{"id":41893,"date":"2026-08-12T23:51:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=41893"},"modified":"2026-08-12T23:51:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:51:28","slug":"taron-egerton-reveals-chilling-advice-he-received-from-anthony-hopkins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=41893","title":{"rendered":"Taron Egerton reveals chilling advice he received from Anthony Hopkins"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_84740e\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Taron Egerton has revealed that he is pen-pals with Sir Anthony Hopkins and received some very wise, albeit chilling, advice from the legendary actor.<\/h2>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\">18:56, 12 Aug 2026<\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated 18:57, 12 Aug 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37543707\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Taron Egerton has revealed he is pen-pals with SIr Anthony Hopkins\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543707.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125707jpeg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543707.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125707jpeg.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543707.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125707jpeg.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543707.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125707jpeg.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Taron Egerton has revealed he is pen-pals with SIr Anthony Hopkins\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Taron Egerton has revealed he is pen-pals with SIr Anthony Hopkins<cite aria-label=\"Image: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard\/YouTube\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard\/YouTube)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/taron-egerton\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Taron Egerton<\/a> has revealed that he is pen-pals with <!-- --><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/anthony-hopkins\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Anthony Hopkins <\/a>and received some chilling advice from the 88 year old actor when it came to playing a villain.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The 36-year-old actor appeared on Dax Shepherd&#8217;s podcast The Armchair Expert this week, and spoke about his preparation for his villainous role in<a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/film\/apex-netflix-cast-trailer-release-37053648\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\"> Apex<\/a>. The film sees Taron, a psychopath who hunts women and is obsessed with being the &#8220;Apex&#8221; of the Australian Wilderness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But who could he turn to for advice while playing such a psychotic role? The actor revealed he turned to none other than Sir Anthony, who played the legendary villain Hannibal Lecter in <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/film\/intoxicating-thriller-dubbed-true-classic-35743440\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Silence of the Lambs in 1991.<\/a><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37543705\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37543705\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.7069701280227596\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Taron Egerton\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543705.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125730jpeg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543705.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125730jpeg.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543705.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125730jpeg.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543705.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125730jpeg.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Taron Egerton appeared on the podcast\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Taron Egerton appeared on the podcast<cite aria-label=\"Image: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard\/YouTube\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard\/YouTube)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I&#8217;m honoured to say that I have a sort of slight pen pal relationship with Anthony Hopkins, and I asked him before doing the movie for advice about playing a really f***ed up individual.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He then said that Sir Anthony revealed that : &#8220;Yeah, and he said he said something like he said I don&#8217;t know where Lecter came from. Probably something in my childhood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;But he said the only advice I would give you, and I don&#8217;t need to tell you this, but the only advice I would give you is don&#8217;t play the evil. You know, play play him as the hero of his story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;And I took that. I really took that advice forward with me.,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37543704\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37543704\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sir Anthony Hopkins attends the Closing Night red carpet at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543704.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Closing-Night-Red-Carpet-The-Red-Sea-International-Film-Festival-2025.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543704.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Closing-Night-Red-Carpet-The-Red-Sea-International-Film-Festival-2025.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543704.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Closing-Night-Red-Carpet-The-Red-Sea-International-Film-Festival-2025.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543704.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Closing-Night-Red-Carpet-The-Red-Sea-International-Film-Festival-2025.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Sir Anthony has had a legendary career\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Sir Anthony has had a legendary career<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images for The Red Sea Int\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images for The Red Sea Int)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Taron is better known for playing the likes of Elton John in Rocketman, Robin Hood, and a charismatic spy in the Kingsman, so this evil role was more of a stretch for the actor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Nonetheless he added that he found playing the baddie pretty thrilling: &#8220;Parts like that where the rules are a little bit malleable, and you get to do something where you&#8217;re being a license to be as strange as possible, so freeing and expressive. I had a great time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sir Anthony has previously reflected on playing the legendary cannibal doctor &#8211; a job that won him the Best Actor Oscar in 1991 &#8211; telling Variety in a 2021 Actors on Actors interview with Jodie Foster, that he was inspired by a former teacher and a robot for the role.<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-36713320\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36713320\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.2345679012345678\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36713320.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Anthony-Hopkins-in-The-Silence-of-the-Lambs.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36713320.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Anthony-Hopkins-in-The-Silence-of-the-Lambs.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36713320.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Anthony-Hopkins-in-The-Silence-of-the-Lambs.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36713320.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Anthony-Hopkins-in-The-Silence-of-the-Lambs.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"The actor took inspiration from several people\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">The actor took inspiration from several people<cite aria-label=\"Image: Channel 5\/Orion Pictures\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Channel 5\/Orion Pictures)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He said that HAL 9000, the AI antagonist from 2001: A Space Odyssey, was a major inspiration: \u201cHe\u2019s like a machine,\u201d Hopkins says of Lecter. \u201cHe just comes in like a silent shark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He was also inspired by Christopher Fettes, a teacher who taught Hopkins at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art: \u201cHe had a cutting voice, and he would slice you to pieces,\u201d Hopkins said. \u201cHis analysis of what you were doing was so precise; it\u2019s a method that stayed with me for all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><em><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Like this story? 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Aug 2026 Taron Egerton has revealed he is pen-pals with SIr Anthony Hopkins(Image: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard\/YouTube) Taron Egerton has revealed that he is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37543707.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200d\/0_Screenshot-2026-08-12-at-125707jpeg.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41893\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}