Anthony Hopkins Deserted His Young Daughter Who Abused Drugs and Alcohol to Cope
For Anthony Hopkins, acting may come easy to him, but he had to make many sacrifices to pursue it. He played major roles in big hits like The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Hitchcock, HBO’s hit series Westworld, and much more. He’s considered an industry giant, and fans have nothing but praiseworthy comments about him and his career. Unfortunately, his decisions weren’t as highly praised by the actor’s family.
Anthony Hopkins’ career, accomplishments, and awards
Hopkin’s has an extensive list of awards and achievements in his acting career, with awards as recent as the Tribute Actor Award in 2020 to awards that date as far back as the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performances in 1975. According to IMDb, Hopkins has not only been in a surprising amount of films but has the awards to support his incredible talent.
He is accredited as an actor in 138 films and movies, with a little bit of experience directing three movies, producing four movies, writing one script, and even playing piano in two movies. He has won 53 awards he was nominated for and earned an additional 80 nominations. Fans of his The Silence of the Lambs role responded to a YouTube clip of him receiving an award for Best Actor, saying, “What [an] absolute legend,” and “This man deserves an Oscar for his existence.”
Hopkins is quoted on IMDb remarking on the change from his work-life in the past to present-day, “I’m glad those days are gone where I was yearning for work. People think I’ve worked a lot, but I haven’t. I’ve had a lot of time off. I’ve turned down a lot. When you’re younger, you want to get every part to stop other people [from] getting it. Nowadays, I don’t care – let them do it.”
The circumstances and consequences surrounding his decision to leave his family
At the time of Hopkin’s split from his first wife, Petronella Barker, he was known for his alcohol abuse and depression. However, it wasn’t because of his addiction that he left his wife and daughter, Abigail, who was only a toddler at the time. According to Mirror, Hopkin’s left his home to be with his production assistant Jenni Lynton and didn’t keep in constant contact with his daughter after leaving.
Abigail told The Telegraph, “I would see him, but maybe once a year. There is a little bit of sadness, but I have to get on with my life. It has always been like that. See him, and then not. Then, when I was 16, there was some row.”
The row Abigail mentions ended up leading to a seriously dangerous time in her life, at a very young age. Abigail admitted to People that “… it was the worst time I can remember. I totally abused my mind and body. The root cause was the fact that my father and I had an intermittent relationship when I was young. I was angry, and there was a lot of grieving.”
She admits a sad truth, “I came very close to killing myself. It was the worst time I can remember.” Her issues with her father expanded into vulnerable times in her life, influencing her decisions to cope with alcohol and drugs.
Fortunately for Abigail, she has since moved past her struggle with addiction and found solace in her own acting career and musical endeavors. She has since appeared in nine films and is working on her fourth music album, Remembrance.
Anthony and Abigail’s relationship today
Unfortunately, not all endings are ‘happily ever afters’ like everyone would hope. Although Hopkins and his daughter have had on and off reconciliations in the past, it doesn’t seem to phase him one way or the other.
Hopkins doesn’t seem too torn up about how his relationship with his daughter has turned out. According to People, he had no idea whether his only daughter has children of her own and told Radio Times “People break up. Families split and, you know, ‘Get on with your life.’ People make choices. I don’t care one way or the other.”
Nonetheless, Abigail later tells The Telegraph, “I love my father. He has been very supportive. I really wish him well.”
