The acclaimed actor Anthony Hopkins has shared his counterintuitive method for bringing terrifying villains to life on screen: playing them with unexpected pleasantness rather than overt menace.
"If you're playing a villain, play the opposite," Hopkins explained in a recent interview. "Always choose the opposite side. If you're playing somebody who's really evil, play them very pleasantly."
This surprising technique helped Hopkins create one of cinema's most chilling antagonists - Dr. Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs," a role that earned him an Academy Award. Rather than leaning into obvious displays of evil, Hopkins infused the cannibalistic serial killer with unsettling charm and civility.
The actor employs this same strategy in his latest thriller "Locked," where he portrays William, a sophisticated car owner who takes calculated revenge on a would-be thief. The role immediately resonated with Hopkins, reminding him of his instant connection to the Hannibal Lecter character years ago.
"I knew that it was one of those rare roles, one of those unique roles that I knew I could do," Hopkins reflected. "I just had an instinct, very much as I did with this guy in the film 'Locked.'"
The new film presented an intriguing challenge, with most of the action confined to the interior of William's luxury SUV. Hopkins found the unique concept appealing, particularly since he could record much of his dialogue in advance as his character communicates through voiceover for half the movie.
Through his masterful portrayals of complex villains, Hopkins continues to demonstrate how subtle, refined performances can create far more disturbing characters than traditional, heavy-handed approaches to evil roles.