Actors

Hopkins, Sir Anthony (1937-), British stage and motion-picture actor, admired for his ability to play a wide range of characters. Hopkins was born in Port Talbot, South Wales, and educated at Cardiff College of Drama and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. From the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s he appeared frequently at the National Theatre in London, receiving critical acclaim for his performances in the plays of William Shakespeare and others. He made his screen debut in The White Bus (1967) and played Richard the Lion-Hearted in his first major film, The Lion in Winter (1968). Hopkinss notable work includes A Dolls House (1973); Richard Lesters Juggernaut (1975); The Elephant Man (1980); Commander Bligh in The Bounty (1984); and roles in The Good Father (1987) and 84 Charing Cross Road (1987). In 1991 his career and public image were boosted by his commanding role in Jonathan Demmes The Silence of the Lambs. Hopkinss brilliant performance as the serial killer Hannibal The Cannibal Lecter won him legions of fans and an Academy Award.

Hopkins has not been typecast and defined by a single achievement. Since The Silence of the Lambs, he has given critically acclaimed performances in Howards End (1992), The Remains of the Day (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, 1993), and Shadowlands (1993). His other films include Legends of the Fall (1994), The Road to Wellville (1994), and Nixon (Academy Award nomination for best actor, 1995), directed by American filmmaker Oliver Stone. In 1996 he directed, scored, and starred in the film August, an adaptation of the play Uncle Vanya (1899) by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. Hopkins was knighted in 1992. Connery, Sean (1930-), British motion-picture actor, best known for his portrayal of James Bond, secret agent 007, in the films based on the spy novels of British writer Ian Fleming. Born Thomas Sean Connery in Edinburgh, Scotland, he was employed in various manual jobs until his appearances in body-building competitions led to a job in the chorus of the London theater production of South Pacific (1951). In 1956 Connery began taking small roles in motion pictures.

He played his first leading role in the film Another Time Another Place in 1958. Connery gained wide popularity as a result of his performance in the role of James Bond in Doctor No (1963). Lead roles in five more Bond films followed: From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). In attempts to escape being typecast, or repeatedly cast, as Bond, he took on more varied roles in such films as Marnie (1964), directed by American filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock; The Hill (1965), by American director Sydney Lumet; The Anderson Tapes (1972); Murder on the Orient Express (1974), based on the novel by English writer Agatha Christie; and The Man Who Would Be King (1975), directed by American filmmaker John Huston. He returned in the role of James Bond in ...