah, she’s still a perfect fit for M:I. I only wish she were in it more!

What a blast of a mission for me. The M:I movies really hold up. They continue to be exciting, unexpectedly funny, and full of great talent that have continued to do some great work after being in these movies.

Some of the most enduring stars got their starts more than six decades ago, and they are still going strong today. Stars like Harrison Ford, Dame Judi Dench, Jeff Bridges, and even Jodie Foster have been acting their whole lives, and their amazing careers will live on forever. Here is our list of amazing actors who started in the 1960s and are still working today.

Robert Duvall

After cutting his teeth with some television appearances starting in 1959, Robert Duvall made one of the most memorable film debuts of all time as Boo Radley in 1962's To Kill A Mockingbird. Duvall hasn't stopped stealing scenes in the 60+ years since. He's starred in some of the greatest movies ever, like The Godfather, and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies. His most recent credit is The Pale Blue Eye from 2022.

Sally Field

Sally Field is truly America's sweetheart. Her breakout role came on the classic TV show Gidget, and she's starred in some legendary movies and TV shows ever since. With roles in movies as diverse as Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump, and Fried Green Tomatoes, Field has proven she can handle any role she takes on.

Clint Eastwood

There are no bigger legends in Hollywood history than Clint Eastwood. Not much has been said here. His career started in earnest with Spaghetti Westerns, and he's been directing and starring in movies ever since.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda is Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Henry Fonda, so it's no surprise that she started her career at a young age. Her first credit goes all the way back to 16960's Tall Story, and she's still starring in movies today, like 2023's 80 for Brady.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman's career really didn't take off on screen until the 1980s (though he had plenty of credits in the '70s, too). He started mostly on stage in the 1960s and kept his focus there until landing a TV gig in 1971 on PBS's The Electric Company. Today, he remains one of America's most beloved stars.

Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine made her film debut way back in 1955 and by the 1960s was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Her star has never dimmed in the decades since, either, with memorable roles in Downton Abbey and the live-action The Little Mermaid in 2018.

Dustin Hoffman

When you burst onto the scene in a movie like The Graduate, as Dustin Hoffman did in 1967, it's pretty much a guarantee you're going to be a star. In the 60 years since that seminal movie, Hoffman has won countless awards and starred in everything from comedies like Tootsie to dramas like Rain Man, getting nominated for Oscars for both (and winning his second for the latter).

Faye Dunaway

If you look at a list of the best movies of all time, you'll notice Faye Dunaway in the credits of many of them. Starting with Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, right up until the 2020s. She took a small hiatus in the teens, but has been back working regularly since.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell's career started when he was just a kid, often starring in Disney projects. It's even Hollywood folklore that Walt Disney's last words were when he scrawled Russell's name on a piece of paper. Though there is no way to know when the note was written. Still, for the better part of seven decades, Kurt Russell has been a Hollywood superstar.

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren (you know they are important when they get a title like "Dame") started in film in 1966, and that was after having already started acting professionally on stage in the UK. She's never stopped, including starring in the recent hit MobLand on Paramount+

Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins' first credited film role came in the Shakespeare adaptation The Lion in Winter in 1968 alongside Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. He's since become one of the most beloved actors of his generation and has won countless awards and accolades.

Jodie Foster

If you look at Jodie Foster's credits, you might think she started in the 1970s as a teenager, but she was starring in commercials as far back as 1967 when she was just three years old.

Jeff Bridges

When you have a legend for a father like Jeff Bridges with Lloyd Bridges, its not hard to understand how he got his start so young. His amazing career in the decades since can only be credited to his immense talent, charm, and charisma on and off screen. And that's not, like, my opinion, man, it's a fact.

Rita Moreno

Puerto Rican superstar Rita Moreno can do it all. She can act, she can sing, and she can dance, and she's been dancing into our hearts since she first way back in 1950! For those of you counting, that's EIGHT decades of excellence.

Judi Dench

Like Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judy Dench started in the theater, especially doing Shakespeare plays. Her first professional stage credits date back to 1957, and right up through the 2020s, she's been a favorite of millions. One of the best actors of her generation, it's crazy she's only won one Oscar (for Shakespeare in Love).

Harrison Ford

The first thing you might think of when you think of Harrison Ford is Star Wars or Indiana Jones. It's true that it was those movies in the late '70s and early '80s that made him a superstar, but his career started humbly with roles in movies like A Time for Killing and Luv in 1967.

Sophia Loren

For more than 70 years, Sophia Loren has been a star in Europe and the United States. She started in her native Italy in 1950 before coming Stateside in 1958 when she signed on to star in movies for Paramount. Before long, she was a superstar on both sides of the pond.

Warren Beatty

Like his co-star in Bonnie and Clyde, Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty has been a star in Hollywood for decades. He's also been discerning in the roles he's taken over the years, so he doesn't have a long list of credits like most of the people on this list. That's not because his star dimmed. He's just particular, and that is something we all strive for.

Barbra Streisand

What can we really say about Barbra Streisand? She's a legendary singer and actor, and she's equally well-known for both. There are few stars as enduring and amazing as "Babs."

Robert Redford

Though he is officially retired now, Robert Redford is still one of the biggest Hollywood stars today (and ever). His career started with early roles on shows like The Twilight Zone, and by the time he hung up his cleats, so to speak, the star of The Natural was one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry.

Blythe Danner

Like many on this list, Blythe Danner started her professional career on Broadway and Off-Broadway in the 1960s. Her first movie credit came in 1972, but by then, she was a seasoned pro. She may be best known as the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow these days, but that is selling her way short, as she's been an award-winning actress for decades.

Al Pacino

Famously, Al Pacino entered the American consciousness in 1972's The Godfather, but he'd been working for a few years at that point, mostly on stage. His film debut was in Me, Natalie, alongside Sopranos cast member Nancy Marchand. He has been widely considered one of the best actors of his generation ever since.

Ellen Burstyn

Though her breakthrough didn't come until 1971 with The Last Picture Show, Ellen Burstyn had been picking up small roles on TV shows for years at that point. She has since gone on to win an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award. Not too shabby.

Robert De Niro

When you ask someone who the best actor of the last 60 years is, there is a decent chance Robert De Niro will be the name that comes out of their mouth. For many, many decades, De Niro has been stealing scenes and working his tail off to be the best actor he can be. He's gained weight for roles, dropped weight for others, and gotten completely cut for still others. All the while delivering his trademark charm and skills.

Cher

If you could turn back time and you were taking bets in the 1960s that Cher would still be one of the biggest stars in the world in the 2020s, you would probably get pretty good odds that she wouldn't be. She's proven everyone wrong, winning an Oscar for Moonstruck and continuing to wow audiences with her concerts.

Martin Sheen

It's hard to say just what role Martin Sheen will be best remembered for long after he's gone. Will it be Jeb Bartlett on The West Wing? Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Apocalypse Now? Carl Fox in Wall Street? Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg? What is for sure is that Sheen, who landed his first movie role in 1967, will be remembered fondly by millions of fans.

Vanessa Redgrave

English actress Vanessa Redgrave got her star in period pieces like A Man For All Seasons and Camelot in the 1960s. She parlayed that into a decades-long career that is still going, including a role in Cold Storage in 2025.

Ian McKellen

For modern generations, Ian McKellen is known for his roles as Gandalf the Grey and Magneto, but his career is so, so much more. One of the great Shakespearean actors of the last 60 years, he's been starring on stage and screen since the mid-'60s.

Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen found her biggest fame in the 1990s with Murphy Brown, but her career started way back in 1966 in the Sidney Lumet film The Group. She was a model before that, and has turned in role after beloved role on TV and in films.

Ron Howard

These days, Ron Howard is pretty much sticking just to directing, and he's an ace director to be sure. He famously started his Hollywood career as a kid in the 1950s and became a child star in the '60s as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. He later starred in Happy Days, before getting behind the camera and becoming one of the great directors of his time.

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn first became a household name in 1968 when she starred in Laugh-In. She's been a star ever since, including starring in a slew of box office hits in the '70s and '80s. There is no question she is one of the funniest actors of her generation, and now she's also the mother to some big stars, too, in Wyatt Russell and Kate Hudson. Not a bad legacy to leave.

Patrick Stewart

Like others on this list, Patrick Stewart will be best known for roles that came in the second half of his career, like Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor X in The X-Men series. Of course, his career is much more than those two roles. It's a career that started in TV in the '60s on British shows like Coronation Street and Civilisation.

Conclave -- a movie about a papal conclave -- was released only six months ago, and it was quite popular among cinephiles, becoming a major awards season contender. With that, it's not exactly a shock that, in the aftermath of Pope Francis' death, people are still gravitating toward the movie. However, it seems anybody who wanted to remember the Pope but didn’t have a Peacock subscription found another way to signify his death.

Back in 2019, Netflix released The Two Popes. The film starred Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis, and Anthony Hopkins (in one of his best movies) as Pope Benedict XVI, who in 2013 took the unusual step of actually stepping down as Pope, making way for Francis. The movie was an awards season darling in its own right, but it’s not a film a lot of people necessarily thought about for the last six years, but it recently became one of the most-watched movies on Netflix.

The Two Popes Viewership Exploded On Netflix

According to Netflix (via Variety), The Two Popes saw 3.2 global views for the week of April 21 -27, a 417% increase, which was good enough to place it in the #7 slot of the streamer's Top 10 movie list. For a six-year-old film, that’s an impressive leap and certainly an indication that the movie made more of an impression than it perhaps seemed at the time.

The Fernando Meirelles-helmed feature is quite simple, as it's almost entirely a dialogue between the current and future Pope as they discuss and debate the meaning, purpose and future of the Catholic faith. The conversations are, as far as anybody knows, completely fictional, though they are based on the speeches and published works of the two Catholic luminaries.

Certainly, considering that Pope Francis is actually a character in The Two Popes, and the character is built on the views of the real man, the film at least has the potential of helping people understand who Pope Francis was as a person.

Conclave Has Also Seen A Viewership Bump On Peacock

Conclave, a movie about the gathering to choose the new Pope, saw a 283% viewership increase immediately following the death of Pope Francis. The film had only been on Peacock for a brief period, so it was likely already getting significant views. However, it appears anybody who hadn’t sat down to watch it yet made a point to do so following learning of Francis' passing.

Given the actual conclave to choose Pope Francis’ successor is set to begin on May 7, we could see viewership of that movie continue to be strong for at least a couple more weeks. People will certainly wonder how close the ending of Conclave will bear to the real thing.

While the death of a Pope is certainly a major development for those belonging to the Catholic faith, it’s also a global historical event and one that happens so rarely that a lot of people, Catholic or not, are likely trying to put it into context. That’s certainly one of the things that great art can do.

On that note, grab yourself a Netflix subscription and stream The Two Popes, and head over to Peacock to watch Conclave.

The hero of a movie is the one who gets all the glory, but many actors claim to prefer playing the villain. It’s certainly true that many villains have stolen the movie from the hero when played in memorable ways, and one actor who would know is Anthony Hopkins. Perhaps surprisingly, the actor follows the simplest rule when portraying antagonists, and it makes so much sense.

Anthony Hopkins has played some of the most incredible roles in movie history, but it’s a safe bet that when the heat death of the universe occurs in a few billion years, the one performance the human race will most remember will be his Oscar-winning turn as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. He recently told Business Insider that the trick to playing the bad guy is to simply play them in the opposite way that people expect. He said…

We can certainly see Anthony Hopkins' performance as Hannibal Lecter taking that idea to heart. While “Hannibal the Cannibal” is a vile human being in every measurable way, Hopkins plays him as calm, polite, and exceedingly pleasant. Of course, all that is clearly masking the viciousness of the character, but then, that’s the point. The performance is so perfect that even Hopkins believes trying to do it again was a mistake.

Hopkins tells BI that he also used this formula for his new film. In Locked, IT's Pennwise portrayer Bill Skarsgard plays a man who tries to steal a car, only to discover he’s been intentionally trapped inside by the vehicle’s owner, a man named William, played by Hopkins. The character then proceeds to torture the would-be car thief, but he’s incredibly calm and pleasant about the whole thing.

Playing villains as purely evil is what we’re used to seeing, and while it certainly makes sense in a lot of cases, the idea that the “villain is the hero of their own story” would make a purely evil character not actually make sense. There’s no reason that a villain can’t be perfectly pleasant.

And looking back at not only Hannibal Lectuer but also other memorable villains in cinema history, it’s easy to see other actors potentially following this same rule. Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber in Die Hard is very pleasant. He treats the hostage situation he orchestrates as a simple business transaction. Norman Bates in Psycho, perhaps the greatest movie villain of all time, seems ordinary to a fault, which is what makes his reveal as a monster all the more shocking.

With so many blockbuster movies dominated by heroes, there are just as many opportunities for villains to stand out. Perhaps Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will use this philosophy in his upcoming Marvel movie appearances.

Last year, we saw Sir Anthony Hopkins channel his inner mascot in one of Super Bowl LVIII’s best commercials. And, already, as we prepare to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox amid (or you can watch the Super Bowl without cable), we know we’re in for more hilarious ads. If your biggest aspirations include seeing Channing Tatum go all Magic Mike to dance with Ryan Reynolds’ soccer team, well, I like your style, and you’re in luck amid this event on the 2025 TV schedule. The story behind Tatum’s involvement in the commercial is great, but the actor has a pretty big concern when it comes to his predecessor.

Channing Tatum Was Nervous To ‘Make A Fool’ Of Himself In Front Of Wrexham Team

Not only did Channing Tatum make a surprise cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine last summer, but Ryan Reynolds — who owns Wrexham AFC with Rob McElhenny — recruited strikers Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer for appearances as well. Who knew that wouldn’t be the last project the trio worked on together? Tatum told The Athletic he was still concerned about how the footballers would react to the Stōk Cold Brew shoot, even though he flew in early to catch a game and hang with the team. He said:

From the looks of things, everything worked out quite well, especially considering they were only given 30-45 minutes with the players before practice. Check out the commercial below, which Ryan Reynolds shared ahead of Super Bowl LIX:

How in the world did those athletes keep a straight face with Channing Tatum flipping and sliding around like that? Especially Steven Fletcher, the striker who Tatum came nose-to-nose with while emphasizing the importance of eye contact. Tatum seemed happy with their performances as well. He said:

They weren’t the only ones Channing Tatum was concerned about liking him with that Stōk Cold Brew, because the Blink Twice star knew he had some Wrex the Dragon-sized shoes to fill.

Channing Tatum Is Concerned About Anthony Hopkins’ Reaction To His Super Bowl Commercial

You might not think that donning the large red head of Wrex the Dragon could be the work of a serious actor like Anthony Hopkins, but there’s no doubt the Hannibal Lecter portrayer brought a gravitas to the role in last year’s Super Bowl commercial. Channing Tatum knows that, and he expressed concern for when his predecessor sees him dancing around the lockerroom, as he mused:

At least Channing Tatum didn’t have to wear the mascot costume. If he really is concerned with the Welsh actor’s opinion of him, he probably won’t want to show him the outtakes from the shoot (but my God, if there are outtakes, you can send those my way). Tatum recalled a little mishap he had while gyrating around the team’s medical supply table, saying:

Again, I plead, we need outtakes.

This is just one of the great commercials that awaits us during Super Bowl LIX on February 9. While many people may only be worried about how to watch Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s halftime show, I will be tuning in to see if any of the commercials will beat Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson’s hilariously traumatic E.T. parody. And the game. There’s also a football game.

The Academy Award for Best Actor has been handed out every year since 1929 — fun fact, it was awarded to German actor Emil Jannings for not one but two acclaimed roles, in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh — and in the near-century since, it's been presented 97 times to 86 actors. But while taking home that coveted statuette is definitely a career highlight for any performer, the honor does add a little extra pressure on the actor's next project. Will it be as beloved and acclaimed as the role that won them the gold? Here are 32 films that Oscar-winning actors did after taking home the Academy Award, and how they were received.

Cillian Murphy

After the enormity of portraying famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's billion-dollar blockbuster Oppenheimer, and taking home the 2024 Oscar for Best Actor in the process, Cillian Murphy went small for his next film — literally. In the 2024 adaptation of Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, Murphy returned to his native Ireland to play Bill, a quiet coal merchant and father of five internally struggling with the harsh realities of the infamous Magdalene Laundries. While Murphy didn't replicate the awards dominance of Oppenheimer with SMTLT, his internal and affecting performance was widely praised by critics.

Joaquin Phoenix

After four nominations throughout his decades-spanning career, Joaquin Phoenix finally took home that Best Actor statue in 2020 for his engrossing portrayal of the nihilistic clown Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' Joker. Following that iconic role, Phoenix next appeared in the 2021 Mike Mills dramedy C'mon C'mon, an improv-heavy performance that saw the actor play a middle-aged radio journalist tasked with babysitting his nephew (Woody Norman) while on the road for work. Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance at the Gotham Awards, and the film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the Top 10 Independent Films of the year.

Will Smith

Will Smith had quite an, um, eventful evening when he took home the Oscar for Best Actor in 2022 for King Richard after two prior nominations (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness). Winning an Oscar means that a spotlight is already bright on an actor, but the added publicity from the ceremony means his post-slap comeback would be even more scrutinized than usual. His follow-up was 2022's Emancipation, in which he played a runaway slave in 1860s Louisiana. Though the drama received mixed reviews overall, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance.

Anthony Hopkins

Though he's garnered six Oscar nominations across his illustrious acting career — with his most recent win being for 2021's The Father — Anthony Hopkins' first Academy Award was for that scene-stealing villain, psychiatrist turned serial killer Hannibal Lector in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. Following up such an iconic performance is no small task and unfortunately, Hopkins' next film, 1992's Freejack opposite Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger, was a sci-fi dud, bombing both with critics and audiences. During an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Hopkins himself called the film "terrible."

Leonardo DiCaprio

Five-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio had a bit of "always the bridesmaid" syndrome where the Academy Awards were concerned, until he finally took home the Best Actor Oscar for his emotionally raw and physically punishing performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu's 2019 Western epic The Revenant. His next big-screen role was, graciously, a bit less cold and blustery, trading the frosty American Midwest for starry Los Angeles in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The latter received 10 Oscar nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including a nod for DiCaprio's individual work.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had already taken home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a Civil War soldier in the 1989 war drama Glory, but he got his first big Best Actor win for portraying corrupt LAPD officer Alonzo Harris in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day. His next performance was another memorable Denzel role: as the title character in the 2002 Nick Cassavetes-directed drama John Q, which saw Washington play a desperate father who takes a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a heart transplant. Alas, despite some praise for Denzel's performance, the film itself boasts only a 26% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Robert De Niro

Six years after taking home the Best Supporting Actor statue for The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro got his Best Actor win for his iconic and intense work as boxing champion Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. A year later, De Niro put away the boxing gloves and picked up the Bible to play a Roman Catholic monsignor in 1981's True Confessions, opposite fellow The Godfather great Robert Duvall. Though reviews for the neo-noir were largely positive, the National Review's William F. Buckley, Jr. panned it: "Robert De Niro is badly miscast. He is never entirely convincing."

Matthew McConaughey

After acclaimed turns in 2011's Lincoln Lawyer and 2012's Magic Mike, the so-called "McConaissance" was officially solidified a year later with Matthew McConaughey's Oscar-winning portrayal of Ron Woodroof, a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS, in the biopic Dallas Buyers Club. Despite not having nearly as much screentime, the actor's next performance was just as memorable: a chest-thumping, meme-inducing extended cameo as Mark Hanna in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street.

Tom Hanks

Beyond being one of the most beloved actors of all time, Tom Hanks also holds a piece of cinema history: he's one of only two actors to win back-to-back Academy Awards for acting. Yes, that means after taking home the Best Actor Oscar for his heart-wrenching performance as HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in 1994's Philadelphia, Hanks struck Oscar gold yet again with his very next performance, as the titular lead of 1995's Forrest Gump.

Rami Malek

Rami Malek belted his way to an Oscar as legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the glossy 2019 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. His first post-award performance also revolved around his voice — voice acting, that is, as Malek portrayed a mountain gorilla named Chee-Chee in the 2020 fantasy-adventure film Dolittle, with his future Oppenheimer co-star Robert Downey Jr. as the titular doc. The family-friendly flick received abysmal reviews from critics, with Courtney Howard of Variety writing: "What should have been an awe-filled adventure quickly curdles into an awful one, thanks to a pedestrian formula and the filmmakers' fixation on fart jokes."

Adrien Brody

In 2003, Adrien Brody made Oscar history when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at age 29 for his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's war drama The Pianist, becoming the youngest actor ever to win in that category. Later that year, he followed up his historic win with the musical crime comedy The Singing Detective, about a mystery writer (Robert Downey Jr.) who relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations. The film scored a 39% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx had one hell of a 2004, serving up not one but two award-worthy performances: He took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as soul great Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray and also received a Best Supporting Actor nod that same year for his work in the crime film Collateral. It would be near-impossible for any performer to hit that kind of stratospheric high again, especially with Foxx's follow-up Stealth — the 2005 military action flick co-starring Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel was dubbed a "stink-bomb" by Roger Ebert.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Acting legend Daniel Day-Lewis deservedly holds the record for the most Best Actor awards ever, with three wins out of six nominations, but his first was for playing Christy Brown, a writer-artist born with cerebral palsy, in the 1989 drama My Left Foot. And though he would later follow that iconic role up by playing famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Bill the Butcher, his immediate next performance was as an Irish-American dentist traveling around Argentina in the forgettable 1989 dramedy Eversmile, New Jersey.

Jack Nicholson

The first of three Academy Awards for the legendary movie star, Jack Nicholson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest performance as Randle McMurphy nabbed him the Oscar in 1976. Later that year, he would star as cattle rustler Tom Logan opposite Marlon Brandon in the Arthur Penn-helmed Western The Missouri Breaks. Coming hot on the heels of not only his own Oscar win but also Brando's for The Godfather, the film was highly anticipated — however, it failed to live up to those expectations and became a notorious critical and commercial flop.

Marlon Brando

One of the most iconic cinema stars of all time, Marlon Brando was nominated for eight Oscars across his decades-spanning career. He won two, the first being for his electrifying role as prizefighter turned longshoreman Terry Malloy in the 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, widely considered one of the greatest acting performances of all time. His next role as Napoleon Bonaparte in the historical romance Désirée didn't win him any awards, but Variety reportedly called his performance "a masterful exhibition of thesping" at the time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman had already solidified himself as a vibrant and vital supporting actor with films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Almost Famous, Magnolia and 25th Hour, but his Oscar-winning portrayal of author Truman Capote in 2005's Capote officially upped him to leading man status. He would receive another three Oscar nominations in the years to follow, but his very next role was more of a crowd-pleaser than an awards grab: as arms dealer Owen Davian in Mission: Impossible III.

Russell Crowe

Audiences and critics alike were very much entertained by Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 Rome-set epic Gladiator, which earned the New Zealand-born star the Best Actor Oscar at the 73rd Academy Awards. Crowe would go up for the same award only a year later, for his portrayal of American mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. in the biographical drama A Beautiful Mind, but he lost to Training Day lead Denzel Washington.

Jean Dujardin

Jean Dujardin rose to international fame with his performance as George Valentin in the 2011 silent movie The Artist — his Oscar win was a historic one, as he was the first French performer to ever take home the Best Actor statue. Despite his newfound Hollywood status, however, the actor-comedian returned to his native France for his next film credit: The Players, a 2012 comedy anthology co-starring Gilles Lellouche, with each man also directing and writing a segment.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage's filmography is a wild ride, from critically acclaimed fare like Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and Adaptation to straight-to-video shlock. Thankfully, his 1995 drama Leaving Las Vegas falls into the former category, winning Cage the Best Actor Oscar for his role as alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson. (Funnily enough, it's not one of Nic Cage's favorite Nic Cage movies.) His next movie was the 1996 action thriller The Rock, which also won Cage an award: the Best On-Screen Duo statue at the MTV Movie Awards alongside co-star Sean Connery.

Eddie Redmayne

British star Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 biographical drama The Theory of Everything. But that career high was immediately followed by a career-low: a Golden Raspberry Award — a parody award honoring cinematic failures — for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in the galactically goofy 2015 space opera Jupiter Ascending. Even he admitted his performance was bad!

Sidney Poitier

A movie icon through and through, Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier made history in 1964 as the first Black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. A year later, he moved on from that seminal role with the 1965 Cold War thriller The Bedford Incident, as a civilian photojournalist aboard a U.S. Navy ship that gets into some messy business with a Soviet submarine. Though Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "the whole thing transcends plausibility," other critics clearly disagreed — the movie has an 86% Certified Fresh rating.

Sean Penn

After a trio of Best Actor nominations, Sean Penn's haunting performance as a grieving, vengeful father of a murdered Boston girl in the Clint Eastwood-directed neo-noir Mystic River finally got him the Academy Award in 2004. Later that year, Penn starred in yet another crime thriller, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, based on the story of the POTUS's would-be assassin Samuel Byck in the mid-1970s. The latter film didn't share the award-worthy gravitas of Mystic River, though, per Rotten Tomatoes, critical consensus said: "A fascinating true story and compelling Sean Penn performance are worthy compensations."

Roberto Benigni

Few Oscar wins were as memorable as Roberto Benigni's, what with presenter Sofia Loren's passionate declaration of "Roberto!" to Benigni's literal victory lap up to the stage. The Italian actor-director took the Best Actor trophy in 1998 for the Holocaust tragicomedy Life is Beautiful, making him the first honoree for a non-English language performance. A year later, he would appear in a very different movie: French-Italian-German comedy adventure flick Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar opposite Gérard Depardieu and Christian Clavier, which was a box office success.

Al Pacino

One of the most influential actors in modern cinema, Al Pacino was nominated for eight Academy Awards — including for The Godfather films, Serpico and the crime drama classic Dog Day Afternoon — before finally taking home the Best Actor statue for playing Frank Slade in 1992's Scent of a Woman. That Oscar win gave viewers an extra critical eye on his next role, as Nuyorican criminal Carlito Brigante in the De Palma crime drama Carlito's Way, however, reviews were largely positive.

Ben Kingsley

It's a daunting thing playing any famous figure in movies based on true stories, especially when the subject is so famous, that they need only one name. Case in point: Gandhi, the 1982 bio epic about the Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough and performed by English actor Sir Ben Kingsley. Luckily for them, the film won Best Picture and Kingsley took home the Best Actor award. Though his next project, the 1983 film adaptation of Harold Pinter's play Betrayal, didn't get Oscar acclaim, it was well-received by critics.

Humphrey Bogart

It seems surprising that Humphrey Bogart didn't win the Oscar for a role as iconic as Rick Blaine in the 1942 classic Casablanca. No, it would actually be another eight years until ol' Bogie won Best Actor for The African Queen, starring as Canadian mechanic Charlie Allnut opposite Katharine Hepburn's Methodist missionary Rose Sayer. His post-Oscar follow-up was the 1952 noir Deadline – U.S.A.: Variety said "Bogart gives a convincing performance all the way" as a big-city newspaper editor who exposes a gangster's crimes.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker was ferocious and formidable as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 historical drama The Last King of Scotland, one of his best performances that got the performer a Best Actor Oscar in '07. Later that year, the actor appeared in the ensemble crime drama The Air I Breathe alongside Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy and Brendan Fraser. Though reviews for the film were overwhelmingly negative, several singled out Whitaker's performance. Annabelle Robertson at Crosswalk wrote: "Whitaker, in particular, is extremely sympathetic in his role—a feat that is all the more outstanding after his turn as the evil dictator in The Last King of Scotland."

Dustin Hoffman

After three Best Actor nods, New Hollywood icon Dustin Hoffman received his first Academy Award for playing half of a couple going through a devastating divorce (alongside an equally great Meryl Streep) in Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. His next movie role is just as much of a classic: as Michael Dorsey-slash-Dorothy Michaels in the beloved 1982 comedy Tootsie, which nabbed the star yet another Best Actor nomination.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman was nearly unrecognizable in his prosthetics-heavy performance as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 2017 historical drama Darkest Hour. The Academy Awards honored the quintessential Oldman role with a Best Actor award, his second nomination after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His next role was just as transformative, if not nearly as acclaimed: Oldman voiced an artificial intelligence in the 2018 sci-fi thriller Tau, which holds a woeful critical rating of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Laurence Olivier

One of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors in film history, cinema icon Laurence Olivier starred in and directed adaptations of three of the Bard's best-known words, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955), and earned a Best Actor Oscar for playing the Prince of Denmark. After portraying one of the most famous characters of all time, Olivier switched it up by cameoing as a no-name policeman in the 1951 drama The Magic Box, a "distinguished" bit of stunt casting that The New York Times praised as a delightful "extravagance."

Casey Affleck

Casey Affleck's devastating performance as a father grieving the loss of his three children in Kenneth Lonergan's gut-wrenching Manchester by the Sea clearly broke the collective hearts of the Academy, which voted to give the Boston-bred performer the Best Actor award in 2017. That year, he would tackle another exploration of love and loss with the supernatural drama A Ghost Story, which was a hit with critics — Richard Brody of The New Yorker included the title on his list of the decade's best films.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser experienced quite the career comeback when he took the Best Actor Oscar for his acclaimed performance as a morbidly obese, housebound English teacher in the 2022 Darren Aronofsky-directed melodrama The Whale. He kept those high-profile projects going with his next film credit, as attorney W. S. Hamilton in Martin Scorsese's stunning American crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

With a career spanning decades since his film debut in 1985’s The Goonies, fans of actor Josh Brolin may have forgotten his work prior to joining the MCU in 2013. From time to time that period is recalled, and probably will be again in the near future, thanks to Brolin having two projects on the 2025 movie schedule.

But as seen in a recent recollection provided by Brolin himself, his understanding about the ups and downs of his own career has given him the ability to candidly admit that he always brings his A-game, and holds Sir Anthony Hopkins as an inspiration to do so.

Josh Brolin’s ‘A-Game’ Response To Being Asked About Doing ‘C- Work’

As the Dune: Part Two star sat down with host Guy Raz on The Great Creators podcast, the 2009 Academy Award nominee recalled a pretty blunt story about how his career had changed over the years. Through his anecdote about that interview, Brolin also shared his approach to acting in the following context:

Similar to that time Nicolas Cage rebuked claims he phoned some movies in, Josh Brolin is someone that I feel we can trust to be truthful in that regard. Whether it’s terrorizing the world as Thanos in the MCU, or running from an invisible Kevin Bacon in Hollow Man, it’s hard to make a case that the man doesn’t show up ready to play. Something like Brolin’s sterling impression of Tommy Lee Jones from Men in Black 3 doesn’t happen by accident.

Further along in this conversation, the member of the Weapons cast actually had another story to tell about when he was struggling in his career. And as you’ll read from Josh Brolin’s continued remarks, the trajectory of Sir Anthony Hopkins’ own resume is a key comparison he still has in mind when looking back.

How Anthony Hopkins’ Career Inspired Josh Brolin’s Take On Acting

Some of the “C-movies” that the Outer Range star may have done could have been due to just luck of the draw in an extensive career. While he doesn’t name any person or opportunity specifically, Josh Brolin continued to talk about his canon by recalling how he roles to "actors who I didn’t think were necessarily really good actors."

That frustration did lead to the wisdom that's helped him temper his reactions. Which leads to this example of Mr. Hopkins, and how the fates of good or bad actors are unknown:

In his current state, Josh Brolin can definitely mourn a missed opportunity, but move on to the next gig. We saw it graciously manifest when Brolin’s Lanterns casting rumors didn’t pan out, and we’ll probably see it again. Knowing his work ethic, and the skills he brings to the table, this should only endear this versatile talent to anyone who’s open to casting him.

Both parts of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation are currently available to stream, thanks to access to either a Max or Netflix subscription. The latter option will be important for fans of Josh Brolin as he can next be seen in Wake Up Dead Man: a Knives Out mystery, which will presumably be debuting on that platform at some point during 2025’s calendar.

I've always been a huge fan of scary movies, and I've seen most of the best horror movies.

However, one area that I feel I'm sorely lacking in is with old, Universal horror movies. I've seen Frankenstein and Dracula, but I’m sad to say that I’ve never seen The Mummy, The Invisible Man, or Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I HAVE seen the 1941 The Wolf Man, though (since I absolutely adore werewolf movies), and I'm super excited for next year's Wolf Man reboot from Blumhouse. That said, one werewolf movie that I rarely hear anyone talking about is 2010's The Wolfman, and I aim to rectify that. Here's why.

First Off, It's An Excellent Period Piece

Now, while I may not be as well-versed as I’d like to be in Universal monster movies (though I guess it’s never too late to start), I absolutely love gothic horror. Interview with the Vampire, Sleepy Hollow, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, my heart sings for it. So, when I first saw trailers for The Wolfman, I got heart palpitations in the best sort of way.

And, the movie did not disappoint. The Wolfman revels in its 1890s setting, with horse drawn carriages, lanterns, and old-timey medicine. Directed by Joe Johnston, who has a knack for period pieces, The Wolfman truly lives in the time period that it's set in.

The story concerns an actor in America (del Toro) who returns to his English home in order to bury his brother, and I just love basking in the old-timiness of it all. I love the grungy pubs, the beautiful estates, and the disturbing mental facility.

I also adore the woods that seem all-encompassing. The film has a very moody, atmospheric vibe to it, and the people who inhabit this world fit into it perfectly.

I especially like Hugo Weaving’s boss mutton chops. In every way, The Wolfman takes you back to a time before TVs and smartphones took over, and I am here for it.

It Also Respects The Classic Original

I’m very much interested in the upcoming Wolf Man (especially when I heard it was influenced by The Fly), but it takes place in a modern day setting, and it doesn’t look like the 1941 original…which is fine. Don’t get me wrong.

Because even though I never saw the original 1933 The Invisible Man, I thoroughly enjoyed Leigh Whannell’s 2020 reboot (which we gave a great review), so I’m looking forward to what he can do with 2025’s Wolf Man. That said, after watching the trailer numerous times, I don’t see many parallels between it and 1941’s The Wolf Man, other than a person being attacked by a wolf, and then slowly turning into one.

Modernity is cool and all, but I still want to praise 2010’s The Wolfman for sticking to some of the story beats that made the 1941 movie a classic. Such as the premise of a man returning home to bury his brother and reuniting with his estranged father. In both versions, our protagonist has been away for a while, and he is drawn back into this world due to a death.

A lot of the similarities end there, but one thing I especially appreciate is the relationship between father and son in both films. Spoiler alert for an 83 year old movie, but in the original, our protagonist’s father, played by Claude Rains, ends up killing his werewolf son, played by Lon Cheney Jr., by hitting him over the head with a silver cane. It distresses him when he realizes that his son was actually the werewolf.

However, in the 2010 remake, the father, played brilliantly by Anthony Hopkins, has a much more nefarious role, as he himself is a werewolf, and was the one who bit his son in the first place (He even hits him with a silver-headed cane, just like in the original). I think it’s really cool that the 2010 movie shows reverence to the original. While I’m looking forward to this new one, I still have to show love for 2010’s wolf edition.

That Said, It Is Really Violent And Modern

I know how I just said that the 2010 movie doesn’t take place in modern day times, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t feature modern day violence. Because The Wolfman, for all of its homages to the 1941, Hays Code-era original, is still very much a movie of its time–which means blood, blood, and more blood.

The Wolfman is Rated-R for a reason. In one scene where a wolfman attacks a camp, one poor soul gets clawed through the back of his head. In another horrific scene, the wolfman eviscerates hapless, screaming victims before rampaging through London.

I really dig this because it feels like it shouldn’t be. What I mean is, you have this late Victorian setting, and instead of characters fretting over a looming marriage, you have a werewolf ripping people to shreds.

It kind of reminds me of that period in the mid-2010s when we were getting those sort of parody films based off of Seth Grahame–Smith novels, like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, but not played for laughs.

In fact, 2010’s The Wolfman actually feels like what a live-action version of the Castlevania cartoon would be like if it was on the big screen. If you know me, you’ll know that I’m a man who loves his Castlevania. So, 2010’s Wolfman feels like the next best thing to a live-action version of that, which I totally dig.

Benicio Del Toro Makes For An Excellent, Haunting Lead

Benecio del Toro is a true chameleon of an actor (Which might be why he starred in a Netflix movie called Reptile) as he can play pretty much any character.

He was terrifying as a prosecutor-turned-assassin in Sicario, and yet, hilarious (and often unrecognizable) as the attorney in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I’m convinced he could play any role you throw at him, and that’s including a man who is haunted by lycanthrophy.

Because del Toro is a man with doubts and fears. Playing an actor named Lawrence, del Toro’s character returns to a world both familiar, but now alien to him. He is also a man who is haunted by his mother’s death, which he has repressed since he couldn’t understand it in his youth.

So, this is a man who is already a little unstable at the start of the film, and this is before he starts locking himself in at night in order to prevent himself from going on a horrific rampage.

What’s great about this performance is that he plays it like a man who is both terrified for himself and for others. It’s a surprisingly subtle performance in a bombastic role, and if you’re just watching it for the werewolf action, you might miss del Toro’s excellent underacting. However, I’ll tell you one person’s performance you certainly won’t miss…

And I Just Can't Praise Anthony Hopkins Enough For His Scenery-Chewing Performance

It is a widely known fact that Anthony Hopkins is only in The Silence of the Lambs for 16 minutes, but he uses every last second of those minutes to peak performance (Thus, earning him an Academy Award in the process).

That said, while Hopkins could definitely do more subdued performances if he wanted to, that is not what we get in The Wolfman, where Hopkins chews scenery like it’s going out of style.

Hopkins plays the patriarch in the film, and unlike del Toro’s character, who finds his new form to be torture, Hopkin’s character embraces it, finding great pleasure in mauling people and having them for dinner.

This is a great contrast to his son, who views himself as a monster. But, you can just tell that Hopkins is having a great time playing a cad. Even so, there is nuance to his performance since you don’t know until later that he’s been the initial wolfman the entire time.

The way he smiles about his affliction only becomes clear on repeat viewings, and he just seems incredibly odd when you initially meet him, since he doesn’t show fear, but rather interest in the idea of a werewolf on the loose. Honestly, I don’t think I’d love this movie the way I do if not for Hopkins’ immaculate performance. It’s the best.

For more news on the upcoming Wolf Man, be sure to swing by here often.

Whenever we talk about the best ‘90s movies, it doesn’t take long before the conversation turns to the most iconic actors of the final decade of the 20th century and their most beloved performances. But what are Will Smith’s, Julia Roberts’, or Keanu Reeves’ best movies for the unforgettable and transformative 10-year stretch? 

We’re being totally subjective here (Because why not?), but here are the best ‘90s movies for these 32 actors. Best Picture winners, a handful of the best action movies of all time, and other films that turned up-and-comers into overnight megastars can all be found below.

Will Smith (Independence Day)

Will Smith was already a household name by the time Independence Day was released and became the biggest movie of 1996, but this massive sci-fi flick took him to new heights. Electric, magnetic, and charismatic beyond belief, the Fresh Prince became the King of the summer blockbuster with his portrayal of Captain Steven Hiller.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic)

Is there a bigger ‘90s movie than Titanic, both in terms of financial returns and cultural prominence? Yeah, James Cameron’s story of the ill-fated ship, his special effects, and the rest of the cast made this 1997 disaster movie a must-see, but Leonardo DiCaprio, with his “King of the World” moment, made this an all-timer. 

Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire)

Picking the best ‘90s movie for Tom Cruise is no easy task, considering some of the actor’s best performances took place that decade. However, despite Magnolia and Mission: Impossible being great in their own ways, this has to go to Cruise’s dynamic portrayal of the struggling sports agent in Jerry Maguire. “Show me the money,” is a quote we keep in our repertoire nearly 30 years later. 

Sandra Bullock (Speed)

Sandra Bullock put herself on the map with her performance in Speed, one of the most iconic 1994 movies. Though she was great in Demolition Man the year before, Bullock’s take on Annie Porter made her an overnight sensation and quickly became one of her best roles to date, even outside the ‘90s.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

How Morgan Freeman didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in The Shawshank Redemption is one of the biggest mysteries, and travesties, in Hollywood history. His portrayal of Ellis "Red" Redding in this spectacular Stephen King adaptation is so strong and so believable that you don’t see him as an actor playing an inmate, but more like an aging prisoner trying to “get busy living or get busy dying.”

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

As much as we would have loved to argue for Jurassic Park being Samuel L. Jackson’s best ‘90s movie, Ray Arnold has nothing on the bad mother [redacted] that was Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction. Easily Quentin Tarantino’s best movie, this 1994 classic is essentially a master class in dialogue and non-linear storytelling.

Meg Ryan (Sleepless In Seattle)

A few years after leading the best romantic comedy of all time with When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan teamed up with Nora Ephron (who was directing this time around) for Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. The chemistry between Ryan and Tom Hanks as Annie Reed and Sam Baldwin, is incredible, even if they only share a couple minutes of screentime.

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

It’s hard to imagine what Julia Roberts’ career and Hollywood in general would be like if the actress didn’t play Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman. Sure, Roberts already had some hits and would have gone on to land big roles, but this 1990 rom-com instantly made her one of the brightest stars on the planet and showed off her dynamic range and impeccable comedic timing.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It)

Angela Bassett’s best movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It saw the celebrated actress take on the role of the legendary Tina Turner in this 1993 biopic about the late singer’s life, career, and toxic relationship with husband and music partner Ike Turner. Bassett had some pretty iconic ‘90s roles throughout the decade, but this is at the tippy top of the mountain.

Keanu Reeves (The Matrix)

Picking Keanu Reeves’ best movie of the 1990s is more difficult than you’d think. Point Break, My Private Idaho, and Speed are all contenders, but none come close to the heights of The Matrix and his performance as Neo, aka, the One. Watching Reeves’ character develop throughout this great ‘90s sci-fi film never gets old.

Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting)

Robin Williams had SO many good movies in the ‘90s, but Good Will Hunting was in a league of its own, at least in terms of performances by the late comedian. The richness, range, and emotion found in his portrayal of Sean Maguire is something to behold. No wonder he took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense)

The ‘90s saw Bruce Willis play everything from his most iconic character in the second and third Die Hard movies to the leads in multiple blockbusters. However, none of those compare to his work in The Sixth Sense. There is just something so warm and refreshing about his portrayal of a child psychiatrist trying to help a young boy make sense of life and his strange gift.

Harrison Ford (The Fugitive)

Have you gone back and watched The Fugitive lately? If not, do so now. If you have, you’re all too familiar with Harrison Ford’s performance as Richard Kimble, the Chicago doctor trying to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Air Force One and Clear and Present Danger are great, but this 1993 thriller is one of Ford’s career-best.

Frances McDormand (Fargo)

Frances McDormand’s portrayal of Marge Gunderson in the Coen Brothers' Fargo earned the actress the first of her three Academy Awards, and for good reason: she’s the heart and soul of the 1996 crime comedy.  

Gary Oldman (The Fifth Element)

Gary Oldman played some of the meanest ‘90s villains in movies like Air Force One, Leon: The Professional, and The Fifth Element, the latter of which features his best work of the decade. Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is one of those characters that you love to hate and enjoy watching as much as the 1997 sci-fi film’s hero, which is saying something.

Wesley Snipes (White Men Can't Jump)

In the years following his breakout performance in Major League, Wesley Snipes became one of the dependable faces in Hollywood thanks to unforgettable turns in New Jack City, Demolition Man, and Jungle Fever. But let’s be real, Snipes’ take on Syd Deane is one of the most iconic ‘90s characters and essentially carries this all-time great basketball movie.

Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan)

Tom Hanks dominated the ‘90s with Oscar-winning performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump as well as other decade-defining films like Toy Story and A League of Their Own. But in terms of the BEST movie, that has to go to Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg’s harrowing World War II epic about heroism, survival, and the hope of a better tomorrow.

Robert De Niro (Cape Fear)

We could have listed Goodfellas, Heat, or even A Bronx Tale as Robert De Niro’s best movie from the ‘90s, but his performance as Max Cady in Cape Fear is on a whole other level. Easily one of the Oscar winner’s most menacing characters, the psychopathic ex-con with a bone to pick is a force of pure evil here.

Al Pacino (Heat)

After playing all-time great gangsters in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Al Pacino was on the other side of the law in Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. Sure, Scent of a Woman earned him that elusive Oscar for Best Actor, but his take on Lieutenant Vincent Hanna is the stuff of legend. Plus, we also got to see Pacino and Robert De Niro share a scene for the first time.

Anthony Hopkins (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest performances of all time. That said, it should be no surprise that this great horror film gets the call here. Though there was some stiff competition.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights)

As much as we would love to break down all the awesome ways Philip Seymour Hoffman stole the show in Twister and My Boyfriend’s Back, the late actor really came into his own in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 drama, Boogie Nights. Hoffman’s sympathetic take on Scotty J. was nothing short of brilliant and showed what was to come.

Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs)

If you were to break down Jodie Foster’s best performances, her portrayal of Clarice Starling would be at or near the top of that list. A movie that has been quoted or referenced countless times over the years, this 1991 thriller remains one of the best ever made.

Brad Pitt (Seven)

David Fincher’s Seven is Brad Pitt’s best movie from the ‘90s for a variety of reasons: 1) the movie about a serial killer taking lives based on the seven deadly sins is violently unique, 2) it was the start of a partnership between actor and director, and 3) Pitt showed he was more than a pretty face and really had what it took.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (T2: Judgment Day)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is not only a decade-defining action movie or a landmark achievement in visual effects, it’s also Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best movie of the ‘90s and perhaps all time. James Cameron’s sequel is bigger and louder than its predecessor and epic beyond compare.

Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act)

Whoopi Goldberg won her first Academy Award for her role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost, a film that kicked off an impressive decade for the comedian and actor. Her spiritual guide for Patrick Swayze’s ghostly Sam Wheat in this supernatural thriller helped anchor the film and turn it into the biggest movie of 1990.

Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting)

Matt Damon went from a relatively unknown actor to one of the brightest faces (and voices) in Hollywood thanks to Good Will Hunting. His tortured performance as a young math prodigy in South Boston is still captivating more than 25 years later.

Eddie Murphy (The Nutty Professor)

Eddie Murphy did a little bit of everything in the ‘90s, but The Nutty Professor shows off some of the comedian’s best work. Playing multiple characters (heroes, villains, and in between) really showed off Murphy’s dynamic range and varied comedic styles.

Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore)

Though Big Daddy proved that Adam Sandler could handle slightly more dramatic roles, there’s no denying the fact that Happy Gilmore is the former SNL star’s best ‘90s movie. His take on a failed hockey player finding new purpose (and fortune) in the world of golf was a game-changer and created one of the best sports characters of all time.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington is another actor who had more great roles in the ‘90s than we can count, but at the top of his “best” list is Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic, Malcolm X. The movie about the controversial civil rights icon was eye-opening, enchanting, and epic.

Joe Pesci (Goodfellas)

We could have talked about My Cousin Vinny, we could have talked about Home Alone, and we could have even made a case for Casino, but none of that is possible without Goodfellas. The movie, which introduced the world to Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito, is one of the greatest gangster movies of all time and an influential piece of cinema we still rave about 30-plus years later.

Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise)

Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, a movie featuring one of the best female friendships with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis’ titular characters, helped kickstart the decade back in 1990. Easily Sarandon’s best movie of the ‘90s, this crime drama about two friends on the run from the law is just so dang great.

Jim Carrey (Dumb & Dumber)

Jim Carrey absolutely dominated the ‘90s comedy scene, and the box office in general back in 1994. While Ace Ventura Pet Detective and The Mask both have their moments, we have to be real for a second and admit that Dumb and Dumber is some of Carrey’s best work.

Movie fans had lots to love in the '90s and these actors and their best movies of the decade will never be forgotten.

It’s another week in the heat of summer. If you’re trying to keep cool by staying indoors, there’s plenty to enjoy on the best streaming platforms, but finding the highlights can often be tough. When there is so much upcoming on Netflix and even more new to Hulu, how do you decide what to watch?

Well, we have you covered with some of this week's streaming highlights. Whether you’re looking for your favorite movie or a brand new movie, some great options are coming this week. From what’s new on Disney+ to the best new movies and shows on Max, here’s what’s worth looking at over this week. 

New TV

 Simone Biles Rising 

Three years ago Simone Biles did the unthinkable and took herself out of the Summer Olympic Games (and garnered praise from Taylor Swift and more but jeers from others). Now, a new documentary series will take a look at the gymnastics phenom, her decision to do that, and the events that have followed since, leading to her return as part of Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

With the new documentary arriving just a week before the Summer Games start up, it should be a great way for fans to get pumped up for the two weeks of events that will be launching next week, though on another streaming service. 

Simone Biles Rising premieres July 17 on Netflix.

Star Wars: The Acolyte, Season Finale

While fans are still waiting for several promised upcoming Star Wars movies, the franchise has done well on streaming and made a Disney+ subscription worthwhile for a lot of people. The latest series, The Acolyte has broken new ground by setting a live-action Star Wars adventure far away from the characters and worlds that are closely associated with the Skywalker Saga. The show has had numerous twists and turns along the way so fans won’t want to be late to check out the final episode when it debuts on the evening of July 16.

At this point, it’s unclear whether there are any plans for an Acolyte Season 2, or when such a thing might happen. As such, we can’t even guess what the ending of the current season will look like, if it might be mostly definitive, or leave lots of open questions for future seasons to explore. 

Watch Star Wars: The Acolyte on Disney+.

Cobra Kai Season 6: Part I  

The Karate Kid spawned sequels, reboots, and remakes, but its most successful incarnation may be Cobra Kai, the series that picked up the story of Daniel and Johnny decades later. Every season of the show has been a hit, since even before it was available with a Netflix subscription. The first batch of episodes from the show’s final season are arriving this week.

This is only part one of the final season, so fans won’t need to be ready to say goodbye just yet but any new fans who want to get caught up should probably do so quickly.

Cobra Kai Season 6 premieres July 18 on Netflix.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah!

One of the more popular pieces of Batman-related media of the last few years hasn’t been about the caped crusader, but one of his villains. The Harley Quinn animated series, in all its foul-mouthed violent glory, has been incredibly popular. And, while fans are still waiting for Quinn Season 5, among many other upcoming DC TV shows, they will get something that we hope will be as good this week.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! follows the titular, and overlooked, Batman villain in a spinoff series that picks up from the character’s introduction in the Harley Quinn series. Odds are the new show will be just as wild as its predecessor, and possibly even more ridiculous, considering the protagonist of the series is… Kite Man.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah premieres July 18 on Max.

Those About to Die 

It’s a pretty good year to be a Sword and Sandals fan. A lot of people are looking towards the release of Gladiator 2, the sequel to the Oscar-winning movie from Ridley Scott. But that's not the only new media surrounding gladiators in the coliseum that we’ll get this year, assuming you have a Peacock subscription.

Those About to Die stars Anthony Hopkins as the Emperor overseeing the combat in the Coliseum during Ancient Rome. Considering the series is produced and directed by Roland Emmerich, a man who knows a thing or two about spectacle, it seems likely the new show will at least look amazing. 

Those About to Die premieres July 18 on Peacock.

NFL Flag Football Championship  

In an era where streaming has taken over from traditional television in many ways, live sports is one area where traditional TV tends to still rule. Disney+ has occasionally played around with unique live sporting events on the platform, and that will happen again when two live flag football championship games, one for boys and one for girls, are carried live.

Kids flag football as a TV event may be a bit unusual but, with several entertainment companies currently working on a live sports streaming platform, it may be an early look at what is to come, and with no other football to watch right now, why not?

NFL Flag Football Championship premieres July 21 on Disney+.

New Movies

My Spy: The Eternal City  

Back in 2020, an action/comedy starring Dave Bautista as a CIA agent who gets entangled with a young child, My Spy, was supposed to open in theaters. A global pandemic had other plans, and the movie ultimately debuted on Prime Video. Ultimately, it must have been quite popular, as Prime Video subscribers are now getting a sequel.

My Spy: The Eternal City sees Dave Bautista’s special agent coming out of retirement to chaperone a school trip for young Sophie. The duo is off to Europe, where there just so happens to also be a terrorist plot unfolding. 

My Spy: The Eternal City Premieres July 18 on Prime Video.

Fifty Shades Darker/Fifty Shades Freed 

One of the benefits of streaming is that usually entire franchises end up on the same streaming platform and fans can watch everything in one big marathon if they so choose. Unfortunately for Fifty Shades of Grey fans with a Netflix subscription, when the first movie arrived on the platform last month, it did so alone. But, now, it'll be joined by the other two movies, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, which arrive alongside the original.

The Fifty Shades of Grey movies aren’t exactly beloved by everybody. However, they were box office hits, so it's clear the movies have fans. And, now, you can watch the entire trilogy at home where nobody will be able to judge you for your choices. 

Stream all three Fifty Shades movies beginning July 16 on Netflix.

 Love Lies Bleeding

One of the best parts of having a Max subscription is the fact that you have access to most of the great films of A24. Love Lies Bleeding wasn’t a massive hit at the box office and may not get a great deal of awards consideration, but it’s arguably one of the strangest movies of 2024 so far, and that makes it worth a watch.

What appears to be a noir queer love story, and is that, is also a great deal more. As such, Love Lies Bleeding is a movie worth checking out. It may not be for everybody, but you won’t know if it’s for you unless you watch it, and the right audience is going to be very happy they found it. 

Love Lies Bleeding premieres July 18 on Max.

All this should certainly keep fans glued to their television for the next week. One can only hope that there will be as much left to keep us going for the resort of the summer. 

Sometimes, a character and a project come around that impacts the zeitgeist deeply, and when that happens, the role becomes permanently attached to an actor’s legacy. This list includes over 30 actors from some of the greatest movies and TV shows who will forever be remembered for one role. 

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter, Harry Potter 

While Daniel Radcliffe’s list of best movies is long and notable – with entries like Swiss Army Man and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – he will always be known first and foremost as The Boy Who Lived. The actor took on the titular role of Harry Potter when he was 12 years old, and he’s the face of a franchise of movies that have raised countless people. So, while he is beloved for lots of things, nothing will ever be as big and prominent as his role in the Wizarding World.  

Aaron Paul – Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad and its cast truly took the world by storm, and the guys leading the charge, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, became certified legends because of it. It’s hard to separate Paul from Jesse Pinkman, and the impact he made with his fellow ensemble members in this incredible show.  

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

When you play one of the greatest TV characters of all time, obviously, it’ll be the thing you’re most remembered for. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, she’ll always be known as the legendary Buffy the Vampire Slayer after playing the empowering and strong titular character for seven seasons in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. 

Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man/Tony Stark, Iron Man

Yes, Robert Downey Jr. won an Oscar for Oppenheimer, and yes, he’s well known for roles in other films, like Sherlock Holmes. However, when you single-handedly help successfully start a cinematic universe like the one Marvel has and star in nine of those projects, yes, you are going to be known for playing that character forever.

So, when it comes to RDJ’s legacy, his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the thing he’s remembered forever for.  

Elijah Wood – Frodo, Lord of the Rings

Like Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter, so many grew up with Elijah Wood and Lord of the Rings. His portrayal of the hobbit Frodo Baggins was incredibly impactful, and while he has gone on to play a variety of memorable roles, there’s no denying the power of the Rings. 

Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia, Star Wars

You can’t talk about the late great Carrie Fisher and her career without mentioning Princess Leia and the Star Wars movies. She inspired a whole generation as her intelligent, stubborn and empowering princess, and the five films she was a part of helped define sci-fi in film. 

Leonard Nimoy – Spock, Star Trek

Live long and prosper, my friend. Forever and always the legendary Leonard Nimoy will be known for originating the role of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock in Star Trek. 

Christopher Reeve – Superman, Superman

Christopher Reeve’s legacy is rooted in him playing Superman in four films. Even the documentary that came out about his life in 2024 leans into his time playing Clark Kent, as it’s called Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. 

James Gandolfini – Tony Soprano, The Sopranos

The Sopranos is considered one of the greatest shows on television, and James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano is a major reason why. The actor won three Emmys for his performance in the series, and his name, face and voice are synonymous with the beloved HBO drama. 

Alicia Silverstone – Cher Horowitz, Clueless

When I think of Alicia Silverstone, I immediately think of Cher, because she is and always will be best known for her iconic performance in one of the best movies of the ‘90s, Clueless. 

Sigourney Weaver – Ellen Ripley, Alien

Sigourney Weaver changed the sci-fi game when she starred in Alien. Ellen Ripley is a magnificent and strong leading woman in this sci-fi horror flick, which in 1979, was not something we saw very often. 

Jim Parsons – Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

“Bazinga!” Will always follow Jim Parsons, and that’s because of his tenure playing Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The actor has four Emmys for playing the role, he starred in all 280 episodes of the comedy, and his character even inspired a spinoff, Young Sheldon, which came to an end in 2024 after its own seven-season run. 

Kit Harington – Jon Snow, Game of Thrones

The world was introduced to Kit Harington because of Game of Thrones, and he will always be remembered as the heroic Jon Snow. His role in the GOT cast was vital, and over the years, as we watched him battle it out at The Wall and work toward saving Westeros from winter, it was impossible not to fall for him. Now, while Harington has been in numerous other projects since then, it’s impossible not to think of him as this epic fantasy hero first. 

Emma Watson – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter

These days, Emma Watson doesn’t act anymore, and she’s killing with her gin company Renais. However, she’ll also always be remembered as a wonderful actress who brought life to the beloved witch Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. 

The Entire Cast of Friends

Yes, the cast of Friends all went on to have successful careers after the NBC sitcom. However, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox are best known as Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Monica, and they always will be, because they’re the ones with a hit TV show. 

Ralph Macchio – Daniel LaRusso, The Karate Kid

After three Karate Kid movies, and six seasons of its highly successful spinoff Cobra Kai, you’d be silly not to think that Ralph Macchio will always be remembered for playing Daniel LaRusso. 

Linda Hamilton – Sarah Connor, The Terminator

Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate. She’s beloved for portraying the protagonist in this sci-fi franchise, and she’s synonymous with this series that she starred in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Chris Hemsworth – Thor, Thor

While many Marvel actors have become synonymous with their characters, one who really stands out is Chris Hemsworth and Thor. Physically, the Australian actor perfectly embodies the God of Thunder, and throughout his time playing the character he added an unexpected sense of humor to the role – especially post-Thor: Ragnarok – that he’ll be remembered forever for. 

Kristen Stewart – Bella Swan, Twilight

Twilight, the debate about Team Edward vs. Team Jacob and Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan took over the zeitgeist between 2008-2012. To this day, while she’s gone on to star in incredible films like Spencer and Love Lies Bleeding, the role that made her a household name is one of the parts she’ll always be remembered for. 

Heath Ledger – The Joker, The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger is widely regarded as the best Joker, because of his commanding performance as the legendary Batman villain in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. This movie was also one of his last before his untimely death, and he won a posthumous Oscar for his incredible take on the infamous big bad. 

Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven, Stranger Things

Millie Bobby Brown has made quite a few successful films, like the Enola Holmes movies. However, it’s undeniable that the role that will define her career is Eleven in Stranger Things. She was only 12 when she started playing the mysterious super-powered human, and over the course of the show’s five-season run, both she and the ensemble of the Netflix series, have become pop culture icons because of the show. 

William Shatner – Captain Kirk, Star Trek

If you take a look at the four projects listed at the top of William Shatner’s IMDb page, all of them are Star Trek movies where he played Captain Kirk. The man starred in seven films and a long-running TV show as the beloved captain, so of course it’s what he’s best known for. 

Michael J. Fox – Marty McFly, Back to the Future

From Family Ties to Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox and his shows and movies were ‘80s staples. However, there’s no denying that the project he’ll always be remembered for is Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. To this day, the project is considered one of the best ‘80s movies, and Fox is still beloved for playing the charismatic, funny and heroic Marty McFly. 

Reese Witherspoon – Elle Woods, Legally Blonde 

In the over two decades since Legally Blonde’s release, so many have been inspired to pursue their dreams and wear lots and lots of pink. That’s because Elle Woods truly left an amazing mark on the zeitgeist, and it’s because of Reese Witherspoon’s heartfelt, funny and preppy performance as the incredible lawyer-in-training. 

As Elle Woods would say, “What like it’s hard” to create one of the best characters and movies of the 2000s? 

Jon Hamm – Don Draper, Mad Men

While Jon Hamm is a wicked comedic actor, and he’s starred in a myriad of fun movies, nothing will ever come close to Mad Men. For 92 episodes, Hamm led the Mad Men cast as Don Draper – which he took an Emmy home for in 2015 – and he’ll always be recognized for playing the charismatic creative director of Sterling Cooper.

Judy Garland – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a film that has raised generations of kids since 1939, and it’s still a family classic. So, when you lead a beloved musical like that, as Judy Garland did, and it remains relevant and loved for over eight decades, obviously, the role you’ll always be known for is that one. 

David Tennant – The Doctor, Doctor Who

While everyone who has played the titular timelord on Doctor Who is known for that role specifically, David Tennant is a fan-favorite Doctor, and it’s single-handedly the project he’s best known for. While he’s dabbled in many other critically acclaimed projects, like Good Omens and Broadchurch, he is and always will be the beloved actor who graced our screens as the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors first and foremost. 

Anthony Hopkins – Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it’s in part thanks to Anthony Hopkins' truly terrifying cannibal Hannibal Lecter. In fact, his character became so popular that it inspired three more movies and a TV show. 

Sarah Jessica Parker – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

I’m sure Carrie Bradshaw inspired many women to become writers, and I know she left many of us fantasizing about living out our lives in New York City. Sarah Jessica Parker truly slayed the role, and her own sense of style and charismatic personality meshed perfectly with Carrie. Along with playing the writer in the OG series Sex and the City, SJP has also portrayed her in two movies and the series And Just Like That. 

Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones 

Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen, those are all the names Emilia Clarke’s dragon rider went by in Game of Thrones, and she gave an absolutely commanding performance as her. While her ending wasn’t what most wanted, there’s no denying how amazing it was to see Daenerys rise from a woman trying to survive to a powerful leader, and that’s because of how brilliant Clarke was in the role. 

Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker, Star Wars

He was the face of the original trilogy, and you can’t think about Star Wars without thinking about Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker. While the actor is well-known for other roles, especially in the world of voice acting, his most prominent part has to be this. 

Gal Gadot – Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman

Sadly, there aren’t many superhero movies led by women. However, luckily, we do have a few wonderful ones, and that includes Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. She played the beloved hero with so much grace, poise and strength, and she’ll 100% always be remembered for it. 

Obviously, while all these actors have played other prominent roles in well-known movies and shows, there’s no question that when we consider their legacies, these parts will be the first ones we think about. They’re that iconic, and we have these performers to thank for them. 

In Robert De Niro's best movies, he's gotten to play some of the most iconic characters in movie history. There are few characters as memorable as Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver or a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II. However, it turns out that De Niro could’ve played another famous role at one point. The Goodfellas actor recently revealed that Hannibal Lector from The Silence of the Lambs was originally offered to him, and he explained why Anthony Hopkins ultimately played the character instead. 

The veteran actor was a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher, where he chatted with the talk show host about his latest Oscar-nominated project, Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as issues regarding our political climate. Before the conversation turned away from acting, Maher asked the performer about some of his famous roles and if there were any parts he missed out on over the course of his prolific career. While Robert De Niro didn’t seem to have any regrets, he did mention that he was once offered the role of Hannibal Lector. He said: 

Anthony Hopkins feels like the perfect actor for the role in hindsight. But, at the time, wouldn't have exactly been surprising for Robert De Niro to have been offered the role first. The Silence of the Lambs was released in 1991, only a year after Goodfellas, and only a few years following De Niro’s turn as the villainous Al Capone in The Untouchables. The now-80-year-old actor was one of the most bankable movie stars at the time, and a movie villain like Hannibal Lector would’ve been right in his purview. Of course, Anthony Hopkins was well respected in his own right, but you can’t deny De Niro’s star power in the early '90s. 

Even with a part that was seemingly such a great fit for the Oscar winner, and an auteur mind like Jonathan Demme behind the project, the Casino icon still had a hard time committing to the film. The Irishman actor ultimately named his indecisiveness as the reason why he wasn’t cast as Lecter. He told Maher: 

Even though it’s easy to toss around “what-ifs,” his lack of regret makes it seem like he is ultimately content with how everything transpired. The right actor seems to have gotten the part, and Anthony Hopkins has been synonymous with Hannibal Lector throughout his entire career. He won Academy Award for Best Oscar for the role, and played Lector once again for the sequel film, Red Dragon. Ironically, De Niro played another mean '90s movie villain in a film that same year, taking on the fearsome Max Cady in Martin Scorsese’s rewatchable thriller, Cape Fear. Maybe the energy he had in that role is what he would’ve brought to Lector had he taken on the part. We'll never truly know. 

Robert De Niro may not have been Hannibal Lector, but he plays a villain just as unsettling in his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, which you can check out now with an Apple TV+ subscription. The movie made him, once again, an Oscar nominee in 2024, so check it out while you can. Fans of Silence of the Lambs can also revisit the film and see what Anthony Hopkins did with the iconic serial killer role now on MGM+. 

Fan theories can be crazy when it comes to what the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows could be bringing around the corner. So why shouldn’t we throw another interesting possibility into the mix, as I’m about to propose that Sir Anthony Hopkins starring in a Ryan Reynolds-produced ad for the Super Bowl could mean something big for the world 2024 movies. Brace yourself, as I have a wild Deadpool 3 theory that I really hope is true.

Sir Anthony Hopkins Is The Wred Dragon

On the surface, we have a fantastic meeting of the minds, as the marketing wizardry of Reynolds’ Maximum Effort brand has teamed up with this Academy Award-winning talent with a great sense of humor. In an ad for Stōk Cold Brew brand, which is an official sponsor of the stadium home to Wrexham AFC, Anthony Hopkins plays the role of a lifetime. Watch him embody the spirit of Wrex the Wred Dragon, in the video below:

Now how did this combination come to pass? Well, with Welcome to Wrexham’s football club being located in Wales, having Sir Anthony’s Welsh acting talents boosting the team’s profile would seem like a natural fit. That said, if you’re looking for what we know about Deadpool 3,  you should probably head elsewhere, as I’m going to drop my wild theory about where Mr. Hopkins might come into the MCU. 

My Wild Deadpool 3 Theory Involving Sir Anthony Hopkins

Again, I must stress my own personal disclaimer that I am not basing this theory on any sort of inside intel. Honestly, my Deadpool 3 theory is something very tenuous, and is merely based on the fact that Ryan Reynolds loves to work with previous collaborators. 

With the Silence of the Lambs star making an appearance in this Reynolds-produced commercial, and that knowledge in mind, I think Anthony Hopkins could have a role in Deadpool 3…as a Professor X variant. Hear me out: we already know that Deadpool 3 is going to be yet another multiversal story, thanks to those wild Deadpool 3 set photos showing off three variants of Wade Wilson’s persona. 

Not to mention, recent speculation has been calling into question whether the legendary Patrick Stewart could reprise his iconic role as Charles Xavier. Stewart’s clever dodging of this X-Men question brings in the distinct possibility that Professor X will be a character in this director Shawn Levy’s recently wrapped three-quel. 

Take both of those highlights, and multiply over Anthony Hopkins enjoying cold brew with a dragon costume out of nowhere for Ryan Reynolds, and you’ve got the origins of a theory. Surprisingly, no cold brew coffee was involved in the formulation of this theory. But I wouldn't be above a second draft under such an influence.

If we’re going to see the Marvel multiverse hard at work in Deadpool 3, then why wouldn’t multiple Professor X variants be involved? Also, who better to even consider for the role of Charles than Sir Anthony? Well, besides the obvious choice of X-Men hopeful Giancarlo Esposito. 

Then again, maybe Anthony Hopkins could be playing an "Old Man Wade" variant of Ryan Reynolds' Merc with the Mouth. But who'd drop a wild theory like that without explanation of a similarly valid possibility, like a Marvel Studios post-credits tease? 

The multiverse is vast, and there’s plenty of room for variation in Deadpool 3. Though the movie’s already wrapped and set for release on July 26th, who knows what huge secrets are still hidden behind the veil of secrecy known as Marvel Studios security? For all anyone knows, appearances from Sir Anthony Hopkins and Taylor Swift make up a whole new universe of campy X-Men adventures! 

The Silence of the Lambs is one of the best horror movies of all time, and Anthony Hopkins’ performance as Hannibal Lector still makes our skin crawl to this day. Many of his scenes are, of course, opposite Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling, the FBI agent sent to interview Lector as a way of helping a different case. The actors' exchanges are electric, with their first meeting remaining an iconic moment in cinema, and despite the fact that it’s been 30 years since they worked together, Hopkins still fondly remembers working with his younger co-star.

Speaking with People, Hopkins opened up about filming The Silence of the Lambs, and what he remembered about working with the Taxi Driver actress. While a significant amount of time has passed, Hopkins was still emphatic in his praise for Foster's approach to acting, as well as her personal character. In his words:

This mutual respect, as well as their individual acting techniques, comes across on screen, where conversations between Hannibal and Clarice resemble ping pong, with power dynamics changing over time. Hopkins could not be more menacing, but Foster still holds her own and never seems meek when she faces Lector. They have great chemistry as scene partners, despite the antagonistic nature between their characters. The film remains a fan favorite, with both actors earning Oscars for their work in the film, which is still the only horror movie to win Best Picture. 

While many of Hopkins' scenes are with Foster, there is constantly a separation between the actors. Hannibal Lector is a convicted serial killer, so he is often behind bars or a large wall of plexiglass. The separation is even more intense considering how director Jonathan Demme shot the film. 

Behind-the-scenes stories from Silence of the Lambs reveal that many of their lines were filmed directly to camera rather than to each other, which must’ve made it slighly more difficult to build their complex dynamic. However both actors do so wonderfully, and Foster’s “no nonsense” approach, which Hopkins states still had a laidback quality, likely helped make it pop.

Both have yet to reunite on the big screen, and the iconic nature (and legal knotting) of Thomas Harris' characters may make it difficult for them to share a scene again in those specific roles. However, the former co-stars reunited in 2021 for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, featuring one of the rare times over the years where they discussed their experience together. 

While on The Graham Norton Show, Foster admitted that she avoided talking to Hopkins while they were filming, as she was fearful of both the actor and his character. Even though they may not have been fast friends behind the scenes, that kind of relationship clearly were not needed for Hopkins to see what a hard working and focused actor Foster was. 

Fans can revisit Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster’s award winning performances in The Silence of the Lambs, which is currently streaming with a Max subscription, which is where fans can also watch her tackling her latest on-screen murders in True Detective: Night Country. Netflix subscribers can also check out Foster in her latest film, Nyad, while Hopkins' latest film Freud's Last Session is now playing in theaters nationwide. For more information on other films heading to cinemas and streaming in the near future, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule. 

Warning: SPOILERS for Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire are ahead!

Rebel Moon boasts a stacked cast filled with names like Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Dijon Hounsou and Cary Elwes, but one of the actors we don’t actually see in this recent addition to the Netflix movie schedule is Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs alum participates in Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire as the voice of JC-1435, a.k.a. Jimmy, the last of a race of robotic knights that once defended the royalty of this universe. The first half of director Zack Snyder’s sci-fi epic ended things on a strange note for Jimmy, and writer Kurt Johnstad, who penned the script with Snyder and Shay Hatten, shared with CinemaBlend how Rebel Moon’s extended cut will address the robot’s backstory.

In addition to Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver arriving to Netflix subscribers next April, director’s cuts of both Rebel Moon movies will be released, although it hasn’t been announced yet when the first of these will come out. When I asked Johnstad during our interview about what the significance was of Jimmy wearing a crown of horns at the end of A Child of Fire, while he didn’t directly answer that question, he did say there will be more Jimmy scenes in the extended version, along with more fleshing out of this sci-fi universe’s lore. The writer explained:

For those who either haven’t seen the first half of the Rebel Moon tale yet or already need a refresher, Anthony Hopkins’ Jimmy (who was physically portrayed by Dustin Ceithamer on set) was activated on the moon of Veldt to help the Imperium soldiers left behind by the ruthless Atticus Noble to keep an eye on the villagers in the farming colony until he returns. While it’s initially revealed that Jimmy has taken a vow of nonviolence ever since the king and his family were slain and Regent Balisarius took control of The Motherworld, Jimmy came in to help Kora and Private Aris protect the farm girl Sam from being raped by the other Imperium soldiers. Jimmy shoots the leader, then disappeared.

As for why Jimmy was wearing that crown in the Veldt wilderness by the time A Child of Fire is over, evidently we’ll have to wait to see Rebel Moon’s director’s cut, which Zack Snyder described as a “different movie,” to learn that answer, though it’s unclear if The Scargiver’s “main” cut will also shed light on the matter for those who don’t check out the extended version. Regardless, Kurt Johnstad also mentioned during our conversation that in addition to seeing more of this particular Jimmy model, the second Rebel Moon movie will also delve deeper into the roles the Jimmy robots once filled. As he put it:

After centuries of warfare, the birth of Princess Issa seemingly signaled that the time for The Motherworld’s redemption, as the young girl possessed the supernatural ability to heal and resurrection. We didn’t learn in this shorter cut of Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire what specifically happened to the Jimmy robots after they failed to protect Issa and the rest of the royal family, but clearly the vow of nonviolence wasn’t an unbreakable portion of the Jimmy played by Anthony Hopkins if he was able to dispense lethal action to save Sam. I’ll also be curious to see if any other Jimmy models either in the director’s cut or in The Scargiver, whether it’s through flashbacks or another one of these robots is reactivated.

While we wait for more news about Rebel Moon: Part One’s director’s cut and what awaits in Part Two (some of which has already been teased in the trailer), look through the lineup of best movies on Netflix and best shows on Netflix if you’re interested in more content on the platform.

When Michelle Yeoh won her Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once, she told the ladies watching at home never to let anyone tell them when they’re past their prime. She’s not old enough to be on this list, but her words of wisdom apply to everyone that follows. 

Some of these actors had success their entire careers and then just kept having success as they got older. Some of these actors didn’t find a ton of success until much later than life. All reached the mountaintop of acting past the point when many others stop working because they kept pushing and doing groundbreaking work. Here's a look at great actors who had Oscar success later in life...

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins didn’t get his first Oscar nomination until his mid-50s, but once he got his first recognition, the praise did not stop. His work was consistently recognized well into his eighties when he was nominated in consecutive years for The Two Popes and The Father in which he gave very different performances. 

Bill Nighy

Nighy mostly acted in theater productions for the early portion of his career, but he turned to films later in life and found incredible success with Love Actually. That led to key roles in a variety of huge franchises like Pirates Of The Caribbean and Harry Potter, and eventually in his mid-70s, it led to Living, which netted the popular actor his first Oscar nomination. 

Bruce Dern

Bruce Dern worked from the sixties forward on a wide variety of interesting projects in many different genres. He picked up his first Oscar nomination back in ‘79 for his work in Coming Home and got another surprise nomination at 77 more than three decades later for his work in Nebraska, a fantastic Alexander Payne road trip movie shot in black and white.

Charlotte Rampling

Charlotte Rampling made a fantastic career for herself as a model and actress drawn to unusual and daring projects, but it was her work much later in life that attracted huge recognition. Her performance in Swimming Pool was particularly popular with critics and awards voters, but it was 2015’s 45 Years that finally broke through at the Oscars and gave her a well deserved first nomination at age 69.

Clint Eastwood

There aren’t many total people who have had more Oscar success than Clint Eastwood. Over the course of his life, he picked up more than ten nominations, but only two of those were in the acting categories. He got one in ‘93 for Unforgiven and another in ‘05 for Million Dollar Baby. In both, he was also the director and clearly knew how to get the best out of himself as an actor. 

Henry Fonda

A movie based on a play about a couple in their mid-70s doesn’t sound like a likely box office winner, but On Golden Pond won seven weekends in a row at the box office in 1981. It also netted its leads late in life Oscar nominations including one for Henry Fonda at 76. It marked his second acting nomination, more than four decades after the first one for The Grapes Of Wrath in 1940.

Jessica Tandy

Jessica Tandy experienced a ton of success throughout her career in a variety of mediums, but it was her work on the stage that drew the most acclaim. At least that was the case until her 80s when she picked up two Oscar nominations for Driving Miss Daisy and Fried Green Tomatoes. She won for the former and the latter capped a fantastic six year run that also saw her earn raves for her work in Cocoon.

Jonathan Pryce

Jonathan Pryce was ten years younger than Anthony Hopkins when the two picked up acting nominations for their work in The Two Popes. It was his first recognition from The Academy, but it was far from his first recognition overall, as he netted both Emmy and Tony nominations earlier in his career. 

Judi Dench

Judi Dench didn’t pick up her first Oscar nomination until her 60s, but that’s mostly because she was too busy crushing the British theater scene. She somehow netted an astonishing eight nominations after her 62nd birthday, including one at age 78 for Philomena and age 87 for her performance in the touching Belfast. In between all that, she also found time to appear in eight James Bond movies, which introduced her to a new generation of fans.

Katharine Hepburn

Between 1934 and 1969, Katharine Hepburn was nominated for an astonishing eleven Best Actress Oscars. It’s arguably the greatest run in movie history, and yet, she wasn’t finished. At the age of 74, thirteen years after what everyone assumed was going to be her last nomination, she walked the red carpet one more time as a Best Actress nominee for On Golden Pond in 1982. The win made it that much sweeter. 

Laurence Olivier

There aren’t many people on this list that had more success throughout their careers than Laurence Olivier. The beloved thespian won Emmys, Oscars and now is the namesake for London’s version of the Tony’s. At 71, he picked up his last Oscar nomination for The Boys From Brazil but continued to act for another full decade.

Peter O'Toole

Peter O’Toole was nominated for acting Oscars in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '00s. The last of those recognitions came when he was 74, and while he famously lost all eight of his Best Actor nominations, he was given an honorary Oscar by The Academy, who recognized him for his entire body of work, including the fantastic performances he gave late in life.

Morgan Freeman

Many of the nominations on this list came as a bit of a surprise. Not Morgan Freeman’s for Invictus. Playing Nelson Mandela sounded like the sort of thing that could pick him up an Oscar nomination for Invictus, and that’s exactly what happened when the movie came out and at 72, he was quickly given a nomination. It was his fifth overall.

Christopher Plummer

Christopher Plummer’s entire career was accompanied by praise from critics and numerous nominations, including three at the Oscars, all past the age of 75. None were a bigger surprise than the one he got at age 88 for All The Money In The World. The role was originally shot with Kevin Spacey, but after allegations of misconduct surfaced, producers reshot everything with Plummer in just 8 days.

Judd Hirsch

From Taxi to Dear John to The Goldbergs, Judd Hirsch was a part of numerous popular television shows and worked constantly from the mid-70s forward. Along the way, he was in a ton of good movies, but it was his work first in Ordinary People in 1980 and then in The Fabelmans in 2022 that were singled out by Oscar voters. 

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall was nominated for seven Oscars, but six of those came between 1973 and 1999. His last one was, by far, the biggest surprise, as it came for The Judge when he was 84. It was proof that the popular actor was still capable of greatness, and it was also a sign of how much fans and critics connected with his work at various stages of his life. 

Max Von Sydow

During his incredible career that spanned seven decades, Max Von Sydow played everyone from Jesus Christ to the Three-Eyed Raven on Game Of Thrones. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1987 for his work in Pelle The Conqueror, but he wound up getting recognized one more time at the age of 82 for his incredible work in Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close.

George Burns

George Burns had a fantastic run as a radio star and then an early huge name in television, but he started losing momentum as an actor and shifted to producing until he signed on for The Sunshine Boys in 1975. It was his first movie in 36 years and won him an Oscar at 80, as well as paved the way for the fantastic final act of his career.

Jack Palance

After a successful stage career, Jack Palance became a huge movie star in the early 1950s, picking up tons of fans and multiple Academy Award nominations. He later went to Europe and made a series of popular movies, but his career was starting to fizzle out by the 1980s. Then he was hired to host a revival of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, and the popularity of that show, netted him a bunch of parts including in City Slickers, which proved so popular it won him an Oscar at 73.

Alan Arkin

Alan Arkin worked constantly for sixty years because what director wouldn’t want to hire him? He was seemingly always in very highly seen projects, often in key supporting roles. Little Miss Sunshine and Argo are, of course, the two most notable examples, as both netted him Oscar nominations in his seventies and the former landed him his only win. 

Ethel Barrymore

There aren't many, if any, bigger families in the history of Hollywood than The Barrymores. They were firmly established when Pinky came out in 1949 and netted Ethel Barrymore another Oscar nomination. For much of her career she focused on the stage, but she later shifted to mostly Hollywood and picked up four nods in her 60s and 70s. What a run.

Ruth Gordon

Ruth Gordon had a lot of success earlier in her career as a screenwriter. She picked up three nominations for her writing between 1947 and 1952. Later in her career, she found new life as an actress, picking up multiple Oscar nominations, the last at 72 for Rosemary's Baby, and starring in cult classics like Harold And Maude.

Youn Yuh-jung

With fantastic reviews and strong word of mouth, Minari made a lot of noise throughout award season. It eventually picked up six Oscar nominations, but it was the one for Youn Yuh-jung that fans were most delighted with. The 73-year-old wound up winning in the most feel good moment of the entire ceremony, becoming the first Korean actress to pick up a trophy at The Oscars. 

Helen Hayes

You won’t find many people on this entire list with more success than Helen Hayes. She’s an EGOT winner with at least one additional nomination from all four of those award shows. She picked up her last Oscar at age 70 for her work in Airport, where she stood out next to a ton of other acting legends including Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset and more. 

June Squibb

Mostly a theater actress, she didn’t appear in her first movie until she was in her sixties. In her mid-80s, she found the perfect role opposite Bruce Dern in Nebraska. Audiences fell in love with her performance, and she picked up a surprise feelgood nomination. That opened the door for a ton of fun parts in everything from Pixar movies to Shameless. 

Gloria Stuart

I’m not sure there’s a single quote from Titanic referenced more often than Gloria Stuart’s “It’s been 84 years.” For her, it took 87 years to find a performance that resonated with that many people, but it was so good and connected with so many people that she picked up an Oscar nomination. Well deserved too. One of the most famous movies ever just wouldn’t have the same emotional punch without her. 

Peggy Ashcroft

Peggy Ashcroft made less than twenty film appearances during a career that was mostly dedicated to the stage, but despite that limited output, she was nominated for four BAFTAs and won an Oscar at 77 for her supporting work in A Passage To India. She then turned her focus toward television, where she was picking up Emmy nominations into her 80s. 

Hal Holbrook

Holbrook had plenty of success in his career with wins at the Tonys and Emmys, but it wasn’t until later in life when he was finally singled out by The Oscars for his work in Into The Wild. With more than 130 acting credits, his nomination at 82 was a good reminder that sometimes the best way to get acclaim isn’t by shopping for possible Oscar roles, it’s by consistently doing good, creative work and waiting for the right project to resonate. 

Don Ameche

Cocoon features a ton of fantastic performances from older actors, but it was veteran funnyman Don Ameche’s supporting role that voters most gravitated toward. He picked up a surprise win at 77 for his work as the revitalized Arthur Selwyn. It was a fantastic outcome, especially after the studio fired an early-in-his-career Robert Zemeckis from the director’s chair during pre-production.

Melvyn Douglas

If you want to have prolonged success in Hollywood, you need to find a way to reinvent yourself and start playing different kinds of roles. Melvyn Douglas had a great run early as a leading man, who acted opposite some of the industry’s top leading ladies, but it was later in his career, when he started playing more mature characters that he found Oscar success with three separate nominations, including one for Being There when he was 79.

John Houseman

Probably best known for his work alongside Orson Welles, John Houseman worked regularly as a director and especially producer, but he also found time to be an actor. Late in his career, he picked up an Oscar at 71 for The Paper Chase in a role fans loved so much he later played it on TV too.

Edmund Gwenn

You never know what your defining role as an actor is going to be until it happens. Edmund Gwenn carved out a really nice career for himself on the stage and screen, but his biggest success came when he was seventy. His role as Santa Claus in Miracle On 34th Street is still being watched decades later, and it also opened up the door for some great late career work, including another Oscar nomination in Mister 880.

When you look at the landscape of Hollywood A-List actors, it’s hard to believe how many haven’t been nominated for an Oscar. Even crazier is looking back on previous nominees like Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman’s careers and seeing where their first brush with golden glory came from. That’s what we’re gathered together to do today, as we look back on a who’s who of acting talent, and those first projects that put them on The Academy’s map! 

Meryl Streep - The Deer Hunter

Where does one begin when talking about Meryl Streep’s own personal golden dynasty? Well, if you want to start at the beginning, you’d take it all the way back to 1978. That’s when Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter put Ms. Streep on the Academy’s radar for the first time. At the time of publication, Streep is the most nominated person at the Academy Awards, thanks to a whopping 21 nods.

Daniel Day-Lewis - My Left Foot

The year 1990 marked an important moment for iconic actor, and three-time Academy Award winner, Daniel Day-Lewis. The now-retired thespian found himself winning on his first time out, with his nomination for the role of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot. His portrayal of Brown, who created art while living with Cerebral Palsy, was only the beginning of a legacy involving method acting, which led to several more nominations and wins in the process.

Amy Adams - Junebug

Let’s put aside the fact that Amy Adams and Arrival were failed by awards boards in the 2016- 2017 season. Outside of that grudge that some still hold dear, Adams has a total of six Oscar nominations to her credit. That’s pretty amazing, with the first nod coming from her performance in 2005’s Junebug. With that noted, we can go back to grousing about how she deserves to be at seven nods, thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s brain-breaking masterpiece.

Leonardo DiCaprio - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

While Leonardo DiCaprio could finally call himself a winner as part of 2016’s Academy Award nominees, the path to that victory for The Revenant kicked off in 1994. A hot young talent, DiCaprio’s first nomination was for his role alongside Johnny Depp in the drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Turns out, when it was winning time for Leo, the answer to that question was, “A bear.”

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

One of America’s sweethearts, Sandra Bullock can be counted as a member of the First Timer's Club. Her first nomination was also the one that won her the trophy, as the 2010 Academy Awards yielded a golden win for her role in The Blind Side. Despite the recent controversies and lawsuit from Michael Oher that have hit that film’s story about the football player and the Tuohys, this is a hard-earned win, and the first of two nominations so far for Ms. Bullock. 

Tom Hanks - Big

We all know that Tom Hanks is Academy Award-winning royalty, as America’s Dad has six nominations and two wins under his belt. Looking back at the fact that his first competition for Oscar glory came from 1988’s Big, it’s an impressive feat for happening so early in Hanks’ career as an actor. It’s even more stunning when you take into account that it was for a comedy performance, which isn’t as prevalent at the Oscars as one would hope.

Viola Davis - Doubt

Despite the title of the film she was first nominated for, there was absolutely no Doubt when it came to Viola Davis’ status as an Oscar contender. Her first round came in 2008, through that very film mentioned; and she would eventually be nominated three more times, at the time of this publication. Her first win came in 2016 after she starred with fellow Oscar titan Denzel Washington in the film adaptation of Fences. (It's also worth mentioning that this actress is also in the elite club of EGOT winners.)

Peter O’Toole - Lawrence Of Arabia

Tied with Glenn Close for the most Oscar nominations without a win, the late great Peter O’Toole banked his first Academy Awards nod with the movie you’d most expect. Thanks to the director David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, O’Toole began a dance with Academy voters that only saw him net a 2002 Honorary Academy Award. 

Jodie Foster - Taxi Driver

In the world of Disney actors turned Academy Award contenders, Jodie Foster will always be one of the most notable in that field. At the age of 15, Foster saw her first nomination through her only Best Supporting Actress nod to date. The eventual victor for films like The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie first competed for Oscar glory through the role of child prostitute Iris Steensma in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. 

Morgan Freeman - Street Smart

Even movies with Oscar buzz can become buried in the sands of time. Just ask Morgan Freeman, who first saw himself nominated at the Academy Awards in 1987 for Street Smart. A crime drama starring Christopher Reeve as an ambitious reporter profiling Freeman’s pimp character Leo “Fast Black” Smalls Jr., it’s a movie that most wouldn’t remember; especially when compared to the other films the prestigious actor would be nominated for.

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth

Playing royalty almost feels like a shortcut to winning big-time gold. However, Cate Blanchett is one of those exceptions that sets the rules. While she would later win trophies for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, Blanchett’s first bid for an Academy Award came in 1999, thanks to the titular role in director Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth. 

Anthony Hopkins - The Silence Of The Lambs

Horror is one of those genres that doesn’t seem to get much love on the awards circuit. However, when the results are something as chilling as director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, containing Anthony Hopkins’ equally unsettling performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, it’s hard not to take notice. Score another First Timer’s Club victory, as Hopkins took home the gold his first time up.

Charlize Theron - Monster

Portraying the criminal mind provides such an allure for actors and auteurs alike. A case proving that point was Charlize Theron’s portrayal of convicted killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ film Monster, her first nomination out of three at the time of this writing. Theron won the Best Actress trophy on the first try in 2004, all thanks to this tale of true crime. 

Christian Bale - The Fighter

Able to disappear completely in any character he plays, Academy Award winner Christian Bale has four nominations to his name. Equally split between Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor accolades, his first roll of the dice in 2011 landed him a win in the former category; thanks to David O. Russell’s The Fighter. 

Kate Winslet - Sense And Sensibility

The works of Jane Austen are another one of those sources that seem to periodically score nominations at the Oscars. Kate Winslet’s first is part of the proof, as the first of her current total of seven Academy Award nominations (and one win) came from 1995’s Sense and Sensibility. Ms. Winslet’s heart would go on to win Best Actress…in 2009, for Stephen Daldry’s The Reader.

Denzel Washington - Cry Freedom

Let’s see if King Kong knows this piece of movie trivia. Actor Denzel Washington has had 10 Oscar nominations, with two wins coming from that pool. While most would be tempted to cite his win for Glory as the first time he was nominated, that is incorrect. Washington’s first Academy Awards ceremony happened two years earlier in 1988, for his part in the film Cry Freedom. 

Kathy Bates - Misery

Frightening characters can make for the most golden of dreams, as was proven with 1991’s Academy Awards. Kathy Bates took home her first award on her first nomination, through the role of Anne Wilkes in Rob Reiner’s Misery. A “brilliant” adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, this fan favorite is one of many that’s seen the famed horror author’s work turning in some of the most well-regarded films and performances of all time.

George Clooney - Good Night, And Good Luck/Syriana

Here’s a wild story: George Clooney’s first Oscar nominations came from not one, but two films he was involved with. 2006’s Academy Awards saw the ER veteran land and win Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana, while one of CinemaBlend’s 100 best movies of the 2000s, Good Night, And Good Luck., netted him a Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nod in that same contest.

Helen Mirren - The Madness Of King George

Did you know that half of Helen Mirren’s four Oscar nominations came from playing royalty? Surely most know of Mirren’s win in 2007 as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. But, dear readers, another queen marked the start of Dame Helen’s Academy Awards history. Her Best Supporting Actress nod in 1995 for The Madness of King George would be her initial foray into this circuit, playing Queen Charlotte to Nigel Hawthorne’s titular monarch.

Judi Dench - Mrs. Brown

Dame Judi Dench is another regal figure that practically screams “Oscar” when you see her. Another member of the club of actors winning as royalty, Dench would win in 1999 for her as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. That was only on her second try, because in 1998 Dame Judi received her first nomination, playing Queen Victoria in the film Mrs. Brown.

Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate

And here’s to you, Mr. Hoffman; Oscar came a’calling very young. At 30 years old, Dustin Hoffman saw his first Academy Award nomination through starring in 1967’s The Graduate. What may be more surprising than the actual 6-year age gap between himself and co-star Anne Bancroft is that his first Oscar win would take place 12 years later, with 1980’s Kramer vs. Kramer.

Susan Sarandon - Atlantic City

Five nominations and one win are actor Susan Sarandon’s Academy Award legacy, at the time of this writing. But her first nomination was from an Oscar-buzzed title that most folks may not remember: 1981’s Atlantic City. With nominations in “The Big Five” categories, Sarandon and the film at large walked away empty-handed that year.

Russell Crowe - The Insider

Before his name was Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe found himself heading to the Oscars under a different moniker: Jeffrey Wigand. Nominated for the first time in 2000, Crowe’s role in Michael Mann’s whistleblower drama The Insider gave the Australian actor his first golden thrill ride. One that he’d repeat in 2001, and win for through the strength and honor of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator.

Angela Bassett - What’s Love Got To Do With It

Surprisingly, Angela Bassett only received her second nomination as part of 2023's Academy Awards, thanks to Marvel Studio’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Bassett’s first nomination came from playing royalty of a different type, as her lead role in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It saw her walking the Oscar red carpet in 1994.

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Count this as another shocker in Oscar nominations history: Gary Oldman only received his first Academy Awards nomination in 2012. You’d think the Bram Stoker’s Dracula actor would have had more than the three nods and one win he currently holds. However, his dreams of golden splendor only started after he played George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Julia Roberts - Steel Magnolias

With three nominations and one win, Julia Roberts’ odds of firing you up or making you cry with her Academy Award-nominated projects are officially even. Her first time in the race came in 1990, in the dramedy classic Steel Magnolias. For those of you who haven’t seen the film, we’ll leave it to you to find out which bucket this particular nom falls into on your own time.

Al Pacino - The Godfather

Some roles are such an indelible part of an actor’s career, they just had to land an Oscar nomination for it. Al Pacino is certainly one of those cases, as he would turn his first Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Godfather into a Best Actor nod in The Godfather Part II. Both stem from his portrayal of Michael Corleone, the favorite son who descended into darkness and power.

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

“It came true.” Those three words marked the end of Anne Hathaway’s journey to Oscar gold, with her second nomination and first win for Best Supporting Actress in Les Miserables. But the beginning of Ms. Hathaway’s Academy Awards journey was in 2009, when she was nominated for Best Actress in Rachel Getting Married. 

Matt Damon - Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both won their first Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, thanks to 1998’s Good Will Hunting. But much like other members of the First Timers Club in this list, Damon’s first victory was also his first time at the dance. How ‘bout dem apples indeed.

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter’s Bone

The second time was the charm for Jennifer Lawrence, as her role in Silver Linings Playbook made her a winner in 2013. That wasn’t too long after her initial foray into Oscar victory, which came in 2011 thanks to her lead role in the neo-noir gem Winter’s Bone. Who’d expect any less from the eventual "girl on fire" that would lead The Hunger Games to box office domination?

Ben Affleck - Good Will Hunting

Sailing on the same current as his writing partner and longtime buddy Matt Damon, Ben Affleck’s first Oscar nomination came from his co-authoring of Good Will Hunting. And to think, if Damon and Affleck’s hijinks involving the script hadn’t worked, we may never have seen either contributor go on to the storied careers they enjoy today.

Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction

Fans of Samuel L. Jackson are about to engage in some harsh language, as the current MCU star only has one Academy Award nomination. While it’s rightful for his Best Supporting Actor-worthy role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the man’s gone on to deliver several other powerhouse performances worth at least a nod or two. This is something that not even the tastiest beverage could wash away.

As an actor, you never know where that first win or nomination is going to come from. And when you're an A-lister as iconic as the people we've just discussed, those initial impressions are all the more interesting to look at as time goes on. Who knows where these blockbuster draws will find their next brush with golden glory, and how it will compare to these humble beginnings? 

Everyone gets older – it’s just a fact of life. However, there are some people who (from a physical standpoint) don’t seem to change a bit. Paul Rudd, Halle Berry and Tom Cruise are definitely on that list as is Salma Hayek. The veteran actress barely seems to have changed as her illustrious career has played out over the past several decades. She’s aging like fine wine and just hit an excellent milestone. Hayek celebrated her 57th birthday this weekend and marked the occasion with some sizzling-hot bikini photos. Not only that, but fellow stars like Bella Thorne and Anthony Hopkins reached out with well wishes. 

The Frida star is no stranger to social media, as she dazzled her followers with stunning snapshots before. However, I’d argue that these particular pics really take the (birthday) cake. Her special day was on Saturday, September 2, so she dumped a bunch of images that show her chilling on a beach. The Oscar nominee also sports a red two-piece swimsuit with white trim, and it looks great on her. Check out her pristine photos and grateful caption down below: 

Salma Hayek says she’s “so happy to be alive,” and I think many people would agree with me when I say we’re happy that she’s loving life. Also, can we just talk about the fact that she’s practically incapable of taking a bad photo? Seriously, this year alone has seen her share some seriously jaw-dropping pics. She effortlessly pulled off the see-through dress at the Magic Mike’s Last Dance premiere in January and perfectly went full plunge at the Cannes Film Festival months later. And when it comes to swimsuits, she’s crushed it as well. Hayek commemorated National Bikini Day with a great pic and shared a flawless bikini workout video to celebrate reaching 25 million followers on IG. 

On that note, her fans seem to be loving this latest batch of pics but also took the time to wish her a happy birthday. Joining in the chorus of praise were some notable celebrities. Bella Thorne, who recently twinned with Salma Hayek when it came to their photoshoot aesthetics, chimed in with a post of admiration:

Another delightful response came from Anthony Hopkins, another veteran of social media. The Academy Award winner had a sweet message to share: 

Priyanka Chopra had a straightforward message for the Eternals star that was sweet as well. Check out what she said: 

It’s wonderful to see that the star received so much love on her birthday. You can check out a few of the other notable people who celebrated her: 

• Happy birthday! - Julianne Moore
• ❤️❤️ - Aurora Carbonell
• Happy birthday ❤️ - Xavier Dolan
• Happy Birthday Angel 🎂🌈💕 - Miranda Kerr

Salma Hayek certainly deserves every ounce of love she’s received. Sure, she’s delivered top-notch performances over the years, but it’s her charm, humor and kindness that have truly made her such a legend in the eyes of this fan and others. Here’s to many more birthdays for her down the road. Let’s also hope she dazzles us with a few more bikini photos along the way, too. 

You can check out her latest movie, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, by streaming it with a Max subscription.

The month of April is Autism Awareness Month/World Autism Month, and it’s a time to celebrate and empower those on the spectrum while also educating others about it. It also highlights those who have made a positive impact on the community. In the entertainment industry specifically, many actors have spoken about their diagnosis to help make discussions about autism more mainstream. This includes performers like Anthony Hopkins, Bella Ramsey and more, as many actors have opened up about how being on the spectrum has impacted their personal and professional lives.

Bella Ramsey

Bella Ramsey, who got their start acting on Game of Thrones when they were 11, was diagnosed with autism while filming the first season of The Last of Us. While speaking with British Vogue, the actor explained that a crew member who has an autistic daughter had assumed Ramsey was also on the spectrum. That led to them seeking out a professional and a diagnosis, confirming something they had “always wondered” about.

While opening up about this diagnosis, Ramsey explained that they’ve become a better actor because of it, as they explained:

Overall, they see this diagnosis as “freeing.” Elaborating more about why, Ramsey said:

Overall, the Catherine Called Birdy star was very candid about how this diagnosis has impacted their life and career and was clear that it’s been helpful in many, many ways.

Anthony Hopkins 

About 18 years ago, Anthony Hopkins was diagnosed with high-end Asperger's syndrome, The Daily Mail reported. The actor, who has two Oscars and over 140 films to his name, spoke about this neurological condition that impacts his ability to socially interact. He spoke specifically about how it’s helped him as an actor, saying:

According to Autism Speaks, the strengths of having Asperger's syndrome include “remarkable focus and persistence” and “attention to detail.” This ability to figure out what makes a person tick has helped the Silence of the Lambs star throughout his career. Just looking at Anthony Hopkins’ best movies, you know we are living among a legend.

Daryl Hannah 

Daryl Hannah was diagnosed with autism when she was a young child, according to People. In a candid interview, the actress explained that she had “debilitating shyness,” and growing up and living with autism during a time when it wasn’t understood well was difficult. The Splash star went on to explain that she found peace in watching old movies, saying:

She went on to say that once she found success, autism complicated her career. The Wall Street actress said that she wouldn’t do talk show appearances or premieres because she “was terrified.” As her career went on, Hannah said she figured out how to be comfortable in her own skin, and said she wished she could teach her younger self about everything she’s learned.

Rick Glassman

Amazon’s series, As We See It, made it a priority to “authentically” explore a cast of characters on the autism spectrum. The three leads of the series are on the spectrum, and one of those stars, Rick Glassman, opened up to CinemaBlend about how his own experience with autism impacted his character on the show. He said:

Since Glassman was able to pull from his real life and his experience living on the spectrum, he took a lot of pride in his character and the show

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller, who is best known for his work on Prison Break and Legends of Tomorrow, posted a candid message about his autism diagnosis, which he received in 2021. The beloved TV actor wrote:

He then continued his message, noting that he was working to evolve his understanding of autism. Miller also explained that he would be “re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens.” The Legends of Tomorrow veteran ended his post saying:

Along with teaching himself about his diagnosis, Miller also made it clear he was an advocate for the community, and he wanted to learn as much as he could.

Dan Aykroyd

One of the greatest stars to grace Saturday Night Live’s stage has also spoken about living with Asperger's syndrome. Dan Aykroyd opened up about being diagnosed with Tourette’s at a young age, and then Asperger syndrome as an adult. The Ghostbusters star told The Daily Mail:

According to Autism Speaks, Asperger's syndrome generally involves "restricted interests" and "distinctive strengths," it’s clear that Aykroyd was able to use both of these and his legendary comedic skills, to create one of the greatest comedies of all time.

Kayla Cromer

Kayla Cromer, who starred in the series Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, has been very open about how much she’s loved seeing more representation of the autism community on screen. As an actress who was diagnosed with Asperger’s, she told People:

In the article, it explains that Cromer is the first actress to play a woman on the spectrum, and be a woman on the spectrum herself. To watch her performance, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay is available with a Hulu subscription.

These are only seven of the many famous actors and artists who have spoken about being on the autism spectrum. Overall, we’ve seen an influx of representation for this community in recent years, but as Cromer put it, “there are still so many stories that need to be told.”

If you read through the 2023 Oscar nominations, you will notice that not a single horror movie received a nod, despite all the recent scary movies that deserved the Academy’s consideration in my opinion. While this is only the latest of many instances in which the genre was famously overlooked by the Academy, at least we can say that some of the best horror movies have been nominated for an Oscar, and some have even won.

In fact, there are quite a few horror movies that received nominations in the acting category which, among them. The following is a look back on six actors who took home the coveted golden statuette for acting in a genre known for rewarding its audience with creepiness and carnage — starting with one of the earliest winners in the ceremony’s history.

Fredric March, Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1931)

Horror fans may like to give the Academy a lot of trouble for acknowledging the genre only every so often, but they actually have been paying attention to it longer than some many realize. In fact, the fifth recipient of the Best Actor Oscar (an honor he ended up sharing with The Champ’s Wallace Beery in a tie) was Fredric March for 1931’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Rouben Mamoulian’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s seminal, terrifying novella. 

The radical scientist’s transformation into a brutish criminal after taking an experimental potion he developed to unlock man’s repressed inner desires is not just achieved so effectively onscreen here by a beastly makeup job. March (who later took home a second statuette for the 1948 Best Picture Oscar winner, The Best Years of Our Lives) demonstrates an uncanny ability to inhabit each role so distinctly, if you did not know better, you might be easily convinced it was two different actors.

Ruth Gordon, Rosemary's Baby (1968)

It would take nearly another four decades before the Academy recognized greatness in acting from a horror movie again. Furthermore, out of the two nominations that the disturbing motherhood parable, Rosemary’s Baby, received in 1969 — the other being for director Roman Polanski’s screenplay, adapted by Ira Levin’s novel — the sole winner was Ruth Gordon for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

The veteran performer brings much of the same charming, comedic energy that later earned her praise for the classic romantic-comedy Harold and Maude to the role of Minnie Castevet, the eccentric building neighbor of Mia Farrow’s title character and her actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes). What makes her performance such a memorably chilling element of the unnerving classic is how well she maintains that unassuming charm even after her involvement in a satanic cult is revealed.

Kathy Bates, Misery (1990)

On the flip side to Ruth Gordon’s method in Rosemary’s Baby, it is Kathy Bates’ ability to change her demeanor from calm to unhinged on the turn of a dime that makes her performance in Misery such a masterclass in leaving the audience breathless. It apparently left the Academy breathless too, based on its decision to honor her with the Best Actress Oscar that year.

Bates is an undeniable tour de force as one of the horror genre’s definitive female villains, Annie Wilkes — who demonstrates toxic fandom at its worst when she takes in her badly injured favorite author, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), and demands that he write his next novel to her liking or face grave consequences. Outside of Rob Reiner’s taut direction and William Goldman’s suspenseful screenplay, it is she who truly makes Misery one of the finest Stephen King adaptations of all time.

Anthony Hopkins, The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

One of the scariest villains in horror cinema is the Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who was first introduced in Thomas Harris’ novel, Red Dragon. However, it was his portrayal by two-time Academy Award-winner Sir Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs — one of the few horror films to be nominated for Best Picture and the genre’s sole winner of the category so far — that immortalized him as an esteemed figure of pop culture.

Hopkins is not actually the first actor to portray the cannibalistic criminal psychologist (the first being Succession’s Brian Cox in Michael Mann’s 1986 thriller, Manhunter) nor the last (Gaspard Ulliel played his younger self in Hannibal Rising and Mads Mikkelsen played the title role of the TV show, Hannibal), he is the first person you picture when you think of the character, and his Best Actor Oscar-winning performance makes it easy to see why. His permeating stare, ironic sense of sophistication and charisma amid his chilling disposition, and that iconic, improvised “hiss” adds up to nothing short of perfection.

Jodie Foster, The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Enlisting the unlikely help of Dr. Lecter in order to catch a killer nicknamed “Buffalo Bill” is FBI trainee Clarice Starling — the role that earned Jodie Foster her second Academy Award, following her win for 1988’s The Accused. The multi-talented artist’s ability to hold her own opposite Hopkins in his prime is only one aspect as to why her performance in director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs is so deserving of the honor.

Starling is a very complex, very sharp character who has been haunted for years by a traumatic event from her childhood that, while leaving her vulnerable at times, effectively serves as fuel for her courageous crusade for justice. Foster portrays those elements of the character in a wonderful blend, resulting in a thoroughly mesmerizing and heroic, career-defining performance.

Natalie Portman, Black Swan (2010)

The most recent time that an actor was rewarded for their work in a horror movie was for a film that some might not categorize as “horror.” However, even those people cannot deny that Black Swan and Natalie Portman’s Best Actress Oscar-winning performance in it is the stuff of nightmares.

Portman — just one year before joining the MCU as Thor’s love interest, Dr. Jane Foster — stars in one of director Darren Aronofky’s best movies as a ballerina whose dedication to the lead role of “Swan Lake” takes a dangerous turn when she begins to suffer from disturbing visions. Like the film, the Star Wars actor is devastating, heart-wrenching, and hypnotically surreal as Nina.

I am happy to say that there are some more recent horror films that featured strong performances and earned an Oscar nomination, such as Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out from 2017. However, moments like these are still few and far between. Hopefully, there will come a day when well-made thrillers receive the recognition they deserve on a more frequent basis.

Following his time in the DC Extended Universe helming Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and his version of Justice League (not to be confused with Joss Whedon’s theatrical version),  Zack Snyder made the jump to Netflix, first directing the zombie heist movie Army of the Dead for the platform. In addition to helping craft the prequel Army of Thieves, Snyder will helm the direct sequel Planet of the Dead, but the filmmaker isn’t just delivering tales involving the undead to Netflix subscribers. He also has a sci-fi epic out called Rebel Moon.

Originally envisioned as a Star Wars movie that Zack Snyder pitched to Lucasfilm prior to the company being purchased by Disney, Rebel Moon sees a peaceful colony at the edge of the galaxy called Veldt being threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, leader of the Mother World. In response, the colony’s citizens task a young woman with a mysterious past to recruit warriors from nearby planets to help them take a stand against Balisarius and his forces. Among the things we know about Rebel Moon is that the tale, which Snyder co-wrote with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad, has been split into two movies shot back-to-back. 

An impressive collection of actors has been assembled for this story, including Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam and Justice League’s Ray Fisher. But before we get to them, let’s talk about who’s playing the main protagonist.

Sofia Boutella

The enigmatic woman in Rebel Moon who’s seeking warriors to help protect Veldt, her adopted homeworld, is named Kora, and she's a deserter of the Imperium. Kora will be played by Sofia Boutella, who made a big splash in the mid-2010s starring in blockbusters like Kingsman: The Secret Service, Star Trek Beyond, The Mummy and Atomic Blonde. In more recent years, Boutella has appeared in Prisoners of the Ghostland, Settlers, SAS Rogue Heroes and the “The Viewing” episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, which also streams on Netflix. Since Kora is Rebel Moon’s main protagonist, it goes without saying she didn't die, so we'll see more of her in Rebel Moon Part 2.

Charlie Hunnam

As indicated earlier, Charlie Hunnam collected a lot of fans from his time playing Jax Teller in the FX series Sons of Anarchy, and he jumped back into the TV realm in 2022 to lead Shantaram, which can be streamed with an Apple TV+ subscription. Film-wise, Hunnam’s credits include Children of Men, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Triple Frontier and The Gentlemen. The actor appears in Rebel Moon as Kai, a mercenary who pilots the Tawau-Class freighter, which is "invaluable" to Kora's quest, although there proves to be more to him than meets the eye.

Ray Fisher

It’s not exaggerating to say that Zack Snyder launched Ray Fisher’s film career, as the actor’s first cinematic credit was cameoing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg. Fisher then made his full debut as Cyborg in Justice League, and in addition to Zack Snyder’s Justice League showing off his original performance as the cybernetic superhero, the actor also came back to shoot new footage for the four-hour cut. Fisher had been set to reprise Cyborg in The Flash, but he was written out after he refused to work on any project involving then-DC Films president Walter Hamada. Post-DCEU, Fisher has starred in True Detective Season 3 and the ABC limited series Women of the Movement, and he's since re-teamed with Snyder on Rebel Moon, where he's played Darrian Bloodaxe, an insurgent who's been targeting the Imperium with guerilla attacks.

Ed Skrein

The powerful Regent Balisarius is the source of conflict in Rebel Moon’s story, and Ed Skrein will appear as his right-hand man, Admiral Atticus Noble, a nefarious Imperium enforcer and commandant of the space cruiser called The King's Gaze. Skrein is no stranger to playing villains, as evidenced by his work in Deadpool and Alita: Battle Angel. You may also recognize him from If Beale Street Could Talk, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Midway and Naked Singularity, as well as being the first Daario Naharis on Game of Thrones. As revealed in Rebel Moon's surprise ending, Skrein will be back for Rebel Moon Part 2 despite initial appearances to the contrary.

Djimon Hounsou

Although Rebel Moon marks the first time that Djimon Hounsou and Zack Snyder have worked together, like Ray Fisher, Hounsou has some DCEU experience under his belt from playing The Wizard in Shazam!, Black Adam and the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods, as well as voicing King Ricou in Aquaman. Hounsou also lent his talents to the MCU as Korath in Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel, and his other notable credits include Amistad, Gladiator, Blood Diamond, Constantine, Furious 7, A Quiet Place Part II and The King’s Man. In Rebel Moon, Hounsou plays General Titus; we got an intense portrait of the actor in character in May 2022, and it was later revealed that Titus is a "hardened gladiator" who once served the Imperium.

Anthony Hopkins

While we don't see Anthony Hopkins in Rebel Moon, we will hear him as the voice of Jimmy, “an impossibly sentient JC1435 mechanized battle robot and one-time defender of the slain King.” (Dustin Ceithamer physically portrays Jimmy.) Kora met Jimmy during her time on Veldt, where the robot surprisingly came to her aid during a tense conflict, then disappeared to parts unknown. Rebel Moon's extended cut will flesh out the character's backstory. Along with this movie, Hopkins’ recent credits include Thor: Ragnarok, The Father, The Son, Armageddon Time and HBO’s Westworld.

Jena Malone

Rebel Moon marks Jena Malone’s third collaboration with Zack Snyder, having previously played Rocket in Sucker Punch and Jenet Klyburn in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s “Ultimate Edition.” Malone is also well known for playing Johanna Mason in the latter three Hunger Games movies, Hope Harlingen in Inherent Vice and Sage Ross in Nocturnal Animals. Along with Rebel Moon, where she plays a spider warrior named Harmada who's terrorizing the mining village of Daggus, Malone is part of the ensemble cast for Kevin Costner’s Western saga Horizon.

Cary Elwes

Although Cary Elwes is still arguably best known for starring as Westley/DreadPirate Roberts in The Princess Bride and Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the Saw movies, the man’s popped up in a fair amount of high-profile projects over the last several years. Stranger Things fans will remember him as Mayor Larry Kline in Season 3, he had a stint on the Amazon Prime Video as Gavin Hawk in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, he starred as Professor Gelson in the Black Christmas remake and also was paired with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning. Elwes plays the Imperium king who was assassinated, allowing Balisarius to declare himself regent.

Corey Stoll

Superhero genre fans will recognize Corey Stoll as Darren Cross, a.k.a. Yellowjacket, in Ant-Man, and in 2021, he played supporting roles in The Many Saints of Newark and West Side Story. TV viewers, on the other hand, may have seen Stoll in shows like House of Cards, The Strain, Girls and Billions. Either way, Rebel Moon is the actor’s second time working on a Netflix project, having previously recurred in the first season of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest prequel Ratched. In Rebel Moon, he plays Sindri, a village chief on Veldt.

Cleopatra Coleman

After kicking off her acting career appearing in various Australian movies and TV shows, Cleopatra Coleman gained popularity stateside starring with Will Forte in The Last Man on Earth. Following that show’s conclusion, Coleman led the short-lived TV series White Famous with Jamie Foxx, appeared in the Netflix movie In the Shadow of the Moon and recurred in five episodes of Hulu’s Dopesick, among other projects. Rebel Moon is arguably her most blockbuster-y project yet; she plays Devra, Darrian Bloodaxe's sister who has similar powers as him and is recruited at the same time to Kora's cause.

Fra Fee

Although it was initially reported that Skrein was playing Regent Balisarius in Rebel Moon, it was later clarified that Fra Free was playing that character instead, making him the story's overarching antagonist since he's the one giving orders to Admiral Atticus Noble. In addition to boast a large number of impressive theatre credits, film fans might recognize Free for playing Courfeyrac in 2012’s Les Misérables or Hench in Amazon’s Cinderella, which came out in 2019. If you’re a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan though, you’ll certainly recognize him as Kazi from Disney+’s Hawkeye series. 

Stuart Martin

Although Rebel Moon is the first time Stuart Martin has been directed by Zack Snyder in a live-action, he is already affiliated with a franchise tied to the filmmaker. That’s because he appeared as Brad Cage, a.k.a. Alexis Broschini, in the previously-mentioned Army of Thieves, which was directed by its lead actor, Matthias Schweighöfer. Martin also starred in the entirety of the Jamestown series and has been playing Detective Inspector William Wellington in Miss Scarlet and The Duke. Additionally, Martin is voicing a role in Snyder’s upcoming animated series Twilight of the Gods. Martin stars in Rebel Moon as Den, a farmer/hunter on Veldt.

Michiel Huisman

Remember when I said that Ed Skrein was the first actor to play Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones: Well here’s a twist: the second Daario is appearing in Rebel Moon too! Aside from the HBO series, Michiel Huisman’s major TV credits include Treme, Nashville, Orphan Black, The Haunting of Hill House and The Flight Attendant Season 1. Moviegoers might remember him from the likes of World War Z, The Age of Adaline and Kate. Huisman has been cast in Rebel Moon as Gunnar, a farmer on Veldt who "knows little of the galaxy outside of his small, quiet corner of the galaxy," but agrees to accompany Kora on her mission.

Doona Bae

While the majority of Doona Bae's professional endeavors come from her home country of South Korea, as far as her English-speaking work goes, the actress has notably collaborated with The Wachowskis twice, on Cloud Atlas (playing multiple roles) and the Netflix series Sense8. Bae appears in Rebel Moon as Nemesis, "a cyborg sword master whose mechanical hands allow her to wield molten-metal weapons," so expect her to pose trouble for Kora and her allies.

Staz Nair

Yet another Game of Thrones veteran has been looped into Rebel Moon, with Staz Nair having recurred in Seasons 6-8 as Qhono. However, Nair is arguably better known for playing CatCo reporter William Dey in Supergirl’s final two seasons. Rebel Moon is Nair’s second time performing in a feature-length film, and he does so as Tarak, a "noble indentured servant" who shares a special bond with a flying creature known as a Bennu.

Alfonso Herrera

Although most of Alfonso Herrera’s work is in Spanish-language projects, but he has starred in a number of high-profile offerings from the United States. You may know him as Hernando Fuentes from Sense8, Father Tomas Ortega from the short-lived Exorcist TV series, Javier Jimenez in Queen of the South or Javi Elizondro from Ozark. Herrera also voiced Krypto the Superdog for the Latin American version of DC League of Super-Pets, but it’s safe to say that Rebel Moon is his biggest movie yet. He takes part in this sci-fi epic as Cassius, a warrior working for Atticus Noble.

E. Duffy

E. Duffy is a relative newcomer to the acting scene, with their prior credits being the short films Jeanne Alone, Sleepyhead, Lucky Me, Girlfriends and Acid Noir. Rebel Moon is their first time acting in a feature-length film; they playing Milius, a refugee who seeks justice for her home, which fell to Mother World, and does so by joining Darrian and Devra's resistance group.

Charlotte Maggi

Charlotte Maggi also has one of the lighter resumes of the Rebel Moon cast members, having previously appeared in the TV shows MaveriX and Summer Love. Maggi is reportedly playing a character named Sam, a farm girl on Veldt who befriends Jimmy and ends up being the catalyst for Kora to gather warriors to help her protect her community.

Sky Yang

Aside from a minor role in 2018’s Tomb Raider, most of you have likely seen Sky Yang either in the Irish TV series Holding or playing Ruben in two episodes of Paramount+’s Halo series. In Rebel Moon, he plays Aris, a Motherworld soldier who stands up to his comrades' brutality against Sam.

Rhian Rees

Next, we have Rhian Rees, who played Emma in five episodes of the short-lived series Disengaged and has also popped up in the likes of Halloween (the 2018 version), The Send-Off, Nope and the upcoming Damian Chazelle movie Babylon. She briefly appears in Rebel Moon as The Queen, i.e. the late wife to Cary Elwes' King.

Ray Porter

Though Ray Porter has been professionally acting for over 30 years, he gained a lot of fans from Zack Snyder’s camp when he was cast to play Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a role he obviously would have reprised had those Justice League sequels moved forward. For Rebel Moon, he played Hickman, a cruel farmer whom Tarak owed a debt. Porter’s other superhero media experience includes playing Brutus on the short-lived TV series Naomi and voicing additional characters on Teen Titans, and he’s also appeared on shows like Medium, Monk, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Shameless and Modern Family.

Ingvar Sigurdsson

While the majority of Ingvar Sigurdsson’s credits hail from his native Iceland, the actor has accumulated some appearance in Hollywood productions, including K-19: The Widowmaker, Everest, Justice League (both versions), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Northman. In Rebel Moon, Sigurdsson plays Hagen, a friend of Kora’s, and it's looking like he'll be back for Part 2.

The first half of Rebel Moon, titled A Child of Fire, hit Netflix on December 22, and the second half, titled The Scargiver, will follow on April 19, 2024. Keep your eyes on CinemaBlend for more news about the follow-up movie and other additions to the franchise.

As the impressive cast for Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon continues to build, the upcoming addition to the library of original Netflix movies has become even more prestigious by the moment. This latest addition is perhaps the crown jewel of such efforts, as Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins is now the latest to be cast in an unexpected role. Funny enough, his time on the HBO series Westworld should have him somewhat prepared for this part, as Sir Anthony is about to get robotic all over again.

Anthony Hopkins will be voicing a “battle robot” known as Jimmy, “an impossibly sentient JC1435 mechanized battle robot and one-time defender of the slain King” according to reporting from Deadline. Hopkins’ name is now added to a very starry roster that already includes Justice League alum Ray Fisher, Cary Elwes, Sofia Boutella, and Djimon Hounsou; among others.

Announced as Zack Snyder’s love letter to Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa, you could see Anthony Hopkins’ character of Jimmy as Rebel Moon’s C-3PO. It’s not exactly a one-for-one equivalent, as Threepio never did knowingly engage in combat. (Except for that time he swapped bodies with a Battle Droid in Attack of the Clones; but that’s technically a case of temporary insanity.)

Still, the thought of a performance where Anthony Hopkins will tear up the forces of evil in the galaxy is something that sounds better the more that you think about it. Plus, seeing as this is a vocal role, Hopkins could always return for future projects that expand Rebel Moon’s pre-planned galaxy. 

Much like Zack Snyder has done through his anime spin-off Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, there’s a lot of room for this new galaxy to grow. Should he be game to keep playing Jimmy in potential follow-ups and spin-offs, you can bet that Zack Snyder and Netflix would love to keep that train rolling. Perhaps Anthony Hopkins could even play his battle robot role in a prequel that shows him in his mechanical prime.

Sci-fi has always been a genre where unexpected casting leads to surprising results. Zack Snyder landing the voice talents of Anthony Hopkins is one of those potential scenarios, which only has us more excited about who may still be joining the cast of Rebel Moon, which began last month for an unspecified release date.

While we don’t know when this first installment will be released, we have some quick facts about Rebel Moon that are worth knowing. Keeping the uncertain release date, and the second part in the works in mind, there’s already a lot of promise for unexpected participants. In the meantime, take a look at the 2022 Netflix movie schedule to see what else is heading onto a streaming device near you.

Ever since it was revealed that Mission: Impossible 7 is bringing back Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, the Tom Cruise-led franchise seems to be hinting that Ethan Hunt’s past will further define his future. With such an exercise supposedly taking form over the course of the next two installments of Paramount’s blockbuster franchise, it leaves the door open for several other returns that we’d love to see for various actors who’ve helped make Mission: Impossible a compelling and fun espionage franchise. And who better to kick off this wishlist of returning IMF agents and all folks adjacent than the sadly not returning Angela Bassett.

Angela Bassett (CIA Director Erika Sloane)

After the death of IMF secretary Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), the mantle of IMF Secretary felt primed to be handed over to Angela Bassett’s CIA Director Erika Sloane. Her addition to the cast in Mission: Impossible - Fallout was supposed to carry over to Mission: Impossible 7, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bassett’s return was sadly not possible this time out. Much as Angela Bassett herself hopes to be able to rejoin the team in Mission: Impossible 8, we too hope that she can accept the next mission since she’s already chosen to do so.

Jeremy Renner (William Brandt)

There was once at time that Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt was being eyed as the new lead of the franchise after his arrival in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. While that never happened, Renner’s character was retained for the following sequel, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and was presumed to be a part of the team going forward. That was, until Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame came into the picture, prohibiting Jeremy Renner from returning in Fallout. Maybe, just maybe, depending on what his Hawkeye schedule looks like in the future, Renner will be humming the Mission: Impossible theme tune in celebration of his potential return.

Thandiwe Newton (Nyah Nordoff Hall)

An accomplice to Ethan Hunt’s IMF Team in Mission: Impossible 2, Thandiwe Newton’s Nyah Nordoff-Hall was an accomplished jewel thief who literally put her life on the line for the survival of the planet. And after those heroic deeds, there was never an offer for Westworld star to return in Mission: Impossible III. While the experience was intense, to say the least, after Ms. Newton’s new calling card arrived in the form of her huge action sequence in this summer’s Reminiscence, the thought of Nyah returning as an IMF agent with her own mythic legacy is the stuff that sequels are made of.

Anthony Hopkins (Mission Commander Swanbeck)

If you’re playing an IMF commander that gives Ethan Hunt his Mission: Impossible orders, chances are you’re either cannon fodder without a proper name (like Tom Wilkinson in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) or you just don’t reappear, like Mission: Impossible 2’s Mission Commander Swanbeck. Played by Academy Award-winner Anthony Hopkins, this elusive figure bookends the film’s plot, but has never been heard from since meeting with Ethan and Nyah in Sydney. If Henry Czerny is coming back after intensely locking horns with Tom Cruise’s IMF super agent, then maybe it’s time to bring back the most paternal IMF superior Ethan has ever served under.

Maggie Q (Zhen Lei)

While Rebecca Ferguson’s IMF ally Ilsa Faust is an absolute breath of fresh air when it comes to keeping Mission: Impossible alive and well, her casting came from two members of the team that sadly couldn’t return. One such figure was Zhen Lei, Maggie Q’s Mission: Impossible III operative, who sadly found herself sidelined twice due to contractual obligations. But the door is still open, and Maggie Q’s only upped her action game since working alongside the rest of Tom Cruise’s team of agents. Perhaps some day, Zhen can make her big Mission: Impossible return by dropping into a room from the end of a fire hose, delivering a witty one-liner to stop the room in its tracks.

Paula Patton (Jane Carter)

The other Mission: Impossible actor that sort of paved the way for Rebecca Ferguson to join up is none other than Paula Patton from Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. With Maggie Q’s Zhen Lei unavailable for service, the vengeful Jane Carter was introduced, with Patton playing the part. And, as is often the case in this series, when Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation came calling, Paula Patton sadly had to pass. Though Jane may have gotten her revenge on her lover’s murderer, that probably doesn’t quench her passion for action in the name of peace.

Laurence Fishburne (IMF Director Theodore Brassel)

Again, if you’re a superior at the IMF, your odds of returning in another Mission: Impossible caper do tend to diminish. But if there’s one example we have to single out in terms of authority figures we’d love to see back in Mission: Impossible 8, besides Angela Bassett’s Erika Sloane, of course, it’s Laurence Fishburne’s IMF Director Theodore Brassel. A mixture of the paternal nature of Commander Swanbeck, as well as the adversarial “by the book” nature of Kittridge before him, Director Brassel was one of the most fun superiors to see Ethan Hunt play cat and mouse with. The Matrix may not have him right now, but the Mission: Impossible series should try and grab Mr. Fishburne for a dramatic return as soon as humanly possible.

The past history of the Mission: Impossible franchise has left tons of opportunities for people to return to this massive pop culture touchstone. Just as Tom Cruise will keep upping the ante with his stunt work, at least for the foreseeable future, the plot of the IMF’s international legacy will always have the chance to raise the stakes. Which is only a better case for drawing as many of these talented stars back into the game.

Of course, Mission: Impossible 7 is the current priority, with its newly locked release date of September 30, 2022. Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible 8 is currently set for release, blimp or no blimp, on July 7, 2023; but naturally that could change as well. What shouldn’t change too much is the 2021 release schedule, except, of course, for a couple minor shifts here and there. Though you should probably head over there soon, as this feature may or may not self-destruct in five seconds.

When it comes to breakthrough roles, Tom Hiddleston becoming Loki was one of Marvel’s best castings. Not only did Hiddleston graduate from indie films to blockbusters overnight, but he got to work with Anthony Hopkins. But even a two-time Oscar winner can get starstruck while filming a Marvel epic. Hiddleston admitted even Hopkins and other veterans occasionally fanboy out on the Marvel sets.

No matter how big a celebrity gets, there’s someone for them to geek out over. This happened to Tom Hiddleston while shooting Thor. But it wasn’t just him, as two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and Thor director Kenneth Branagh had the same feeling while on set. The Loki star revealed how he served as a bridge for the director and the Oscar winner’s reciprocal fanboying.

The behind-the-scenes fanboying between all three was a weird juxtaposition against the emotional levity of Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins’ emotional scene. You wouldn’t think someone of Hopkins or Kenneth Branagh's caliber would still be starstruck at this point in their careers. But it was nice to know that both were comfortable enough with Hiddleston to share their mutual admiration.

During his GQ interview, the Loki star delved more into the dynamic on the set of the first Thor film. Despite Thor and Loki’s relationship souring on screen, Tom Hiddleston revealed he and Chris Hemsworth formed a friendship while filming the movie. Hiddleston mentioned he and Hemsworth could relate to the pressure of filming such a big-budget franchise. So Thor built bonds and mutual respect that still can be felt a decade later.

Knowing of Anthony Hopkins and Kenneth Branagh’s mutual fanboying made the two even more relatable. Tom Hiddleston’s story gave some insight into the mutual respect and admiration behind the scenes. That said, the Loki star carried that spirit into the Disney+ series. If you want to see Hopkins and Hiddleston’s emotional father-son scene, you can stream Thor on Disney+.

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The best Anthony Hopkins movies are those that give the two-time Academy Award-winning actor (and composer and great social media follow) just enough space and time to create or bring to life well-rounded and fully thought-out characters. Thrilling dramas like The Silence of the Lambs, Amistad, and more recently, The Father, all feature characters played by Hopkins in a way that it’s hard, or impossible, to think of anyone else playing those roles at the time.

But, what if you want to revisit the best Anthony Hopkins movies that you grew up watching or might have missed due to the sheer volume of his work in the past 50-plus years? Well, you’ve certainly come to right place, as we have put together a comprehensive list of his best movies and all the ways you can watch them, including streaming, digital rentals, and old-fashioned physical media…

The Father (2020)

Even though there was a great deal of controversy surrounding Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar for Best Actor at the 93rd Academy Awards, it shouldn’t take anything away from his performance in The Father, Florian Zeller’s heartbreaking drama about a man refusing to accept assistance, and his fate, as he battles dementia. Olivia Colman co-stars as Hopkins’ on-screen daughter, who becomes both his biggest supporter and adversary in their journey together.

Buy The Father on Amazon.

Buy The Father on DVD/Blu-ray On Amazon May 18.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Long after he’s gone and we talk about his legacy, it will be hard to mention Anthony Hopkins’ name without bringing up The Silence of the Lambs. Jonathan Demme’s 1991 psychological thriller, based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name, features the most iconic of Hopkins’ performances with his take as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a world-renowned psychiatrist who’s in prison for his taste for murder, human flesh, and a nice chianti. And, there is something special about the chemistry shared by Hopkins and Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling that remains just as magical 30 years later.

Stream The Silence of the Lambs on Showtime.

Rent/Buy The Silence of the Lambs on Amazon.

Buy The Silence of the Lambs on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Amistad (1997)

Steven Spielberg’s 1997 courtroom drama, Amistad, retells one of the most significant cases seen in front of the United States Supreme Court after African tribesmen abducted for the slave trade took over their captor’s ship and started an international legal battle. Anthony Hopkins received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of former President John Quincy Adams, who assists freed slave Theordore Joadson (Morgan Freeman) and lawyer Roger Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey) prepare the legal case in favor of the slaves’ leader, Cinque (Djimon Hounsou).

Stream Amistad on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Amistad on Amazon.

Buy Amistad on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Nixon (1994)

Anthony Hopkins received an Oscar nomination for his role of the embattled Richard Nixon in Oliver Stone’s unique 1994 biopic, Nixon. Told in a very “Oliver Stone” manner (non-linear storytelling, camera filters, his signature editing style and camera angles), this presidential epic tells much of the former president’s life, career, and legacy, leading up to his resignation in the fallout of the Watergate Scandal.

Stream Nixon on Hoopla.

Rent/Buy Nixon on Amazon.

Buy Nixon on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Thor Movies (2011 - 2017)

Adding a level of gravitas to the first three Thor movies (and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole) is Anthony Hopkins’ performance as Odin, father of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), adoptive father of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and leader of Asgard. While Odin can be a real prick at times (banishing his son to Midgard and that whole business with Hela), by the end of his run in Thor: Ragnarok, the character has redeemed himself.

Stream Thor, Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok on Disney+.

Rent/Buy Thor, Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok on Amazon.

Buy Thor, Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Two Popes (2019)

Probably one of the best movies on Netflix, Fernando Meirelles’ 2019 drama The Two Popes tells a story of the close-knit bond shared by Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) and Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) as the latter breaks from tradition and steps down as the leader of the Catholic church, allowing the former, his longtime friend, to step in and serve as his successor. Filled with both political drama and a heartwarming story of two friends (like in the World Cup scene), it should come as no surprise that Pryce and Hopkins were both nominated for Oscars.

Stream The Two Popes on Netflix.

The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)

Perhaps one of the most inspirational movies in Anthony Hopkins’ filmography, the 2005 biographical drama The World’s Fastest Indian sees the two-time Oscar winner take on the role of New Zealander Burt Munro, a man who spent years tinkering with his Indian motorcycle in hopes of breaking the land-speed record at Utah’s famed salt flats. Directed by Roger Donaldson (Cocktail, Thirteen Days), this uplifting tale of perseverance and not giving up on one’s dream is truly remarkable.

Stream The World’s Fastest Indian on Hoopla.

Rent/Buy The World’s Fastest Indian on Amazon.

Buy The World’s Fastest Indian on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Hitchcock (2012)

Sacha Gervasi’s Hitchcock sees Anthony Hopkins portray the iconic and visionary Alfred Hitchcock, as the acclaimed filmmaker prepares to adapt what would later become one of his most well-known movies: Psycho. This, however, proves to be no easy task after studios refuse to support the project, leading to Hitchcock himself agreeing to cover the cost.

Stream Hitchcock on Cinemax.

Rent/Buy Hitchcock on Amazon.

Buy Hitchcock on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Gothic horror film Bram Stoker’s Dracula sees Anthony Hopkins step in to portray Count Dracula’s (Gary Oldman) longtime nemesis, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, as he helps Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) rescue his fiancée Mina (Winona Ryder) from the blood-thirsty and condemned prince.

Stream Bram Stoker’s Dracula on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Amazon.

Buy Bram Stoker’s Dracula on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Meet Joe Black (1998)

Directed by Martin Brest (Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run, Scent of a Woman), the 1998 fantasy romance Meet Joe Black probably isn’t anyone’s favorite movie, but it is anchored by a touching and surprisingly honest performance by Anthony Hopkins as Bill Parrish, a billionaire media mogul. The film is about 15 to 20 minutes too long, but its story revolving around the embodiment of death (Brad Pitt) giving the 65-year-old businessman a few extra days to live while death learns what life is about is a rather unique concept and features great back-and-forth conversations between the two.

Stream Meet Joe Black on Showtime.

Rent/Buy Meet Joe Black on Amazon.

Buy Meet Joe Black on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Elephant Man (1980)

While mostly remembered for John Hurt’s heartbreaking and pained portrayal of the severely deformed John Merrick, David Lynch’s The Elephant Man also features a moving performance from Anthony Hopkins as Frederick Treves, the doctor who saved the former freak show attraction and gave him a new life in the hospital. This historical drama was nominated for a total of eight Academy Awards.

Stream The Elephant Man on Amazon.

Rent/Buy The Elephant Man on Amazon.

Buy The Elephant Man on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Mask Of Zorro (1998)

In Martin Campbell’s 1998 adventure film The Mask of Zorro, Anthony Hopkins takes on the role of Don Diego de la Vega, the original Zorro, who escapes from prison to track down and defeat his mortal enemy, Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson). To help in his fight, Don Diego enlists the services of Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas), a drunkard who eventually takes up the mask and superb swordsmanship of his mentor.

Stream The Mask of Zorro on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy The Mask of Zorro on Amazon.

Buy The Mask of Zorro on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Legends Of The Fall (1995)

Edward Zwick’s 1995 sprawling epic, Legends of the Fall, follows Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) and his three sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (Henry Thomas), as they cut out an idyllic slice of Wyoming for themselves in early 20th-Century Montana. Chronicling years in the life of the close-knit family, the movie explores the love, respect, and resentment shared by fathers and sons, as well as how grief can both break down and build up the spirit.

Stream Legends of the Fall on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Legends of the Fall on Amazon.

Buy Legends of the Fall on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Remains Of The Day (1993)

Anthony Hopkins received an Oscar nomination for the role of James Stevens, a tireless and loyal English butler to a Nazi sympathizer in James Ivory’s 1993 drama The Remains of the Day. Featuring two narratives — one showing Stevens’ arrival at his former employer’s massive estate and the other set following the man’s death — the movie explores topics like service, redemption, the changing of times, and love, which includes a story with Emma Thompson’s Sarah Kenton, a former housekeeper.

Stream The Remains of the Day on Pluto.

Rent/Buy The Remains of the Day on Amazon.

Buy The Remains of the Day on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Shadowlands (1993)

Directed by Richard Attenborough, the 1993 biographical drama Shadowlands sees Anthony Hopkins star as acclaimed British novelist and academic C.S. Lewis as he strikes up a relationship with American poet Joy Davidman (Debra Winger) in 1950s England. Although completely different in every imaginable way, the two make quite a pair and have their bond put to the ultimate test when Joy is diagnosed with cancer. And, since we probably won’t get any Chronicles of Narnia movies anytime soon, this one will have to do for now.

Rent/Buy Shadowlands on Amazon.

Rent/Buy Shadowlands on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Magic (1978)

Richard Attenborough’s 1978 psychological horror film Magic follows Charles “Corky” Withers (Anthony Hopkins), a struggling magician who starts a ventriloquist routine for one final shot at success. While Corky has initial success with their routine, Fats (the dummy) slowly begins to have a mind of his own, which gets in the way of a new relationship the showman strikes up with his former high school sweetheart Peggy (Ann-Margaret).

Rent/Buy Magic on Amazon.

Buy Magic on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Chaplin (1992)

And, then there is Chaplin, which happens to be one of the best movies on Amazon prime. Directed by Richard Attenborough, the Academy Award-nominated biographical drama follows an elderly Charlie Chaplin (Robert Downey Jr.) as he tells his life’s story to George Hayden (Anthony Hopkins), the editor of his autobiography. Though Hopkins isn’t in the movie a great deal, he makes the most of his time and helps guide Downey’s version of the Hollywood icon through his later years.

Stream Chaplin on Amazon.

Rent/Buy Chaplin on Amazon.

Buy Chaplin on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

This is just a small fraction Anthony Hopkins’ body of work, and doesn’t even include his various stage productions, TV shows, and other performances which have helped turn the actor into one of Hollywood’s living legends. With a career still very much in full swing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hopkins appear in any one of the upcoming 2021 movies hitting theaters and streaming services this year.

Following his passing in August 2020, Chadwick Boseman had one more movie set to come out: Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, where he played an ambitious trumpeter named Levee Green. Boseman’s performance scored critical acclaim, and after posthumously winning a Golden Globe, he was also nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. However, as those who watched the 93rd Academy Awards this past Sunday saw, it was Anthony Hopkins who took home that particular award for his performance in The Father. Now Boseman’s brother, Derrick Boseman, is classily responding to those who see this as a snub.

Look around social media, and you’ll find plenty of people who are unhappy with Anthony Hopkins winning the Best Actor Oscar over Chadwick Boseman. However, Derrick Boseman doesn’t see Hopkins winning as a snub, telling TMZ that neither he nor the rest of the Boseman family were upset that Chadwick’s name wasn’t called. As Derrick explained, Chadwick Boseman never placed a lot of value on the Oscars, describing them as a “campaign.”

Furthermore, Derrick Boseman wished Anthony Hopkins well, saying that the actor surely would have done the same if Chadwick Boseman had won. For what it’s worth, Hopkins was indeed a class act in his acceptance speech posted the morning after the 93rd Academy Awards, as he paid tribute to Boseman. This is Hopkins’ second Oscar win, having previously won for playin Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, and he’s also been nominated four other times. Hopkins is now also the oldest actor to win the Best Actor category, with Henry Fonda previously holding that record.

Of course, as those who watched the 93rd Academy Awards know, Anthony Hopkins winning the Best Actor Oscar instead of Chadwick Boseman wasn’t the only surprising thing that happened with that category. Usually an Oscars ceremony ends with announcing what wins Best Picture, but this time, Best Actor was saved for last. Plus, after Joaquin Phoenix announced that Hopkins won, the broadcast abruptly ended. Apparently Olivia Colman, Hopkins’ The Father costar, was going to accept the Oscar on his behalf, but there was a misunderstanding that resulted in that plan not going through.

All this was just one element that made the 93rd Academy Awards an… unusual viewing experience. Granted, we already knew going into the event that this would be different from traditional Oscars presentations due to COVID-19 complications, but between the endless speeches and Glenn Close doing Da Butt (something I never thought I’d type), it’s safe to say that this year’s ceremony missed with a lot of people. This was also the least-viewed Oscars telecast yet, with only 9.85 million people tuning in.

With the 93rd Academy Awards having come and gone, you can now start predicting what will be honored at the 94th Academy Awards. As for Anthony Hopkins, he can next be seen starring in The Virtuoso alongside Anson Mount and Abbie Cornish. It premieres in theaters this Friday, April 30.

In the aftermath of last night’s Oscars upset in the Best Actor category, a lot of talk is flying around over the ending that saw Anthony Hopkins win over Chadwick Boseman. Apparently that’s not the end of the story though, as the rather weird and abrupt ending to the 93rd Academy Awards was due to an ill-timed flub. It reportedly comes down to Joaquin Phoenix’s presenting gig, which ended with a pretty big misunderstanding.

While Anthony Hopkins wasn’t present to accept his award for his performance in director Florian Zeller’s The Father, there was a plan already in place for Hopkins’ absence. Judging by the supposed details The Guardian reported on said plan, it could have turned this twist ending into a moment of bittersweet Oscar joy. This is because the original plan, according to the publication, was that Sir Anthony Hopkins' co-star from The Father, Olivia Colman, was supposed to accept the award on his behalf.

Now even in an unconfirmed capacity, that totally sounds like something the Oscars would have done. Even in the supposedly unlikely event that Anthony Hopkins won, the show's producers probably thought that Olivia Colman would have delivered a speech that would have absolutely crushed at the ceremony. Between Colman's humor-tinged acceptance and presenting speeches through the last two years of Oscars history, and her ability to also balance the air of celebration with the somber undercurrent of the 93rd Academy Awards, it feels like this alternate scenario would have been A+.

Anyone who watched the 93rd Academy Awards last night knows that’s not how the story ended though. Instead, the night’s festivities concluded in a rather abrupt fashion, with Joaquin Phoenix accepting the award for Sir Anthony Hopkins, on behalf of the Academy. This basically closed out the night and threw things to Questlove to sign off for the evening. Here’s what the world saw, in real time:

Now, of course, someone from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences would need to weigh in on this Joaquin Phoenix story to either confirm or deny if that supposed plan was in place. But it already sounds like this huge upset that has the internet talking could have been mitigated with the right acceptance speech. It’s just that should the story above be true, Olivia Colman wasn’t given a chance to make that speech, ending the evening on a very weird note.

Eventually, Anthony Hopkins would give his own acceptance speech, full of genuine surprise and containing a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. If anything, his final word on the moment should be what’s remembered in terms of the competition for Best Actor itself; especially when the humble surprise Hopkins had for his win shows that even he probably thought Boseman was going to win that golden statuette.

Again, this story about Joaquin Phoenix’s handling of the Best Actor announcement could be pure rumor. Whether we’ll get any sort of closure on the validity of this story has yet to be seen. Though no matter the outcome, Anthony Hopkins’ Best Actor win should go down as yet another reminder of just how unpredictable Oscar night truly is. As we’ve seen before, the presenters are very human, and once that envelope opens, anything can happen.

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The strangest Oscars season in recent memory had the strangest Academy Awards telecast in recent memory. It’s fitting, sure, but that doesn’t excuse the Academy for delivering a disastrous television presentation marred by multiple head-scratching decisions and numerous detrimental changes that caused the 93rd Academy Awards to stumble, flail, and eventually fall flat on its face.

I can’t call this the worst Oscars ceremony I’ve ever seen. The 2011 ceremony, co-hosted by the hopelessly mismatched Anne Hathaway and James Franco, continues to hold that honor and I’m not sure anything outside of a complete technical meltdown will wrestle that crown from their collective hands. But in a year where the Academy had its back up against the wall having to celebrate a slate of films that the majority of the casual, mainstream audience wasn’t invested in, the Oscar ceremony delivered a joyless, energy-free slog of a show that opted for too-solemn tributes to the history of cinema but also forgot to celebrate what’s special about the movies, now.

This is not a referendum on the winners in any way. Few could argue that the best of this unusual Oscars season, which extended its qualification deadlines to accommodate studio heavy hitters that still chose to sit the whole season out, didn’t emerge triumphant by evening’s end. Chloe Zhao collected Director and Picture Oscars for her beautiful tone poem Nomadland, while the beating heart of that film, Frances McDormand, took Best Actress from and insanely talented field of competitors.

I also credit the Academy for trying to shake things up. Live events are still figuring out how to even occur under expected COVID restrictions, and I commend the Oscars for largely figuring out how to stage an event for all of the nominees in multiple, new locations that still allowed contenders like Daniuel Kaluuya, Youn Yuh-jung, Emerald Fennell, the team behind Soul, and everyone to feel like they got the “full Oscar experience.”

Endless speeches, saying nothing

But nothing landed. Nothing. After Regina King’s spectacular strut from the pre-show party to the stage, choreographed no doubt by Oscars executive producer Steven Soderbergh, the wheels came off of this eventual train wreck. All we could do, as audience members, was watch in horror and express disbelief about the various atrocities on social media.

I’ve often wondered what would happen if that pesky Oscars stage music didn’t play winners off the stage as their speeches lost focus and rambled. You know the drill by now. A passionate winner, overwhelmed by emotion, has to rush through a touching tribute as the “get off the stage” music swells. The 93rd Academy Awards did away with that, and left us with a litany of interminable speeches that might have been heartfelt, but too often lacked any noticeable point. Musicians, editors, documentary filmmakers and cinematographers thanked teachers from their childhoods, got overly political (or made jokes about how political the show felt), and often rambled into a void. Very sweet for them, but brutal for an audience member watching from home.

Instead of having music play the winners off in a hasty fashion, The Roots icon Questlove DJ’d the ceremony, which often giving the Oscars an MTV Movie Awards feel. That’s not a desired effect. Record scratches and airhorns blared as soon as Oscar winners finished their too-solemn speeches. Like the entirety of the ceremony, it was two wildly different tones smashing into each other, often creating a disaster.

Glenn Close does Da Butt

Still, none of that could have prepared us for the complete and utter debacle that was the run of show for the 93rd Academy Awards. Again, the creatives behind the intimate ceremony thought outside the box, which could have netted exciting results. Best Director went early in the show, which was a surprise. In lieu of clips from the nominated films or performances, presenters frequently gave speeches about the nominees that didn’t sound genuine in the slightest. Joaquin Phoenix refused to participate in it.

The Oscars already were off the rails when, with only three categories left to hand out, co-host (sort of) Lil Rey Howery awkwardly fumbled through what felt like an impromptu comedic bit about Oscar-nominated songs. He roped nominees Andra Day and Daniel Kaluuya into the uncomfortable nonsense, only proving that young nominees know nothing about the history of the ceremony they were attending. And it ended with Oscar nominee Glenn Close shaking her ass to EU’s “Da Butt,” from Spike Lee’s School Daze.

Where do we begin? You don’t try a comedy bit AT THE END of a show that already felt like it was lasting an eternity. You’d already committed to a “no jokes” policy by neglecting to hire a traditional host or offer up funny presenters. The bit felt like a time filler for a how that really didn’t need it, but then the ceremony RACED through the In Memoriam package, short-shrifting what’s usually the most sentimental moment of the annual ceremony (when almost every poor decision on the evening was geared towards ramping up the sincerity for the movie-making process). Seriously, what the hell?

The Best Actor gamble blew up in their faces

I’d already thrown in the towel on this ridiculous failure of a show when the unthinkable happened. The Oscars took a spectacular gamble and moved Best Picture ahead of Best Actress and Best Actor in the run of show. Not unprecedented, mind you, but highly unusual. The Academy in hindsight was gambling that the late Chadwick Boseman would win Best Actor for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the evening would have a spectacular, emotional sendoff.

Only, he lost. And the category’s winner, Anthony Hopkins, didn’t show up to the ceremony.

It was the perfect, anti-climactic fade into obscurity for this disaster of a ceremony. You actually couldn’t have scripted it any better if your point was to prove that very little about the 93rd Academy Awards worked. The new venue was cozy, and the winners were just. But too many outside of the film community like to argue that the Oscars are on their last legs. Films with niche audiences contend in a ceremony that is getting harder and harder to watch.

The ratings for this year’s telecast will be fascinating. My guess is that they will post an historically low number, because even mildly curious viewers who tuned in to see how the Oscars were being handled were met with a soul-crushingly dull presentation that drained the stage presence, the pomp and circumstance… the FUN out of the Oscars. Next year’s ceremony, if there is one, can’t possibly be worse.

Last night's Oscars ceremony was...interesting, to say the least. While there was certainly an expectation that the "Pandemic Oscars" were going to be a show unique in many ways, a lot of the strangeness of the whole thing felt separated from the particular circumstances of the pandemic. The decision to make Best Actor the last award of the night rather than Best Picture certainly wasn't a necessity of the current situation, and yet, that's what happened. Many thought it might make for a big finale if the award went to the late Chadwick Boseman, but it didn't work out that way. Although in his acceptance speech Hopkins has mentioned the actor.

Last night's awards show ended somewhat anticlimactically when the winner of the final award, Anthony Hopkins, for his role in The Father, was not present to give a speech. But Hopkins has now had a chance to say a few words, which have been released on social media. The actor thanks the Academy for the award, that he says he never expected to win, but he also pays brief tribute to one of his fellow nominees in Chadwick Boseman. Check it out below.

Few if any are arguing that Anthony Hopkins performance was not Oscar-worthy. He had collected several other awards in the lead up to the Oscars for the performance, but there was certainly a feeling that Chadwick Boseman could very well win for his role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as a sentimental favorite. Hopkins himself likely expected Boseman to win, and thus he pays brief tribute to the actor in his own acceptance speech.

Most of the buzz surrounding last night's Oscars was about the Best Actor Award, but not in the way people, including the producers of the show, were likely hoping. Tradition was changed up when the Best Picture award was given out before the two main acting awards. The feeling among many was that this may have been done to give the spotlight to Chadwick Boseman, who was a frontrunner for the award, Of course, that only works if he wins the award, which was not a guarantee.

So if there were any critics who were worried about whether or not the results of the Oscars are indeed a surprise, that concern evaporated when Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for The Father. And while many of the nominees who were not on location were still able to give speeches from wherever in the world they were, Hopkins was simply unavailable, meaning there was nobody to give a final speech. And the night just...ended.

Whether the 2021 Oscars are a ceremony that will be remembered for its historic wins, or largely overlooked in the future because of its strangeness, only time will tell. However, at least in this moment Chadwick Boseman was remembered, even if that didn't happen in the way so many had hoped.

For most of the 93rd Academy Awards, the night went pretty much as expected. Movies like Sound of Metal, Nomadland, and yes, even Tenet racked up wins with very little surprises to either outrage or elate. However, when it came to handing out the award for Best Actor, Chadwick Boseman not winning the Oscar might have been the biggest shock of the night.

Instead of the Ma Rainey's Black Bottom star winning a posthumous award, Anthony Hopkins’ performance in The Father’s titular role was what ended up taking home the Academy Award for Best Actor. This was a huge surprise in an evening that already departed from the usual formula of an awards show with a scaled down version of what Oscar audiences are used to seeing. Not to mention, the ending of the 93rd annual proceedings ended in a switch up from the usual order of operations.

The last three Oscars were presented in the following order: Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Actor (an odd thing given that Best Picture is typically last). The evening’s top honors went to director Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, with Frances McDormand scoring a slightly surprising upset in the Best Actress category for that same film. Some had expected that Best Actor might have been scheduled to be the final award in order to highlight Chadwick Boseman’s potential victory as the final punctuation on the evening’s events. But things didn't exactly work out that way, with Joaquin Phoenix announcing Anthony Hopkins' name and then explaining that the performer wasn't present at the event to accept the trophy.

Between his untimely passing and the knock out performance he’d given in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Boseman felt like he was going to be a lock for the Best Actor honors. The pattern that emerged throughout the strange awards season saw Chadwick Boseman’s legacy being honored by critics and his peers throughout multiple victories on the road to the Oscars. But the Academy Awards upset was delivered as the most shocking twist of the evening, and could quite possibly go down in history as one of the biggest surprises to ever grace the Oscars.

This was the second of two upsets in the Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom camp at the Oscars. With four-time nominee Viola Davis also being tipped by some as the potential choice for Best Actress this evening, the stars seemed aligned for the Netflix original film to fulfill what seemed to be its destiny. Out of the five Oscars George C. Wolfe’s adaptation of August Wilson’s play racked up at tonight’s ceremony, only Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design wound up falling into the film’s win column.

When all was said and done, the Best Actor victory that saw Anthony Hopkins beat out Chadwick Boseman’s performance will be the moment this night will be remembered for. Morning headlines and history books will remember tonight as an event where a mostly predictable night took a left turn at the last possible moment. No matter your opinion on the result, you have to admit that the ending to this year’s Oscars was truly symbolic of the year that was 2020.

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It's hard to believe Silence of the Lambs turns thirty years old this February. Heading into this milestone, the psychological thriller is now a spine-chilling classic and important to the fabric of our pop culture. The Best Picture winner is the only horror flick to ever win the coveted prize and continues to be the most iconic role of Jodie Foster’s career as she returns to the big screen for the first time since 2018 for The Mauritanian. And as you can imagine, Foster still has fond memories from working on the iconic movie.

When CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg spoke with Jodie Foster ahead of the release of The Mauritanian, a legal drama about a man seeking justice for his imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay detention camp without charge or trial. During the conversation, he asked the Best Actress-winner about what jumps to mind when reflecting on her experience as Clarice Starling. In her words:

That’s certainly the lasting memory many of us have about Silence of the Lambs, too. The most electric aspect of the 1991 film is the tense moments where Clarice and Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector are face-to-face as the FBI trainee utilizes him to track down the serial killer Buffalo Bill. Foster expanded on her time on Silence of the Lambs with a conversely fun time on set without intense stares or horrifying violence. In her words:

Silence of the Lambs was a super dramatic film and likely an exhaustive shoot, so it’s nice to hear Jodie Foster and the cast had some fun times together in between. Some of the most memorable moments in movies are often the parts not caught on camera and, for Foster, she loved the atmosphere of dancing in her Pittsburgh house on Super Bowl night, blasting music with the film’s crew.

Jodie Foster never reprised her role as Clarice following the Best Picture winner, but Anthony Hopkins did continue his Silence of the Lambs role for Hannibal and Red Dragon. The franchise memorably lived on through the cult favorite spinoff show Hannibal starring Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, which tracked the origins of Lecter.

Hannibal’s showrunner had plans to intersect the show with Silence of the Lambs for the fourth season, but the series was prematurely cancelled in 2015 and he has not been given the rights to adapt those characters, despite interest from fans and the cast. CBS has now made a series exclusively about Clarice Starling following the events of Silence of the Lambs, which fittingly arrives just ahead of the 1991 film’s anniversary on Valentine’s Day. The Originals star Rebecca Breeds will play the role in Clarice, which premieres on February 11.

Check out Jodie Foster in The Mauritanian in select theaters on February 12.

Hello, Clarice. The Silence of the Lambs, the Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins-starring psychological thriller/horror, turns 30 this year. Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling and many of the films classic lines (of which “Hello, Clarice” isn’t actually one) have been ingrained into our culture, not to mention aped in the form of sequels, prequels, spinoffs and parodies. There is a rich history to this classic film and how it all came together, which you can learn more about with these behind-the-scenes facts on The Silence of the Lambs.

Thomas Harris Met The Inspiration For Hannibal Lecter In A Mexican Prison

Thomas Harris introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter in his book Red Dragon and then expanded on the character in The Silence of the Lambs. The sophisticated psychiatrist who eats people resided in Baltimore, but Harris’ inspiration for Lecter has roots in a Mexican prison.

In an author’s introduction for a The Silence of the Lambs reprint, Harris recalls a magazine assignment when he was 23 to interview an American locked up for murder in Mexico. There, Harris met Dr. Salazar (a created name), who provided medical treatment at the prison. The doctor would ask him probing questions about his interactions and impression of prisoners. It was not until Harris was leaving the prison that he was told that Dr. Salazar was a prisoner himself, an “insane” murderer as described by the warden.

Harris credited Dr. Salazar for allowing him to “recognize his colleague and fellow practitioner, Hannibal Lecter.” And per Demme, that remains Harris' vision of Lecter, as he has never seen the film version of The Silence of the Lambs.

Psycho And The Silence Of The Lambs Killers Are Based In Part On Ed Gein

Though Hannibal Lecter gets a lot of the attention, the main antagonist of The Silence of the Lambs is Buffalo Bill, who was conjured up by taking bits and pieces from infamous killers, including Ed Gein, who previously served as the inspiration for Psycho.

An essay by author and film critic Amy Taubin included in The Silence of the Lambs Criterion DVD broached Gein’s influence. Ed Gein was a serial killer who had an unhealthy relation with his mother (part of the Psycho connection). He also collected body parts from his victims, making household items, masks and clothes. It is the latter that helped inspire the character of Buffalo Bill, as his plan involved making a woman suit from the skin of his victims.

The Man Who Inspired Jack Crawford And David Fincher’s Mindhunter

Jack Crawford (played by Scott Glenn) heads the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI and the man who recruits Clarice Starling onto the Buffalo Bill case in The Silence of the Lambs. Like Lecter and Buffalo Bill, Crawford also has a connection to a real person, John Douglas.

Douglas was a leading member of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in its early days. More than just a jumping off point, he is given a special thanks for his work consulting on The Silence of the Lambs. Jodie Foster also took classes with Douglas during her research at FBI’s headquarters in Quantico, Va., prior to filming, which she described in a three-part making-of documentary, Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster.

Douglas’ career would inspire another popular crime story, David Fincher’s Netflix series Mindhunter. Douglas wrote the book the series is based on and served as a consultant.

Silence Of The Lambs Interested Jonathan Demme More As A Woman’s Pic Than Thriller

Had Clarice Starling been Clark Starling, director Jonathan Demme may never have made The Silence of the Lambs. In Film Comment’s January 1991 issue (via Diary of a Screenwriter), Demme said, as both a moviegoer and director, he was a sucker for a woman’s picture. Demme explained:

Demme and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto encapsulated that perspective in the look of The Silence of the Lambs. In Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster, Demme explains casting tall actors around Jodie Foster to accentuate the idea of her being out of place. They also shot from Starling’s point of view to put the audience more in her shoes and “constantly feel this sense of challenge that she is encountering,” Demme said.

Jodie Foster’s Fight To Be Demme’s Second Choice

Jodie Foster was not happy when Jonathan Demme was hired as the director for The Silence of the Lambs. But it had nothing to do with Demme as a director.

Foster had read The Silence of the Lambs book and immediately wanted to play Clarice Starling. However, when Demme was brought on Foster knew his first choice was going to be Michelle Pfeiffer, who Demme worked with on Married to the Mob. Foster really wanted the part though, so much so that she called and visited Demme personally in New York to push to be the director’s second choice.

She explained her pursuit of Starling in Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster. Coming off an Oscar for Best Actress in The Accused, many people said she was humiliating herself, but Foster looked at it a different way.

Of course, she would be proven right. Pfeiffer passed and Foster earned her second Oscar for Best Actress and created her most iconic role.

Many Actors Wanted To Wear Hannibal’s Mask

It’s always fun to think of who else could have played famous characters, and nearly every major male actor of the time wanted to play Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

This included Gene Hackman, who was originally attached to direct the film and potentially star as Lecter. However, Hackman could not see eye to eye with Ted Tally on the script, so he eventually left the project.

When Jonathan Demme came on board, he said - once again in Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster - he had two thoughts for casting Hannibal. One was Anthony Hopkins; the other was what he deemed the commercial option: Sean Connery. They reached out to Connery first, but he declined the role. So in the end, Demme got to go with his preferred choice, Hopkins.

Demme Filled The Cast With Lucky Charms, Mentors And Crew

While Foster and Hopkins are given their proper due for their tremendous performances, the entire cast of The Silence of the Lambs is fantastic. To fill out all the roles, Demme made some fun and meaningful choices.

Demme cast his “lucky charm” Charles Napier as one of guards who is killed by Lecter. Per IMDb, Napier had been in every Demme film between 1977’s Citizens Band and Silence of the Lambs (he would star in nine Demme films in total). He also brought in B-movie maven Roger Corman as the director of the FBI; Corman helped Demme, like many others, get his start in the industry.

Among the cameos, George Romero, the director for Night of the Living Dead, had a brief appearance in the movie in large part because it was shot in Pittsburgh, where Romero was based. Foster also recalled in Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster that all members of the crew wound up being used as extras or other small parts.

Anthony Hopkins Devised Hannibal Lecter’s Iconic Entrance

Clarice Starling walks down the subterranean corridor that holds the prison’s most dangerous inmates to have her first meeting with Dr. Hannibal Lecter. When she arrives, she finds the unblinking, cannibal psychiatrist eerily waiting for her in the center of his cell, eager to greet his guest. It’s an iconic entrance that immediately gives Hopkins’ Lecter an unsettling air about him; and according to Hopkins was his choice.

During an interview with Jim Ferguson promoting The Silence of the Lambs, Hopkins said Demme asked how he felt Hannibal should be discovered. Hopkins thought having this infamous murderer waiting for Starling in the center of an empty room saying “good morning” spooked him. Ferguson, to Hopkins' delight, agreed. Hopkins eventually saw first-hand how scary his performance was.

Foster And Hopkins Acted More With The Camera Than Each Other

There are so many great scenes between Starling and Lecter throughout the film. Demme’s use of POV shots continued during these scenes. However, that meant Foster and Hopkins often weren’t acting off each other, but opposite the camera.

Foster, in a Vanity Fair video, explained that those scenes between her and Hopkins would be shot over two days - grabbing her coverage one day and Hopkins’ the other. When the camera was on whichever actor, the other would more or less be a disembodied voice, as Foster described it. “Those scenes feel so intimate, and yet we couldn’t see each other.”

In fact, Foster, in the making-of documentary, said that she and Hopkins had little interaction during filming because of the way their scenes were shot.

Buffalo Bill Drew The Ire Of The LGBTQ Community

Buffalo Bill’s motive is said to be fueled by his desire to change himself. Lecter says that a former patient of his, a gay man, was a partner of Buffalo Bill, and that at one point Buffalo Bill may have applied for a sex change operation. This led many to infer that Buffalo Bill was gay or trans, which in turn wrought criticism from the LGBTQ community upon the film’s release.

The Los Angeles Times reported many in the gay community believed Buffalo Bill painted gay or trans people as mentally deranged. Protests from gay rights activists were held outside of the Oscars the night The Silence of the Lambs won.

Writer and activist Larry Kramer, in a LA Times op-ed on Demme’s follow-up, Philadelphia, said The Silence of the Lambs is considered by “many gays one of the most virulently and insidiously homophobic films ever made.”

The Silence of the Lambs never outright says Buffalo Bill is gay or trans. Lecter’s theory - and the filmmakers’ intent, per Demme’s Film Comment interview - suggests more that he hates his own image and adopting gay or trans traits was a way to alter it. That was not, however, enough for the film to avoid controversy.

Anthony Hopkins Oscar Screen Time Record Has An Asterisk

Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor for The Silence of the Lambs, doing so with only 24 minutes and 52 seconds on screen. That set a record for Oscars, but not the one many people assume.

Hopkins’ performance is often cited as the shortest to win a lead acting Oscar. That is half right. Hopkins holds the record for shortest performance to win Best Actor, however the record for a lead performance (actor or actress) actually goes to Patricia Neal for 1963’s Hud, for which she is on screen for 21 minutes and 51 seconds.

One other quick Oscar tidbit: The Silence of the Lambs is the third, and most recent, film to win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay (original or adapted). The others are It happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

The Silence of the Lambs celebrates its 30th anniversary on Feb. 14. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a rewatch and a nice chianti.

Octogenarian Anthony Hopkins is one of the many celebrities flocking to popular social media platform TikTok. The man joined over the weekend so that he could dance around and live his best life – oh and challenge Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger to a dance challenge with a little help from Drake's music.

It’s the sort of move I guess shouldn’t be surprising, but still caused me to go ‘Uh” as soon as I saw the video. I mean it makes total sense Anthony Hopkins would have some smooth dance moves. I just guess I never thought of the man as a Drake kind of guy.

I have no idea what convinced Anthony Hopkins to join TikTok, but whatever this is, it’s working for me and I really, really can’t wait to see if Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger join the fun. The latter two actors have also been active in quarantine. However, while Stallone’s been busy answering a lot of fan questions, Arnold Schwarzenegger has gotten into the spirit of making content that will amuse people, much like the video above.

I guess what I’m saying is “The Tootsie Slide” wouldn’t be so off brand for the former Governator, whom Anthony Hopkins shouts out in his first TikTok video ever. He also sends a nod to Arnold’s pal Lulu, the pet donkey in the household, suggesting Hopkins has been paying attention to his pal’s shenanigans online.

I’m not sure what inspired him make his first post a dance to Drake, but lots of celebrities have been up to weird stuff as they figure out how to self-promote (or fill time) during this period of downtime the entertainment industry has been in.

Some of this has been great, from Josh Gad’s Goonies or Mike Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters watch parties to celebrities like Dwayne Johnson or Sly Stallone himself answering questions about their lives and work online.

Other celebrities have not handled the whole isolation thing so well.

The Internet is forever, people, so if you are a person dancing to Drake in front of millions, you better be prepared to own it for a long time. You never know which of these clips will be viral and remembered over the long haul. Although it seems as if Sylvester Stallone has some time on his hands, so maybe he'll give a dance challenge a go.

Meanwhile, there’s a hope the entertainment industry will start to open back up in a short while, so Anthony Hopkins will be able to get back to supporting upcoming projects like The Father and The Viruoso. That also means if Sly Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger want to get on the Drake dancing train, they better do it fast.

Just because a character only has a secondary role in a story doesn’t mean they can’t shine brightly, and this year’s class of nominees for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards is tremendous proof. These men easily stole scenes from some of the best stars in the world, in some of the best movies released last year. They are all very well-deserving of the honor bestowed by simply being up for the prize… but only one of them can actually win, and on that front the CinemaBlend staff has opinions.

In the run up to the big show on Saturday, we have surveyed the members of our team for their opinions on the eight major Oscar categories – with voters being only eligible to cast their rankings if they saw all of the films up for a particular award. Nominees were ranked from one to five (“1” being the highest, and “5” being the lowest), and the averaged results have resulted in the rankings of the Best Supporting Actor category that you’ll find below!

#5. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Average Rank: 3.9166667

When it comes to the Academy Awards, Tom Hanks is one of the most successful in history, having been nominated six times, and won twice (he is only one of 34 people to do the latter). Because of this, it’s a surprise to basically nobody that he is up for yet another prize this year, and he really does some fantastic work in Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. Overall, he’s not our top choice to win the Best Supporting Actor trophy, but he does still deliver a laud-worthy turn.

Everybody who grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is well-aware of the very specific energy that was projected by the late Fred Rogers, and Tom Hanks’ work to capture it in the film truly is a special thing to watch. It’s always a challenge for the biggest stars to totally disappear into their roles, but that’s exactly what Hanks does here, and it’s both emotional and beautiful.

#4. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Average Rank: 3.75

Fernando Meirelles’ The Two Popes doesn’t work without a pair of exceptional performances. How could it? At its core level the entire movie is about a pair of men working to relate to one another, and if one of the men is delivering a constant series of false moments then everything falls apart. As it happens, though, The Two Popes is a great movie, and a big part of that is the excellent work done by Anthony Hopkins opposite Jonathan Pryce.

The film is a fictionalized account of how Pope Benedict abdicated his position within the Vatican, opening it for Pope Francis to become the new leader of the Catholic Church, and the work Hopkins does as the former is fantastic. Benedict deeply feels that the best future for his religion rests in conservative teachings, and espouses strong beliefs in that regard, however, he is also haunted by actions that have led the church down a horrific path – and Hopkins plays every element of it perfectly. He may not be CinemaBlend’s pick for the Oscar, but certainly deserves the recognition he’s received for his excellent performance.

#3. Al Pacino, The Irishman

Average Rank: 3.1666667

Given their incredible respective legacies, it’s crazy to recognize that Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese never made a movie together before The Irishman, but what’s considerably less surprising is the impressive quality of work they were able to create through their collaboration. Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa is a force of nature in the decades-spanning gangster epic, and it’s a part that only could have been brought to life with the actor’s famous dynamism.

This is the first time that Pacino has been up for an Academy Award since he won Best Actor in 1993 for Scent Of A Woman, and while he may not repeat that big success, his performance in The Irishman is going to leave a long impression on movie fans. The factual accuracy of the events depicted might be a touch questionable, but Pacino certainly made the role his own.

#2. Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Average Rank: 2.5

While Brad Pitt technically has an Oscar, having produced the Best Picture-winning 12 Years A Slave, he has never taken home the coveted prize for his acting work – despite being nominated three times. It seems crazy someone who has made such a massive impact on cinema and pop culture hasn’t received the prestigious prize. And while he may not be CinemaBlend’s top choice to win Best Supporting Actor this year, you can be sure that folks around here wouldn’t be upset at all if he took home the trophy for his work in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Cliff Booth is a man with a rough history, but who is content with and confident in who he is, and it’s an attitude that takes him to some pretty wild places in Quentin Tarantino’s epic tale of Los Angeles in 1969. Whether Cliff is feeding his incredibly well-trained dog Brandy in his trailer, or smashing in the faces of murderous cultists, Brad Pitt is clearly having a ball playing the character, and it translates to the audience loving watching him. It’s some of the best Pitt has done in his career, which is really saying a lot.

#1. Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Average Rank: 1.6666667

Joe Pesci has spent most of the 21st century as a retired actor, only taking small roles in a couple of feature films. His performance in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman in the first really substantial part he's had since 1998's Lethal Weapon 4. It’s a remarkable fact to consider when you watch him play Russell Bufalino, because it’s genuinely the best supporting actor performance featured in any 2019 film, and it makes you realize that tremendous talent never really goes away no matter how out of practice one may be.

We here at CinemaBlend were totally bowled over by Joe Pesci’s work in The Irishman, as evidenced by the fact that he actually has the best average rank score across any category we polled for (75% of our voters ranked him at the top). It’s a totally different kind of performance than we’ve ever seen from the actor, as he has a much softer energy in the part than any of his other iconic roles, and it’s a turn that we feel makes him deserving of winning Hollywood’s highest honor.

Do you agree with the results of our ranking? Who do you think should win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars this year? Hit the comments section with your thoughts, answer our poll below, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend as we continue to break down the seven major categories.

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What a year in movies 2019 shook out to be, huh? The 2020 Oscar nominations were announced Monday morning with massive recognition going to Joker, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Marriage Story and so forth. The talent is especially stacked in the Academy Award for Best Actor category, with a high chance four-time nominee Joaquin Phoenix will finally nab his first Oscar, alongside first-time nominees Jonathan Pryce in for The Two Popes, Antonio Banderas for Pain & Glory and Marriage Story’s Adam Driver joining 2017’s Revenant Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio in esteemed Oscars category.

As we await The 2020 Oscars, let’s look back at the best actors to nab a gold trophy at the Academy Awards throughout history. Here’s our ranking:

10. Leonardo DiCaprio (1 Win, 6 Nominations)

The youngest actor to grace this list is 45-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio, who is among one of the nominees at the Oscars for the sixth year in his illustrious career for the role of troubled actor Rick Dalton in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. DiCaprio was first invited to the Oscars when he was 20 years old for a Best Actor nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape for playing the mentally-disabled younger brother to Johnny Depp’s titular role.

And Leonardo DiCaprio has never been a stranger to the Academy for long, nabbing nominations for his memorable roles as Howard Hughes in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street and 2006’s Blood Diamond. He finally won in 2017 for his brutal role in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant acting in below freezing temperatures in Canada leading to the actor catching the flu a few times, eating raw liver despite being a long-held vegetarian and working with little to no dialogue. The guy really worked for his Oscar!

9. Anthony Hopkins (1 Wins, 5 Nominations)

Another one of the 2020 nominees is one of the best actors to ever take home the award. Anthony Hopkins has been recognized this year in the Best Actor category for his supporting role as Pope Benedict alongside Best Actor nominee Jonathan Pryce’s Pope Francis in The Two Popes. The 82-year-old British actor has been acting since the ‘60s but his well-known role to date is the chilling Dr. Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. He won his only Oscar for playing the serial killer, along with the crime-thriller taking home Best Picture and three other awards.

Between The Silence of the Lambs and The Two Popes, Anthony Hopkins has been nominated for playing WWII butler with Emma Thompson in The Remains of the Day, the 37th US president in Nixon and John Quincy Adams in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad. Hopkins has shown again and again his ability to disappear into roles and intrigue audiences with his riveting performances.

8. Dustin Hoffman (2 Wins, 7 Nominations)

He may not be active in recent years as he once was, but Dustin Hoffman has been a part of quite a few timeless movies that will be revisited again and again. The 82-year-old talent has nabbed two Oscars in his lifetime for 1979’s divorce drama opposite Meryl Streep Kramer vs. Kramer and as the autistic brother to Tom Cruise in 1988’s Rain Man.

Along with his two wins, Dustin Hoffman was first recognized by the Academy for Mike Nichols’ classic The Graduate when he was 30 years old. His other nominations include his role in Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Tootsie and Wag the Dog alongside Robert De Niro. Hoffman belongs on this list because when he stars in a movie his performance is just about always the highlight of the flick. His presence elevates the material and brings a particular emotion that leaves the audience in tears.

7. Daniel Day-Lewis (3 Wins, 6 Nominations)

Daniel Day-Lewis has since retired from acting, but not without a particularly impressive career in Hollywood. The 62-year-old is a favorite of the Academy’s, collecting an Oscar 50 percent of the time he’s been nominated. Day-Lewis’ first nomination lead to a win in 1990 for his leading role in My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown where he played a man who was born with cerebral palsy and learns to write and paint with his only working limb.

Daniel Day-Lewis is of course best known for Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, which awarded him his second Oscar. His most recent win was for playing Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s 2012 biopic. He’s also been nominated for In the Name of the Father, Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and Anderson’s Phantom Thread. Like his colleagues, Day-Lewis dazzles with his method acting – like the time when he built a canoe during the making of the Last of the Mohicans.

6. Denzel Washington (2 Wins, 8 Nominations)

Hollywood has long been a white man’s game. Just look at this list! But, there’s one actor who not only broke the disparity, he shattered it. Denzel Washington was the first Black actor to receive two Academy Awards with Mahershala Ali since following his lead in the past few years. Of course, it’s not just about firsts – Washington has starred in some of the best movies of all time such as Malcolm X and Philadelphia.

Denzel Washington’s first win came in 1990 when he won for his role as a Civil War soldier in Glory and his second for 2001’s Training Day. In between, he was recognized by the Academy for Malcolm X, The Hurricane, Flight, Fences and Roman J. Israel, Esq. The 65-year-old actor has delivered some incredible performances, namely about the Black experience in America and inspiring others such as Michael B. Jordan, who referenced Glory for Black Panther.

5. Tom Hanks (2 Wins, 6 Nominations)

Another veteran to the Academy’s good graces returning to the nominee list in 2020 is Tom Hanks. The 63-year-old actor was nominated in the Best Actor category for his supporting role as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. As the Golden Globes recently reminded us when Hanks was honored with Cecil B. DeMille award at the 2020 Golden Globes, Hanks has some of the most memorable roles in history. It’s countless really.

The actor won two Academy Awards for two years in a row. In 1993, Tom Hanks nabbed his first for starring in the true story of a man with HIV who takes his law firm to court after being fired for his condition. His second was for playing the iconic and quotable role, Forrest Gump. He’s also been nominated for Big, Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away. He’s America’s Sweetheart for a reason – he always manages to get us on his side and empathize with his performance.

4. Robert De Niro (2 Wins, 7 Nominations)

Now we’re down to the wire. And amazingly enough these next two actors gave incredible performances in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman in 2019. Robert De Niro will mainly be remembered for his partnership with Scorsese where he was nominated for Taxi Driver in 1976, Cape Fear in 1991 and won for Raging Bull in 1980, but there’s a ton of meat on his acting bone. Did you know his first nomination and win was for his supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather: Part II back in 1975?

He nabbed another nominee in 1979 for The Deer Hunter – an examination of the effects of the Vietnam War along with flawlessly playing a catatonic man to Robin Williams’ physician in 1990’s Awakenings, and father to Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook. De Niro has always picked challenging roles and challenging subjects that stick with us for years… decades since.

3. Al Pacino (1 Wins, 9 Nominations)

Also finding beginnings in The Godfather is Al Pacino, also nominated this year at the Oscars for his supporting role as Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman. Pacino is Scarface, he’s Serpico and he’s an Oscar winner for 1992’s Scent of a Woman, where he played a blind man who his prep school “babysitter” (played by Chris O’Donnell) discovers to be an alcoholic army veteran.

Al Pacino has been recognized for a whopping nine Oscars (the most on this list thus far) for playing Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part I and II, NY cop in Serpico, a bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon, lawyer in And Justice For All, Big Boy Caprice Dick Tracy, and realtor in Glengarry Glen Ross. He’s done everything imaginable and the Academy clearly loves him. He’s memorable in just about every role he does. He’s Al Pacino!!

2. Jack Nicholson (3 Wins, 12 Nominations)

The No. 2 spot goes to a record setter at the Oscars. Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male actor in the Academy Awards history. (Meryl Streep leads with 21 and he ties with Katherine Hepburn at 12). The 82-year-old actor first impressed back in 1969 with motorcycle drama Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. He steadily kept coming back to the awards show through the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

Jack Nicholson’s first big win was for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest after playing a rapist who is sent to a mental institution despite not having a mental illness. It followed four prior noms for Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail and Chinatown. Nicholson also won for family drama Terms of Endearment in 1983 and As Good As It Gets in 1997. Of course the actor has tons more credits to his name – also playing Joker in The Batman and Frank Costello in The Departed. It’s overwhelming!

1. Marlon Brando (2 Wins, 8 Nominations)

At the top of the best actors to win Best Actor is Marlon Brando. He’s the kind of actor who has influenced just about every man on this list with his classic performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, Apocalypse Now and so forth. He’s well known for adopting the Method Acting formula which many of these men have adopted and have contributed to their Oscar wins later. He’s a model career to many, still being emulated today. If Joaquin Phoenix wins the next Best Actor Oscar, his Joker performance certainly has roots in Brando.

Brando won twice – first for 1954’s On the Waterfront and second for playing Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Although, he did not attend the ceremony purposefully choosing Native American actress Maria Cruz to accept his award to make a statement about the poor treatment of American Indians in Hollywood. This certainly shows that even the best of actors don’t always approve of Hollywood and its functions. It’s about the art, not the recognition.

Who's the Best Actor to win Best Actor? Sound off in the comments below and vote in our poll!

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Whenever it comes time to make a list of movie villains who stand the test of time and scare us all out of our wits repeatedly, there is never any doubt that the name Hannibal Lecter will show up somewhere near the top of the ranking. As played by Anthony Hopkins in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs, the character left its stamp on popular culture, going down in film history as one of the creepiest bad guys ever created.

With most roles that end up becoming this beloved and well-known, though, there was someone else who can very close to playing the part. And, we know now that that person is Bombshell's John Lithgow. The actor talked recently about how close he came to nabbing the soon-to-be iconic role of the psychopathic cannibal and what his hopes were for the gig at the time.

Ooooh! So close, right? John Lithgow made a very good point, while he was chatting with Deadline, when he noted that he wondered aloud to The Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme why they'd brought in him for a meeting after offering Hannibal Lecter to Anthony Hopkins not long before. Were they simply hoping that if Hopkins turned it down they'd have Lithgow readily available to say yes and sign on the dotted line?

Either way, the point turned out to be moot, and as we all know Anthony Hopkins did not turn down his shot at taking on the mantle of Hannibal Lecter. Not only did this lead to him immediately getting a spot in the annals of film history, but it also turned into a Best Actor Oscar for Hopkins and to him reprising the deadly role in two sequels, 2001’s Hannibal and 2002’s Red Dragon.

John Lithgow, for his part, hasn't been hurting for work in the decades since he lost out on portraying Hannibal Lecter. Recently, the two-time Academy Award nominee has gotten accolades for bringing Winston Churchill to The Crown on Netflix and playing Roger Ailes in the aforementioned Bombshell.

Though, those of you who remember his wackily comedic turn on the space-aliens-in-America sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001) might be surprised that he was ever up for a part as intense as Hannibal Lecter. But, he has played many bad guys and psychopaths (but not The Joker) in his time on screen, and here's Lithgow being super villainous in the 1993 Sylvester Stallone actioner Cliffhanger to prove it:

Well, aside from the shocking similarity in how John Lithgow and Anthony Hopkins looked back in the day, I'd say that Lithgow's skills as a movie bad guy were plentiful enough for him to make a convincingly creepy Hannibal Lecter. He's willing to self-deprecatingly admit, though, that his version of the classic character would have merely been "taller" than the one we eventually got.

If you haven't seen The Silence of the Lambs, or Cliffhanger, for that matter, both are available to watch on a variety of streaming services. For what's coming to the big screen next year, be sure to check out our 2020 movie release schedule!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may have grown exponentially in size and scale since Iron Man in 2008, but one small needle has been thread through every one of them, a cameo appearance from Stan Lee. In fact, as you might remember the former writer, editor-in-chief and publisher of Marvel Comics has been a constant in Marvel films before a unified MCU had even been created. His first on-screen cameo dates back to the first X-Men film back in 2000. Since then, the now 96-year-old icon has briefly appeared in nearly every Marvel film, often playing an unassuming elder with a cute and snappy line to break up the action and drama of the film. One might say he's the All-Father of Marvel Comics and in the hands of some Photoshop wizardry from a fan, Lee is the Father-god quite literally. Take a look!

Excelsior! Stan Lee makes for a quite convincing Odin in this fan photo found on Reddit. The thought of the Father-god of Norse mythology wearing a pair of large sunglasses such as Lee's is a bit comical, but other than that it's an amazing edit! Stan Lee would likely be unrecognizable without his iconic shades, anyway so if he ever took over for Odin for Anthony Hopkins, they might have to just stay. Lee might also have to trade his well-defined New Yorker accent for a much more ancient one if he signed on to play the Norse god and pack on some muscle. Logistics aside, it's a really fun edit that imagines the comic book writer as Odin, and we would love to see him in costume such as this in his next cameo, maybe in the next Thor?

Stan Lee jokingly said back in 2009 that he was considered for the role of Odin and wouldn't mind playing him, but Anthony Hopkins seems to have beaten him out thus far. His Oscar-winning, commanding presence is definitely a strong choice for Odin, and the actor magnificently played the role in each of the Thor films. In the last appearance of Odin in Thor: Ragnarok, the Father-god floated into the wind mysteriously, making it unclear if he actually died. Many deaths aren't permanent in the MCU, so his last appearance left potential room for Odin to return.

With a long line-up of Marvel films coming up, audiences will likely see many more cameos from Stan Lee in the future as long as he's still willing to keep up the tradition. Before the end of the year, Lee could potentially show up in Sony's Venom spin-off and the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. 2019 will also bring some more Marvel adaptations including Captain Marvel, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Spoilers below for the Season 2 premiere of Westworld, so be sure to watch before reading on.

HBO's Westworld is a room-escape game wrapped in an Isaac Asimov cautionary tale inside a set of depressingly high-tech Encyclopedia Brown mysteries. And now that Season 2 has finally arrived, viewers' totally real brains are working in overdrive to understand all the new details. (Here's how we tackled the premiere.) One particularly harsh visual was the eleven-day-old corpse of Anthony Hopkins' Robert Ford, whose finale death has remained questionable to many fans. Hopkins posted a bizarre video on Twitter ahead of the premiere, in which he looked like a severely malfunctioning Westworld host, but are the two connected at all? Watch and decide.

First, I have to applaud Anthony Hopkins for gleefully being this random and wacky at 80 years old, and there's no amount of Twitter vitriol that can extinguish such ridiculousness. Now, there's also no stopping the nightmares that may come from having seen the actor's eyes go wide with such Hannibal Lecter-esque madness, but we appreciate it all the same. Especially if it's actually a stealthily absurd way to keep Robert Ford's most vocal conspiracy theorists talking.

Anthony Hopkins is far from the most active celeb on social media, so the tweet popping up on the same night as Westworld's Season 2 premiere is circumstantially interesting. As well, had the clip just been of him blowing off steam with a cup of tea or a crossword puzzle, there would have been less of a reason to immediately suspect a connection to the HBO drama. But because he's herky-jerking around as if all his circuits are malfunctioning, we can't help but hope that we'll be seeing an artificially rendered Robert Ford somewhere in Delos' playgrounds.

Even the wording of "all work and no play" adds another level of pop culture nefariousness to Hopkins' post, given its connection to The Shining. And we can even make it relevant within Westworld, assuming that Ford's human death would relieve the character of his decades of "work," and that kicking off his robotic revolution would signify the "play" angle. I mean, the actor was busy filming as the lead in the upcoming TV film King Lear, as well as other pipeline projects he's got going, so it could very well be that he was too busy to return in full. But what about a smaller appearance?

It would definitely need to be a robotic version of Robert, since his human form is no longer around to put any of his lawless plans into action. Relive the truly gruesome shot that definitively destroyed anyone's hopes that it was actually Robert's host version that Delores killed in the Season 1 finale.

It's certainly possible that there are new host versions crafted with the organic tissue needed to make maggot infestation occur, but we have to assume that Robert Ford's human form really is dead and unable to make disturbing social media videos for his followers to watch in the year 2052. Since we're convinced everyone within Delos' ranks has had a host version of themselves created, though, our hopes are high that Anthony Hopkins will return to Westworld in full at some point during Season 2.

Note that yes, Anthony Hopkins did made an audio cameo in the premiere when the Man in Black (or Bill, if you will, and we won't) came across the younger Robert host. Robo-Robert revealed The Door game as Man in Black's next big venture before getting shot in the face, and thanks to some digital magic with the audio, Hopkins' voice could be heard. Even though it was only a split-second, it was still instantly exciting, and also hinted that Robert was fully aware of the different ways his mindset could live on within the park's attractions.

With Robert Ford's host potentially waiting for the right time to step out of the shadows, Westworld Season 2 airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET. While waiting for the next episode, head to our summer premiere schedule to see all the new and returning series on the way.

We have only a few days left until the Super Bowl, and even if you're not a sports fan, there are plenty of reasons to get excited. One of the biggest draws of the evening is the strange assortment of commercials A brand new Amazon ad showing Gordon Ramsay and Sir Anthony Hopkins voicing Alexa has debuted online ahead of the big game. Check it out, below.

If Alexa ever did actually lose her voice, this is precisely what I would want Amazon to do. In the commercial, we see the artificial intelligence fail, and Jeff Bezos has his team enlist some serious star power to help bring it back to life. Chief among these stars are Gordon Ramsay, who shouts belittling remarks at a man trying to make a grilled cheese, and an endlessly creepy Anthony Hopkins channeling his best Hannibal Lecter.

That said, Gordon Ramsay and Sir Anthony Hopkins aren't the only ones who stepped in to help lend Amazon a hand (or voice) when Alexa went down. This commercial also features a delightfully sassy Cardi B ripping into a kid asking about Mars, as well as Pitch Perfect 3's Rebel Wilson trying to set the mood for a party from the comfort of a bubble bath.

Of course, in the end, Alexa manages to get her voice back. To celebrate the return of the company's beloved AI program, the whole thing ends with Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" (shout out to The Spy Who Loved Me) as she returns to her rightful place.

This Amazon ad may be reasonably star-studded, but it's far from the only Super Bowl commercial to do that this year. In fact, the sheer number of A-listers who have gotten in on the Super Bowl commercial game this year is actually pretty insane. Between the Crocodile Dundee spoof commercials featuring Alien: Covenant's Danny McBride and Thor: Ragnarok's Chris Hemsworth, as well as a recent Squarespace ad showing John Wick star Keanu Reeves pulling of some of his trademark (and seriously badass) stunts on a motorcycle, it's becoming increasingly obvious that star power is a major draw for this year's Super Bowl commercials.

Make sure to watch out for this Amazon ad (and many more) when the Super Bowl airs this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Beyond the NFL's biggest night of the year, you can also hop over to CinemaBlend's midseason premiere guide and get more information on all of the shows that will debut this spring!

After playing the infamous psychologist turned serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins became a household name, an award winning actor, and patron to many people's nightmares. A good anecdote that supports that last claim was told in a recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, as Hopkins recounted the following story of inadvertently spooking a moviegoer during a screening of that very film:

Now that has to be one of the funniest, but also one of the creepiest, ways that fate has called out someone on an off-handed joke. It's akin to going to a Friday the 13th screening, and joking that Jason is waiting in the audience, only for Kane Hodder to be sitting right behind you, hockey mask and all. But even that experience would pale in comparison to seeing Sir Anthony Hopkins sitting behind you, potentially just moments after you've seen him mutilate a guard and steal his face to make an escape attempt. If that moviegoer saw that same look of glee on Hopkins' face that he uses while recounting this story on Jimmy Kimmel Live, they'd probably start to laugh in a very relieved manner.

While Anthony Hopkins still had a pretty storied career before The Silence of the Lambs, what with films like The Elephant Man and Magic procuring him some fantastic notices on top of his career as a classically trained stage actor, it was Hannibal Lecter that made him an actor that Hollywood needed to keep employed. This showed in his decades long run of good fortune, which saw him playing some impressive parts in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Legends of the Fall, and most recently as a part of HBO's television remake of Westworld. After all, not just anyone gets to go on Jimmy Kimmel Live and tell the story about how they made an audience member fear for their life.

Fans of Anthony Hopkins are in luck this year as he is having a busy year on the big screen. He can currently be seen in Transformers: The Last Knight, which is in theaters now, but you'll also be able to see him reprise his role as Odin in Thor: Ragnarok, which is set for release on November 3rd. And, of course, you can also catch his performance as Dr. Robert Ford on Westworld, the first season of which is now available to stream in its entirety on HBOGo.

Though the films make millions in the box office, Transformers might be the most disliked successful active movie franchise. The films generally receive negative reviews, with even fans of the Transformers brand slowly growing tired of the series. Part of this comes from Michael Bay's design of the franchise, giving in to some of his worse "Bay-isms." However, not everyone feels that way about Bay. For example, Academy Award-winner Anthony Hopkins quite likes Bay. Like really likes him. After working with the director on Transformers: The Last Knight, Hopkins believes that Bay is a genius comparable to that of Spielberg and Scorsese. He recently said in an interview,

When Anthony Hopkins was first cast in Transformers: The Last Knight, some people met the announcement with a "WTF." It didn't seem like a film or series that the Oscar-winning actor would be interested in, yet there he was in the trailers, delivering a monologue about the secret history of Transformers and King Arthur and stuff. It's a bit of a bizarre situation, so his response to Yahoo! Movies about his relationship to the films was quite surprising to read. Frankly, if I were Michael Bay, I would have a frame of that quote in every single room of my house. I'd carry it around in my wallet. I'd have that put on my tombstone.

This is some unexpected praise from Anthony Hopkins, and in case you were wondering, yes, that is a real quote. It's not a Guest who escaped from Westworld. Now, Michael Bay tends to take his licks when it comes to film critics (perhaps rightly so in some cases), but arguably nobody is better at doing what he does best. He makes big, dumb, explosive action movies, and whether they're good or not, he's really good at making them. So, I can understand how Hopkins can call him a genius, because he kind of is, in his own way. Should he be compared to Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, or Martin Scorsese? That may be a bridge too far.

Transformers: The Last Knight is the fifth movie in the franchise directed by Michael Bay, and seeks to tell pull the rug out from under the Transformers mythology in its own special way. The movie will reveal the Transformers secret history with Earth, dating all the way back to the time of King Arthur. Not much else of the plot is known, but it will involve the return of Megatron (did he ever leave?) and Optimus Prime seemingly going rogue.

We can all see Michael Bay the savant in action when Transformers: The Last Knight is set to hit theaters on June 23th. In the meantime, hit the comments section below with your own thoughts, feelings and opinions about the director, and your thoughts on Anthony Hopkins' comments.

Westworld has only aired a few episodes on HBO so far, but in that short time, we've come to know a lot about what sort of world it is presenting. Humans head to the theme park in order to fulfill their every desires---which often include brutally murdering the robot residents who occupy the park. Because the robots need to be recalibrated, they end up naked---which means the actors who play the artificially intelligent characters spend a lot of time without clothes on set.

One of those actors, James Marsden, recently spoke out about how bizarre the experience on the set of Westworld has been, even filming one lengthy scene naked opposite a very clothed Anthony Hopkins. Here's what the actor had to say about the whole experience.

So, if you've been wondering your whole life whether or not it's weird to be butt naked on the set of an HBO drama, you certainly have your answer, now. While speaking to THR, James Marsden revealed that on his very first day filming Westworld, he was actually tasked with getting naked on set. And he wasn't just hanging out playing a naked robot dude with any old actor; instead, he was filming with Anthony Hopkins, who happens to be one of the highest-profile actors on the show. James Marsden went on to reveal that while he was sitting there letting it all hang out, Anthony Hopkins amused him with Brando impersonations. No, really.

Westworld sounds like a surreal set, and it's probably especially strange for the actors who are tasked with playing lifelike robots Wild West-type personalities but that also have to go into maintenance mode from time to time. Evan Rachel Wood's character, Dolores, has so far done a lot of the heavy maintenance in that department, but James Marsden's Teddy isn't too far behind. Because they are such prominent characters, I would expect to continue to see them nude on the series in the future.

You can catch new episodes of Westworld on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, if you'd like to know what HBO has in store for the series in the future, head here.

They say that dogs are man's best friend, but what if a dog cannot find a person to be friends with? As an animal lover, that has to be one of the most heartbreaking things you could possibly hear about. It seems that Michael Bay isn't too fond of that story either, and he recently decided to do something about it by giving the "loneliest dog in Britain" a role in the Transformers: The Last Knight. Check out the video below to see for yourself.

If that video doesn't absolutely melt your heart, then I am sorry to tell you that you're about as cold as they come. In the above behind-the-scenes featurette, we see Transformers: The Last Knight director Michael Bay directing a scene with none other than silver screen legend, Sir Anthony Hopkins. Accompanying the former Hannibal Lecter on screen is an adorable 6-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier named Freya. Freya holds the extremely unenviable distinction of being known as "Britain's loneliest dog," after spending six years in a shelter, and being rejected by thousands of potential owners. Michael Bay explains in that video that, after seeing an article about Freya's situation, he felt compelled to adopt the dog and include her in his upcoming fifth Transformers movie; and no, we don't think Freya morphs into anything else during the film.

Of course, being the astute film nerds that we are, we've also taken it upon ourselves to try and glean some great plot details from the above video as well. It seems that we now have a decent look at the character played by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the upcoming movie, and he's really looking as dapper as ever. We don't get to see too much of his performance, but judging by the WWI era tanks he's standing next to in cloudy Scotland, it seems very likely that his scenes take place some time towards the turn of the last century.

This seems to run counter to what many people had previously assumed about Sir Anthony Hopkins' role in the upcoming Transformers sequel. Given the connections that this film will have to the legend of King Arthur, it was once thought that Hopkins may portray the mythical wizard known as Merlin, but now that doesn't seem to be the case. That being said, it's entirely possible that this character actually is Merlin -- just a version of Merlin who has kept himself fashionable and stylish through the years. For now, we will just have to wait and see what further details come forward regarding the nature of his character.

After watching this video we can pretty much guarantee one very important thing: in a movie occupied by Hollywood heavy hitters like Mark Wahlberg and Sir Anthony Hopkins, Freya will be the true star. CinemaBlend will keep you up to date with all of the latest and greatest news related to the production of Transformers: The Last Knight as more information becomes available to us. The fifth installment in the long running Transformers franchise will hit theaters on June 23, 2017.

Filming for Thor: Ragnarok is currently underway in Austrailia. We've seen a number of our favorite actors make an appearance there, but none have made quite an entrance as this. One character, who's fate at the end of Thor The Dark World was unclear, has confirmed his appearance in the new film in just about the wildest way possible. Say hello to the new Odin.

Glen Hunt is a professional photographer in Brisbane, Australia who has been lending his talent to documenting the production of Thor: Ragnarok. Our favorite photo so far is this one, showing a very much worse for wear Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin, being incredibly goofy. In addition to being a funny photo, it's also a confirmation that Odin will appear in the film, as well as the apparent confirmation of a rumor about the role that he will play. Marvel had yet to actually confirm that Hopkins would be appearing in Ragnarok so now we know for sure that he is.

Thor: The Dark World ended will Loki on the throne of Asgard, impersonating Odin. Exactly what had happened to Odin was not clear, but apparently, whatever Loki did, it did not involve killing his father, but rather, somehow taking his power and banishing dear old dad to Earth. The word going around several months ago was that when we met Odin in Thor: Ragnarok it would be as a street corner homeless man preaching that the end of the world was coming. Based on the way that we see Anthony Hopkins dressed here, that would appear to be the case. He certainly has a crazy homeless vibe going on.

Since Odin is claiming the end of the world is coming, and the film is called Thor: Ragnarok, we're going to make a leap and assume that Odin will be a key character in the plot, as he's likely not crazy and is actually afraid that the end of the world is coming. How Thor will find him is unclear, but it would seem that somehow he does. Whether finding Odin convinces him of Loki's tricks, or discovering Loki leads Thor to Odin, is still unknown. It could conceivably go either way.

While we don't know exactly what's causing the end of the world, we know that Cate Blanchett as Hela and Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster are likely at the heart of it, as both will be making their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in villainous roles for the film.

With confirmation that Odin will be returning, we're now only waiting to learn if the Warriors Three, or Lady Sif, will also be back. They're the last major roles in the Thor films and we've received some hints that they will be back, but also some information that it may not be the case. Maybe we'll get another candid on-set photo of them that will finally give us a definitive answer.

There are good movies and great movies. There are bad movies and terrible movies. Occasionally, there are movies that are so bad that they’re still entertaining. Then, there’s Misconduct. This movie, which co-stars Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins is, by all accounts, absolutely terrible. It’s so bad that when it opened in Britain this past weekend almost nobody saw it. Like almost literally nobody. The movie only grossed $141 in three days. No, I didn’t leave out any zeroes.

It’s hard to imagine how something like that can even happen. You’d think that any movie that has both Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins in it would draw a few dozen people per theater at least. Not so much. In the film’s defense, according to Variety, it only opened in five theaters in the country, but that still only translates to about one viewer per theater per day over the course of three days. Not per screening, per day. If the movie showed more than once per day, then most theaters were empty while the movie played. If only teenagers looking for a place to make out had known, the move could have doubled its take and sold at least two tickets per showing. Marketing firms, take note.

The film, which stars Josh Duhamel as a lawyer who takes on a pharmaceutical company, has an 8% score on Rotten Tomatoes with 25 reviews. Anthony Hopkins plays the head of the drug company while Al Pacino plays a senior partner at the law firm.

It’s amazing that a movie with big names like this could be so under the radar. Yet, somehow it happened, as Misconduct was already released in the US back in February, but you almost certainly didn’t notice. The movie only grossed $24,000 in its entire run. Variety doesn’t tell us how many theaters that was in, but unless the answer is one, it’s not a good number. It’s not all bad news, however. South Korea apparently loved the movie, as it took in $900,000. Still, with a reported production budget of $11 million, Misconduct has a lot of ground to make up. Maybe they’ll love it in Italy, it’s being released there next week.

The studio math for a terrible movie is a tough balancing act. When a studio knows they have a movie that isn’t great they have to make choices. Marketing the film more will increase ticket sales to some degree, regardless of how bad a movie is, but marketing costs money, which puts the studio deeper in the hole. Most of the time, the decision is made to simply cut bait and recoup whatever they can without spending another penny. Writing it off as a loss is essentially guaranteed at that point.

If you’ve actually seen Misconduct we’d love to hear your review in the comments. Is it really that bad? Should we ignore it entirely, or should we rent it with a bunch of friends and large quantities of alcohol? 

It’s impossible to picture anyone other than Sir Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs. Just try. You can’t. But, that was almost the case. Because Gene Hackman was originally so interested in playing Hannibal Lecter, that he not only bought the rights to Thomas Harris’ novel, but he wanted to direct the film, as well.

Gene Hackman was one of the only individuals in Hollywood interested in buying The Silence Of The Lambs because Manhunter, the Michael Mann adaptation of Harris’ original book, Red Dragon, which had Brian Cox in the lead role, had been a financial flop. However, after instigating its development, and while screenwriter Ted Tally was working on the first draft of his script for The Silence Of The Lambs, Gene Hackman randomly dropped out of production for one of the most doting reasons you’re ever likely to hear: because his daughter said so.

While speaking to Deadline, Bob Bookman, who brokered Thomas Harris’ book deals, explained that after Gene Hackman’s daughter read the book, she immediately called her father and declared, "Daddy, you’re not making this movie." Which, in hindsight, was probably a good thing, because even during Ted Tally and Gene Hackman’s discussions on the film, the pair didn’t seem to be on the same wavelength.

One such exchange between Ted Tally and Gene Hackman saw the actor admit that he might not play Hannibal Lecter since he also planned on directing The Silence of the Lambs. He then vaguely revealed the actor who’d replace him as the cannibal. Unfortunately, Ted Tally was too nervous to ask who Hackman was referring to at the time. Tally explained to Deadline:

In the end, Gene Hackman’s decision to drop out of The Silence Of The Lambs paved the way for Jonathan Demme to take over as director, and, eventually, for Sir Anthony Hopkins to beat the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, and Sean Connery to secure the part as Hannibal Lecter. And, as the below scene proves, he did quite a splendid job with it.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release of The Silence Of The Lambs. Its place in the pop culture landscape was secured at the 1992 Oscars when it took home the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress gongs. And it turns out that we have Gene Hackman’s daughter to thank for that.

As long as there are politics running our world, there will always be political thrillers to hold up a magnifying glass to those involved. The constant battle between governments and the press has become a well-worn tradition over the years in cinema, stretching as far back as All the President’s Men back in 1976. With new wars, conflicts, and conspiracies constantly rearing their heads, these issues become more and more relevant. The upcoming thriller Official Secrets seeks to take aim at one of these conspiracies by following the story of a British intelligence agent who is imprisoned when she leaks classified information to the press in 2003.

Official Secrets is still in the very early stages of development and as such not much information has come forward. However, THR has reported new updates regarding the film’s star-studded cast list. Headlining the affair is Harrison Ford himself as a CIA agent, but actors Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Dormer, Paul Bettany, and Martin Freeman will join him. Let’s take a closer look at these actors and their roles in the film.

Anthony Hopkins

Hannibal Lecter himself; Anthony Hopkins has been cast in Official Secrets as a retired U.K General who seemingly sides with Ford's character and supports the imprisonment of Katharine Gun for leaking state secrets. One of the most legendary actors on the cast, Hopkins has appeared in numerous iconic roles such as the aforementioned Hannibal, Zorro, and even Alfred Hitchcock. Despite his advanced age, the Academy Award winning actor has remained busy in recent years, with his most widely recognized role being Thor’s father Odin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer has kept herself busy over the last few years. Aside from her roles on The Tudors and Game of Thrones, she has also appeared in the Hunger Games franchise as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: The First Avenger. This past month saw her in one of her first leading roles as twin sisters Sara and Jess in the horror film The Forest. Dormer has been cast in Official Secrets as central character Katharine Gun, a British intelligence officer arrested for leaking classified documents to the press.

Paul Bettany

A character actor with an incredibly long resume, Paul Bettany has appeared in numerous films across numerous genres – ranging from A Beautiful Mind to A Knight’s Tale, to Legion. His most recent mainstream work is as AI construct Jarvis and superhero The Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a role which he will continue into this summer’s Captain America: Civil War. In Official Secrets, Bettany plays Martin Bright, a British reporter for the London Observer to whom Katharine Gun leaks classified intelligence.

Martin Freeman

Rounding out the film’s cast is Martin Freeman. A well-known British actor, Freeman has appeared in numerous beloved franchises such as Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films, as well as BBC’s Sherlock alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. In addition to those series, he will soon join the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the events of Captain America: Civil War – although the nature of his role in that film has yet to be revealed. In Official Secrets, Freeman will play a colleague of Bettany’s character as the foreign affairs editor for the London Observer.

We will bring you more information associated with the release of Official Secrets as it becomes available to us. Reports indicate that the film will begin production sometime in May.