The “twisted little sadist” Anthony Hopkins hated every second of working with: “Nasty bastard”
Even though he isn’t shy about venting his anger toward anything in his chosen profession that he doesn’t care for, it would be unfair to call Anthony Hopkins an old man who yells at clouds, because he’s been raging against the acting and filmmaking machine since the 1960s.
You’d have thought he might have mellowed with age, but he hasn’t. Instead, the two-time Academy Award winner continues to lambast everything from awards shows to younger actors who think they’re the second coming of Marlon Brando, with scorched earth more often than not his favoured approach.
That’s the dichotomy of Hopkins in a nutshell, though; he’s been viewed as one of his era’s marquee talents for over half a century, and he’s settled comfortably into his groove as one of its most esteemed veterans, and the overwhelming majority of the people who’ve worked with him have nothing but the kindest words to say about his talent, commitment, and professionalism.
On the other hand, when he hates someone, he really fucking hates them. He’s been caught up in several high-profile feuds over the years, with Roger Donaldson, Richard Harris, Shirley MacLaine, and Mickey Rourke just four of the names who’ve found themselves on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing.
However, if Hopkins has, or had, such a thing as a mortal nemesis, then nobody would be able to eclipse John Dexter. The two-time Tony winner was one of theatre’s most notable directors, but his tough love approach didn’t sit too well with the brash and short-tempered Welshman, who quickly grew to despise him.
They worked together on the original Broadway run of Equus in 1974, again a year later for a production of The Misanthrope, and in the first iteration of M Butterfly, which began in 1988. That’s enough to make anyone wonder why Hopkins kept returning to the well, and the reason was simple; as much as he hated Dexter, the director brought out the best in him.
“One thing I was certain of,” the star wrote in his memoir, We Did OK, Kid. “I hadn’t come into this acting business to be punished by some nasty, twisted little sadist like John Dexter.” Sure, he fucking loathed the guy, but he was an actor at the end of the day, which made it easy for him to be seduced into upping sticks and relocating to New York, even if it was to work with someone he couldn’t stand.
Recalling a meeting with the “sinister” Dexter, Hopkins remembered being asked why he’d walked out on him before. “Because you were a nasty little bastard,” he replied. In response, the director played the actor at his own game: “Yes, dear, well, you need a nasty little bastard like me to direct you.”
Dexter informed Hopkins that he was “a much better actor than you think you are,” and the animosity between them wouldn’t get in the way of Equus. The latter was bluntly informed that he’d “start rehearsing in September,” which culminated in Hopkins winning a Tony for ‘Best Leading Actor in a Play’, which wasn’t a bad return, considering he was being directed by a man he abhorred.
