Anthony Hopkins celebrates 48 years of sobriety: ‘I got help and my life changed’

The actor has shared a hopeful message for those struggling with alcoholism

Sir Anthony Hopkins has sent his fans a video message to celebrate 48 years of sobriety, while also wishing them a Happy New Year.

The Silence of the Lambs and Remains of the Day actor, 85, posted the video to Instagram on Friday 29 December.

“Hello there, Happy New Year to you all!” he says. “All of you revellers and drinkers all having fun. Wonderful!”

He adds: “Happy New Year, have a great time. If you get a hangover, remember me.

“I don’t get them anymore because 48 years ago today, I stopped. I got help for it and my life changed.”

He continues: “I don’t envy you having fun out there, but if you need help, there’s a time. Life is in session. Go for it.”

Hopkins, who can next be seen in the Second World War drama One Life, will celebrate his 86th birthday on New Year’s Eve.

He has a long-running tradition of sending out well wishes at New Year, and hopeful messages for those struggling with alcoholism.

In an interview with The New York Times in 2020, Hopkins recalled the moment that led to his decision to become sober in 1975.

He explained that he had woken up in a hotel room in Arizona, but could not remember how he had got there. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to stop this because I’m either going to kill somebody or myself,’” he said. “My life, from that moment on, took on new meaning.”

Hopkins has won two Oscars over the course of his career. His first was in 1991 for playing cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Silence of the Lambs' (Shutterstock)

In 2021, Hopkins won his second for dementia drama The Father, making him the oldest ever Oscar winner at 83.

In the new film One Life, Hopkins stars as “British Schindler” Nicholas Winton, who rescued 669 Jewish children from the Nazis.

One Life will be released in cinemas on 4 January.

If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.