The iconic role Anthony Hopkins refused to play: “It was flattering to be offered it”
Most actors dream of having one role that becomes iconic, and not only for the commercial benefits it brings. It’s an opportunity to be permanently woven into the fabric of cinema history, even if Anthony Hopkins turned down the chance to play one before he finally got his opportunity.
As obvious as it sounds, being fortunate enough to bring an unforgettable character to the screen has the potential to define a career. Not only does it leave the door open to high-paying sequels in a lot of cases, but the actor who plays it typically finds themselves fielding more offers than ever, even if the threat of typecasting constantly looms large.
Hopkins no doubt received many scripts that wanted him to play thinly veiled imitations of Hannibal Lecter after The Silence of the Lambs won him an Academy Award for ‘Best Actor’ and burned the cannibalistic criminal into the zeitgeist, but he wasn’t the first person to do it. Brian Cox was, and the two have a mutual agreement that they’re never going to talk about it.
That establishes that Hopkins had no issues taking on a role that had been originated by someone else, although he baulked the first time it happened. That said, Michael Mann’s Manhunter was a modestly received film that eventually became a cult classic, whereas the one he knocked back had been one of the most famous in the industry since its inception.
The James Bond franchise was at panic stations when Sean Connery finally vacated the role after agreeing to step back into the breach for Diamonds Are Forever following the short-lived George Lazenby era. Cubby Broccoli threw everything at the wall to find his next 007, including an approach to Burt Reynolds.
Hopkins only had a handful of features under his belt, but he was an experienced stage actor. That said, he didn’t jump out as Bond material, something he obviously agreed with. “I was, believe it or not,” he confirmed when asked if the rumours were true that he’d rejected the chance to headline the film that would eventually mark Roger Moore’s first outing as the secret agent.
“I met Cubby Broccoli, and I didn’t think I was the right material for Bond,” he explained. “But it was flattering to be offered it.” Maybe he got the idea from two of Hopkins’ most recent credits, one of which was intentionally designed to piggyback the success of 007 before flaming out at the first hurdle.
The Welshman played John Avery in the 1970 adaptation of John le Carré’s The Looking Glass War and was cast as Philip Calvert in the following year’s When Eight Bells Toll. Producer Elliott Kastner envisioned the latter as an ongoing series of espionage thrillers, but box office disaster torpedoed those plans. He flunked his Bond facsimile, which might have informed his decision to turn down the real thing.
