LONDON (AP) 鈥� Now that he's been doing it for well over half a century, believes acting is much 鈥渆asier鈥� now.
鈥淎s you get older, you have a little more knowledge of life. When you鈥檙e young, you think you know a thing or two, but you don鈥檛. When you get to my age, you know a couple of tricks for a living,鈥� the 86-year-old, who stars as in 鈥淥ne Life,鈥� said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
His 鈥渢ricks鈥� to acting are very simple: 鈥淛ust learn the lines, show up and try to be real.鈥�
To play Winton in the movie out March 15, a stockbroker responsible for Hopkins studied the way he walked and talked, watching his interviews and docuseries appearance. His performance was given the seal of approval by Winton鈥檚 son.
鈥淚t was easy because I didn鈥檛 have to act old, I am old,鈥� Hopkins said, smiling.
Nevertheless, 鈥淥ne Life鈥� director James Hawes highlights Hopkins鈥� 鈥測oung spirit,鈥� adding that the knight of the realm 鈥渂loody loves what he does,鈥� and has a continued passion for movies.
鈥淗e would sit on an apple box on the edge of set and watch people rigging lights and rigging track because he has a joy for the world he鈥檚 in,鈥� Hawes explained, adding, 鈥渉e just wants to be there and part of the process.鈥�
鈥淥ne Life鈥� is told in two parts as the young Winton, played by Johnny Flynn, spearheads the extraordinary feat of arranging trains to transport children Hopkins plays the older Winton, looking back on his life but still haunted by images of children he couldn鈥檛 rescue 鈥� specifically aboard the final train that didn鈥檛 make it out of Prague.
One poignant moment recreated in the film is Winton鈥檚 appearance on the British TV show 鈥淭hat鈥檚 Life,鈥� where he was surprised by a studio audience made up of descendants of the children he鈥檇 saved. The extras surrounding Hopkins in the recreated scene were also related to the Kindertransport children, with Hopkins calling it a 鈥減retty moving moment.鈥�
Hopkins says playing Winton is one of the highlights of his career, but playing Hannibal Lecter in 鈥淪ilence of the Lambs,鈥� which won him his first Academy Award in 1991, 鈥済ave him a profound change in the direction of my life.鈥�
鈥淭hat was a favorite because it was easy to play, doesn鈥檛 speak well of my character,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 know that I can take no credit for anything, because I couldn鈥檛 have figured out my life," he added. "I don鈥檛 even know how I became an actor. It beats working for a living.鈥�
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In this story published March 7, 2024, The Associated Press erroneously reported the name of the director. The director of 鈥淥ne Life鈥� is James Hawes, not James Dawes.
Sian Watson, The Associated Press
