Anthony Hopkins

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• Sir Anthony Hopkins attributes a significant turning point in his life to a chance invitation at the YMCA, which led to his first acting role shortly after his father expressed disappointment over his poor school report.  Copied to clipboard!
• Hopkins consciously played the role of a 'dummy' or outsider in school as a protective mechanism, despite possessing a detailed memory from reading an encyclopedia set gifted by his father.  Copied to clipboard!
• The day Hopkins received a scholarship to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama coincided with the death of James Dean, marking a major positive shift in his trajectory.  Copied to clipboard!
• Sir Anthony Hopkins' memoir, "We Did Ok, Kid," reflects on his childhood during the war and the sentiment of perseverance, which he connects to a childhood photo on the beach.  Copied to clipboard!
• The excerpt from Sir Anthony Hopkins' book details his journey to sobriety, emphasizing the principle of 'attraction rather than promotion' within the twelve-step tradition.  Copied to clipboard!
• Dax Shepard revealed he had a gold tooth grill made for a character and subsequently had his real tooth ground down to accommodate the fit, a significant personal growth moment related to his past anxieties about acting work.  Copied to clipboard!

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Early Life and School Struggles

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(00:04:48)

• Key Takeaway: Anthony Hopkins consciously chose to play dumb in school due to feeling like an outsider compared to his brighter peers.
• Summary: Hopkins felt disconnected and was labeled a ‘dunce’ by his school, which fueled an internal resolve to prove himself. This feeling of being an outsider was a defining characteristic of his early life. He consciously adopted the role of being stupid as a form of self-protection.

Impact of World War II

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(00:13:17)

• Key Takeaway: Growing up during World War II, including witnessing the local bombing and the departure of American soldiers who were later killed, instilled a sense of the world’s inherent danger.
• Summary: Hopkins recalled a strange excitement during the bombings but also the tragic loss of two American soldiers he knew who died in the Battle of the Bulge. This early exposure to warfare contributed to a worldview where crises are common, yet humanity’s capacity for violence remains baffling. He noted that the Cuban Missile Crisis later felt less existentially threatening than the immediate danger of the war years.

Playing Hitler and Humanizing Evil

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(00:16:11)

• Key Takeaway: Hopkins’s portrayal of Hitler in Bunker was criticized for being too human, which he argued was scarier because it revealed the potential for evil within ordinary humanity.
• Summary: Producers requested Hopkins make Hitler less likable, but he insisted the character was human, which he found more frightening than pure monstrosity. He referenced documentation suggesting Hitler’s erratic behavior in his final years was heavily influenced by drug use, including methamphetamine and oxycodone.

YMCA Discovery and First Role

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(00:17:33)

• Key Takeaway: A chance visit to the YMCA led to Hopkins being cast in a play where he delivered the line, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,’ which was highly encouraging.
• Summary: Prompted by his father to socialize, Hopkins wandered into a room at the YMCA where a play was being rehearsed and was given a single line. This experience was deeply encouraging, contrasting sharply with his academic failures. This moment occurred shortly before his mother applied for him to audition for drama school.

Securing Drama School Scholarship

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(00:22:12)

• Key Takeaway: Hopkins secured a scholarship to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama after performing an Othello speech, despite the interview panel questioning his poor school reports.
• Summary: After his YMCA experience, Hopkins auditioned for the college, performing a Shakespeare monologue. The scholarship was awarded to him, the only male finalist, which was announced as going to ’the mail’ (meaning in the post). This event was publicized in the Western Mail on the same day James Dean was killed.

Advice from Laurence Olivier

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(00:30:50)

• Key Takeaway: Laurence Olivier advised Hopkins that ’nerves is vanity,’ suggesting that anxiety stems from worrying about the audience’s perception rather than the performance itself.
• Summary: After Hopkins accidentally recited Iago’s lines instead of the messenger’s in an Othello production, Olivier praised his performance and offered crucial advice on stage fright. Olivier suggested that one should not have time to be nervous and that mistakes are ultimately unimportant in the grand scheme of the performance.

Approach to Acting and Sobriety

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(00:34:06)

• Key Takeaway: Hopkins views acting as ‘only acting’ and emphasizes the importance of letting go of the need to be perfect, a lesson he learned after his own performance failures.
• Summary: He admitted to having performances he felt he ‘shit the bed on,’ but maintains that one must learn to let failures happen without dwelling on them. His journey to sobriety, which began 50 years prior, involved learning not to take life too seriously and avoiding ‘gurus’ who try to control one’s recovery path.

Working with Hollywood Legends

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(00:35:40)

• Key Takeaway: Working with Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole on a film in Ireland reinforced the acting mantra that the work is simultaneously very important and not important at all.
• Summary: Hopkins recalled being shocked by the opportunity to work with Hepburn and O’Toole, noting Hepburn’s old-school professionalism. Hepburn reportedly echoed Olivier’s sentiment that the work is crucial yet simultaneously insignificant, a balance Hopkins strives for.

Casting in The Silence of the Lambs

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(00:37:37)

• Key Takeaway: Jonathan Demme chose Anthony Hopkins for Hannibal Lecter after seeing his performance as Dr. Treves in The Elephant Man, believing Hopkins possessed the necessary dangerous unpredictability.
• Summary: Hopkins initially thought the role of Lecter was small, but realized its potential during the first table read, where his interpretation immediately impressed the producers. He told Demme he planned to play the character like HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey, standing in the middle of the cell to maximize impact on Jodie Foster’s character.

Artistic Pursuits and Speed of Work

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(00:45:52)

• Key Takeaway: Hopkins approaches his diverse artistic endeavors—acting, composing, and painting—with the philosophy of working fast to limit choices and avoid becoming ‘fat and lazy.’
• Summary: He finds composing music naturally, often improvising and then refining the pieces with professional musicians. His wife encouraged him to start painting with acrylics because they dry quickly, allowing him to work rapidly. This speed allows him to cover mistakes and move forward without overthinking.

Final Advice for the Directionless Youth

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(00:49:05)

• Key Takeaway: Hopkins advises young, directionless individuals to believe in themselves completely, never let others define them, and embrace boldness and stupidity to overcome obstacles.
• Summary: He stresses that even if self-belief feels like a lie initially, one must maintain it against external criticism. He encourages young people to be bold and act, knowing that ‘mighty forces will come to your aid’ when you do. Failure is inevitable, but the key is to get up and try again.

Anthony Hopkins Book Wrap-up

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(00:49:42)

• Key Takeaway: Sir Anthony Hopkins’ book title, “We Did Ok, Kid,” is inspired by a photo of him as a child during wartime.
• Summary: The hosts express gratitude for Sir Anthony Hopkins’ unexpected and delightful book. The title sentiment, “We Did Ok, Kid,” relates to a photograph taken of him at three and a half on the beach during the war while his father served in the Observer Corps. This reflection connects to feelings of hopelessness or being lost experienced by children during that era.

Sobriety and Twelve-Step Excerpt

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(01:08:02)

• Key Takeaway: Sobriety involves ‘attraction rather than promotion,’ focusing on helping individuals one-on-one rather than publicizing one’s recovery.
• Summary: An excerpt from Sir Anthony Hopkins’ book details his first steps into sobriety after telling his agent he needed treatment. The tradition emphasizes helping others one-on-one, known as attraction rather than promotion. The speaker notes that the urge to drink vanished after his revelation, and he found commonality with others at his first AA meeting, realizing he was not alone.

Dax’s Oatmeal Breakfast Routine

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(01:08:14)

• Key Takeaway: Dax Shepard consumes the same highly nutritious oatmeal, protein, and blueberry concoction daily, which he rates highly.
• Summary: Dax Shepard’s daily breakfast consists of Bob’s Red Mill oats, Justin’s honey almond butter, and Lane Norton’s strawberry protein isolate, topped with a large amount of fresh blueberries. This meal provides upwards of 60 grams of protein and significant fiber, which experts suggest is crucial for longevity alongside protein. The only critique is the lack of a green vegetable, though mint was suggested as a poor substitute.

Dax’s Gold Tooth and Career Growth

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(01:02:13)

• Key Takeaway: Dax Shepard achieved significant emotional growth by requesting minimum pay for an acting role, prioritizing the opportunity to play over financial need.
• Summary: Dax Shepard revealed he had a gold tooth grill made for an upcoming character role, which required grinding down his real tooth to fit properly. This financial and physical commitment reflects a major growth area, as he used to panic about job security and now acts solely for the joy of playing with people he enjoys.

Halloween Hayride Spectacle

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(01:08:14)

• Key Takeaway: The neighborhood Halloween hayride escalated into a professional haunted attraction due to Ellen Pompeo hiring six professional zombie actors.
• Summary: The annual neighborhood hayride became a ‘haunted hayride’ after Ellen Pompeo hired professional actors to play zombies who chased the hayride participants. Dax Shepard felt vulnerable participating in the holiday due to the required commitment to costume and performance. A friend, Charlie, got into a comical confrontation with a motorcyclist while dressed as Hot Dog the Bounty Hunter.

New Merch Quality and Release

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(01:19:22)

• Key Takeaway: The new Armchair Expert merchandise collection features high-quality embroidery, including crow and mouse designs, available for pre-order on November 14th.
• Summary: The hosts praised the exceptional quality of the new merchandise, noting the embroidery on the sweatshirts and hoodies. The collection includes designs featuring a crow and a tiny mouse on the sleeve. Pre-orders for this classic collection are scheduled to begin on November 14th, timed for the holiday season.

MAOA Gene and True Crime Show

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(01:21:35)

• Key Takeaway: The MAOA gene, linked to aggressive behavior when combined with trauma, is featured in the Apple TV show ‘Defending Jacob,’ which Dax Shepard recently watched.
• Summary: Dax Shepard connected his past discussions about the MAO chemical (linked to needing high stimulation) with the ‘murder gene’ or ‘warrior gene’ discussed in the show ‘Defending Jacob.’ This gene, monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), is associated with aggressive behavior when low levels are present alongside childhood trauma. The show involves legal teams attempting to use the gene test results in a murder trial.

Historical Memory Retention

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(01:30:02)

• Key Takeaway: Individuals born in the 1930s and 1940s often exhibit superior retention of specific historical facts and names due to less environmental information stimuli.
• Summary: Sir Anthony Hopkins demonstrated remarkable recall by immediately naming Hitler’s doctor, Dr. Morell, prompting a discussion on memory retention across generations. The hosts theorize that the reduced stimuli (less TV/internet) for those born in the mid-20th century may contribute to a higher retention rate for details from their youth. Dax Shepard admitted his own memory for movie lines he once knew perfectly is declining.