Anthony Hopkins Was Diagnosed With Asperger's in 2014, Which Made Him "a Loner"

There have been a lot of studies conducted that have explored the connection between individuals with autism and their ability to come up with "unusually creative" ideas. The research may have been spurred on by the fact that tons of notable artists and figures like Tim Burton, Lewis Carroll, and even Albert Einstein are reportedly autistic. And so is one of the most celebrated actors of all time: Anthony Hopkins.

The Oscar-winning actor revealed in an interview with The Daily Mail that he was diagnosed with Asperger's, which falls under the autism "umbrella," back in 2014, when he was about 77 years old. The actor has stated that he believes being on the spectrum has helped contribute to the fact that he is mainly "a loner."

He added, "I could never settle anywhere. I was troubled and caused trouble, especially in my early years ... I don't go to parties, I don't have many friends." Autism Key writes that "individuals with Asperger’s often exhibit remarkable rote memory skills and tend to be focused on a few very narrow interests. In Hopkins’ case, these traits have proven to be advantageous as an actor."

Hopkins' ability to memorize lines has actually astounded some of Hollywood's most powerful and influential directors. Cast and crew members of the 1997 film Amistad couldn't believe that the actor was able to memorize a seven page courtroom monologue and deliver the entire speech in a single take. After that, director Steven Spielberg reportedly only referred to Hopkins as Sir Anthony, and not Tony.

Hopkins himself has also stated that he meticulously works on his roles: "I like to deconstruct, to pull a character apart, to work out what makes them tick and my view will not be the same as everyone else." In addition to being an accomplished actor, he's also a pretty tremendous musician and painter. Ever since the COVID-19 lockdown, he's amassed a prolific body of new work, which can be seen in his Instagram posts.

The actor has been sober since 1975 according to People, who reported that he celebrated 45 years of clean living after almost "drinking [himself] to death."

In a Twitter video he said, "I was heading for disaster, drinking myself to death. I'm not preaching, but I got a message — a little thought that said 'do you want to live or die?' and I said 'I want to live.' And suddenly the relief came and life has been amazing."

Hopkins has been vocal about his struggles growing up in a "dysfunctional" household and growing up being bullied. Then there's the fact that even though he didn't get his "big break" until the 1991 release of Silence of the Lambs, when he was 54 years old, he began acting at 18.

From all accounts, it seems that he's thoroughly enjoying his life, and his social media accounts contain some of the most wholesome and wonderful content on the internet.

Oh, and he's also one of the most sought-after performers in the world who crushes it in every single role he's in. What a legend.