Anthony Hopkins says 'actors are stupid' and shouldn't discuss politics: 'My opinion is not worth anything'
Academy award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins, in a recent interview, said that he avoids talking about politics in public because he believes "actors are pretty stupid." The actor made the statement in a conversation with fellow actor Brad Pitt for the latest issue of Interview magazine, released on Sunday.
"People ask me questions about present situations in life," Hopkins said. “I say, ‘I don’t know, I’m just an actor. I don’t have any opinions. Actors are pretty stupid. My opinion is not worth anything. There’s no controversy for me, so don’t engage me in it, because I’m not going to participate.'"
The Welsh actor, a California resident who became a naturalized American citizen in 2000, has always distanced himself from making political statements and offering opinions, particularly about President Donald Trump.
The 'Silence of the Lambs' actor, during the interview, also talked about his preparation for playing President Richard Nixon in the 1995 biopic titled 'Nixon'.
"Oliver Stone gave me the part of Nixon, and I remember thinking, ‘Why would he give me that part?’ And he said, ‘Because I’ve read interviews about you being a loner. That was Nixon,'” Hopkins recalled.
The actor said that he went to see the house where Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California, and that President Bill Clinton told him he would phone Nixon every week to talk about China and Russia.
"You can see the pain in [Nixon], and you think, ‘Well, am I better than him? No. I’m not better than him. I’ve got my own immoral quirks,'" Hopkins said.
Hopkins and Pitt, during the conversation, also talked about their struggle with alcohol, giving it up and the mistakes they made before they became sober.
"I think we’re living in a time where we’re extremely judgmental and quick to treat people as disposable. We’ve always placed great importance on the mistake. But the next move, what you do after the mistake, is what really defines a person."
"We’ve all screwed up," Hopkins added. The actor plays Pope Benedict XVI in the upcoming Netflix film 'The Two Popes' releasing on December 20.