Dec. 30 (UPI) — Revered actor Anthony Hopkins has been sober for 47 years and in a just-released video, he celebrated the accomplishment, while providing encouragement for others.
In the video, Hopkins shared how his past struggles with alcohol took a toll on his life.
“I just had to acknowledge one day that there was something really wrong with me,” Hopkins said in the video posted to his Instagram account. “I didn’t realize that it was a kind of condition — mental, physical, emotional condition called alcoholism or addiction. And I’m not an expert on drugs — I’m not an expert on anything. I know nothing. Except I have found a life where no one bullies me.”
The two-time Best Actor Oscar winner, who turns 85 on New Year’s Day, says that he credits his faith for helping him overcome. He told an audience at a LEAP Foundation event in 2018 that he heard a woman ask ‘Why don’t you just trust in God’ at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and that helped him become sober.
“I believe that we are capable of so much,” Hopkins said in the speech. “From my own life, I still cannot believe that my life is what it is because I should have died in Wales, drunk or something like that.”
in the video, Hopkins said he hoped to inspire people to seek help.
“This is a message not meant to be heavy, but I hope helpful. I am a recovering alcoholic. And to you out there — I know there are people struggling.”
He referred to the polarizing nature of our current ‘cancel culture’ and how difficult it can be for people to ask for assistance for fear of being criticized.
“I want to say to all you young people who are being bullied, take heed — you be proud of yourself,” Hopkins continued. “Don’t listen to them. Don’t let yourself be put down. Depression is part of being alive, sometimes [also] anxiety. Life is tough.”
“But if you need help with any addiction or problem, talk to someone,” he continued. “Talk to someone you respect, whether it’s a counselor, or to go to a 12-step program,” he advised. “There are 12-step programs all over the world, every city. … Twelve-step programs that can help you identify what you are. It doesn’t cost a thing, but it will give you a whole new life.”
Hopkins who jokingly referred to himself as an “old sinner” also wished everyone a Happy New Year, but hoped that by releasing the video, he could show through his own life experiences that there is a way out of suffering.
“In this day and age of cancel and hatred and non-compromise, children being bullied, I say [this]: Be kind to yourself,” he continued. “Be kind. Stay out of the circle of toxicity with people, if they offend you. Live your life. Be proud of your life.”
Hopkins most recently appeared in The Son with Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby, which received a 2023 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for Jackman.
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