Anthony Hopkins says that a single, terrifying moment led him to stop drinking. He describes it as a strange inner voice phenomenon that pushed him to seek help. It happened during a blackout in California, when the actor realized how dangerous his drinking problem had become. This realization led him to ask for help.
Anthony Hopkins opens up about what made him quit drinking
Hopkins described the experience that led him to give up alcohol. He says it was the point where he could have seriously injured someone, or even himself, behind the wheel. After that night, the actor explains that he finally found the courage to admit he needed help. He then reached out to an ex-agent at a party in Beverly Hills.
Hopkins recalls that a deep voice urged him to stop drinking. He explained, “It was 11 o’clock precisely — I looked at my watch — and this is the spooky part: some deep, powerful thought or voice spoke to me from inside and said, ‘It’s all over. Now you can start living. And it has all been for a purpose, so don’t forget one moment of it.’” (via The New York Times podcast, The Interview)
Hopkins believes the voice he heard was beyond easy explanation. He says it resembled a divinity or life force within people. The actor remembers how, in his younger days, he attended parties where he and his co-stars would drink heavily. He felt like a “rebel,” but now realizes how destructive that behavior was. Most of his drinking companions, he notes, have since passed away.
Urging his fans on Instagram, Hopkins asks them to seek help if they are struggling with alcohol. He wrote, “It doesn’t cost a thing. But it will give you a whole new life. I’m an old sinner like everyone, but all I can say is I have the best life I can even imagine, and I can’t even take credit for it. So wherever you are, get help, don’t be ashamed, be proud of yourself.”
