Walk on the Wild Side: Urban American Poetry Since 1975

Born in Wales in 1937, Hopkins was a reticent youth and an indifferent student remembered mostly for his gift of mimicry. After drama college graduation, a stint in the army and itinerant acting jobs, he entered the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and was selected by Laurence Olivier as a member of the National Theatre. Hopkins's break came when he substituted for an ill Olivier in Strindberg's Dance of Death , for which he received glowing reviews. He made his first movie, The Lion in Winter in 1968, married and had a daughter, Abby, born in 1969. Soon alcohol began to affect both his career and his marriage, which ended in divorce. In 1975 Hopkins joined AA and is still a member. Callan provides behind-the-camera anecdotes about the making of such movies as A Bridge Too Far , Audrey Rose and The Elephant Man ; high points of Hopkins's career, such as his Emmy for playing Bruno Hauptmann in Lindbergh and his best-actor Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs , are also discussed. Photos not seen by PW . (May)