About this episode
In this special episode, Oscar-winner Sir Anthony Hopkins joins the show (he prefers to be addressed as Tony), to discuss his new film “The Two Popes,” from Academy Award-nominated director Fernando Meirelles. Inspired by true events, the film is a fascinating tale of an unprecedented transfer of power in the Catholic Church. It follows the imagined conversations between two very different men about the role of the Church in a changing world — one a traditionalist (Hopkins as Pope Benedict), and the other a progressive (Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later Pope Francis). With unexpected humor, sweeping vision, and extraordinary performances, the film is a revealing look at two of the most well-known men in the world. Hopkins, of course, is a legend, but at 81 years-old he wears the mantle of success lightly, eschewing the trappings of fame and retaining a great humility about all that he has achieved. In this interview, Hopkins goes back to the beginning of the story, from his life as a young man in Wales, to his work on the stage, and “The Silence of the Lambs” phenomenon. He also talks about the moment he won that Oscar, his feelings about faith, his rigorous approach to his work, and his experience with actors like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. And he discusses his impressive Instagram game, his art, his music, and his sense that his life’s success is “all a dream.”