Anthony Hopkins reveals chilling secrets behind Hannibal Lecter role

Anthony Hopkins is still haunting audiences, 35 years after terrifying the world as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

The 88-year-old Oscar-winning actor told PEOPLE how he brought the psychotic cannibal to life, drawing on a lonely childhood in Port Talbot, Wales. 

“I just felt very isolated for years and years,” he said, explaining how impersonating teachers and army sergeants as a boy helped him channel darker instincts into his acting.

Hopkins didn’t overthink Lecter, insisting, “You can’t play evil to portray evil. If you do, it becomes a travesty.” 

His careful instincts created one of cinema’s most enduring villains, especially in the tense exchanges with Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling.

Even with the role’s intensity, the set wasn’t all grim. 

Director Jonathan Demme recalled Hopkins sneaking up on cast and crew in full Lecter mode, baring his “fangs” and keeping everyone on edge, but laughing too.

The Father star still calls the part “one of the best I’ve ever read,” noting how easy it was to step into Lecter’s mind. 

His work paid off as the film swept the “big five” Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Actress for Foster.

Decades later, Hannibal Lecter remains iconic, and Hopkins’ mix of chilling menace and mischievous charm proves the man behind the mask is as fascinating as the monster he played.

RELATED: Sir Anthony Hopkins fed up of daughter’s estrangement