Anthony Hopkins Wants to 'Have a Good Laugh' with Fans on Twitter: I Have a 'Weird Sense of Humor'
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Anthony Hopkins is famous for playing one of cinema's most fearsome serial killers, Hannibal Lecter — but on social media, the legendary Welsh actor, 82, is as sweet as can be.
Since joining Twitter in 2016 (he later joined Instagram and TikTok), Hopkins has charmed fans with videos of him playing the piano, walking the rainy streets of London and enjoying the company of his pet cat, Niblo. With the pandemic forcing people to stay indoors, Hopkins has been busier than ever on his social media accounts, going viral on several occasions with endearing peeks into his life.
When he signed up for TikTok earlier this year, the Oscar winner made his debut by dancing along to Drake's "Tootsie Slide" while challenging Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger to also join in on the fun.
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"I didn't hear back from them, but I admire them," Hopkins tells PEOPLE via Zoom from his home in Los Angeles. "Apparently I'm pretty hot on social media."
"People seem to respond to my weird sense of humor," he continues. "Because that's all we can do — let's try and have a good laugh. Let's try and keep our spirits up."
RELATED VIDEO: Anthony Hopkins Plays Piano for His Social-Distancing Cat Buddy Who 'Demands I Entertain Him'
Anthony Hopkins Plays Piano for His Social-Distancing Cat Buddy Who 'Demands I Entertain Him'
The Oscar winner's cat Niblo sits on Hopkins' lap as the actor plays music for the pet
Hopkins says he came to embrace social media to connect directly with his fans and let them know "that we're all alone, we're all confused — that's the nature of human existence."
"My cat Niblo, he's got all his little world going, but he doesn't worry about the things like we do. And that's our curse and our blessing."
"I try to communicate with people saying, you know, let's try and enjoy it, and have some fun. Just enjoy it," Hopkins says. "My life has been blessed, you know, but people really suffer pain, and I know people who are very lonely. And I wish I could do more, but I do the best I can. So that's my purpose on social media, just to give a message say, 'Hey.'"
Hopkins was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar earlier this year, for his role as Pope Benedict XVI in the Netflix film The Two Popes. He was recently awarded the Tribute Actor Award at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, where his new film The Father screened. The film, co-starring Olivia Colman, is set for release this December.
