The 85-year-old actor says he hasn’t touched a glass of alcohol since 1975, when he was “in a desperate state” of addiction. He sends his encouragement to those who are struggling with alcoholism today, advising them to be “kind, compassionate” with themselves.
Twice awarded the Oscar for best actor in 1992 for The Silence of the Lambs and in 2021 for The father, Anthony Hopkins discusses in a three-minute video posted on Instagram and Twitter the event that changed his life. He explains that he has been sober for 47 years: since December 1975, he has not touched a drop of alcohol.
And as we are inundated with articles about Dry January, the “alcohol-free January” challenge, as statistics multiply, reminders about the dangers of the drink, its biological, neurological, psychological effects, the fact that according to Public health France, 24% of French people drink more than the recommended maximum two glasses each day, Anthony Hopkins comes back to basics: the relationship with oneself.
“47 years ago, he says, I was in a desperate state, completely dejected, I didn’t have much longer to live. (…) And then I understood that the condition in which I was , mental, physical, emotional suffering, it was alcoholism, or more precisely addiction.” And Hopkins to explain that you can get out of this spiral, not just for a month but definitely, and that this essentially involves regaining your self-esteem. “To all of you who are struggling, be kind to yourself, be compassionate, stay away from toxic people who judge you, be proud of your life.”
His message has already been seen nearly ten million times, it is shared, welcomed by hundreds of thousands of Internet users including Naomi Campbell, Michael Douglas, or Alec Baldwin. Anthony Hopkins specifies that he is neither an expert nor a doctor, but that he wants to testify to the fact that one can find a modus vivendi where one no longer feels hurt, harassed by the social diktat of alcohol said “festive”, by the idea according to which the one who does not drink is a “killjoy”, someone who excludes himself from the group.
“To all young people, don’t listen to the preachers, don’t let them pull you down, be proud of yourself, if you need help, talk to a friend or in support groups (…) but above all love each other, celebrate each other, celebrate your life, as I do here”.