Anthony Hopkins Left His Only Child When She Was a Toddler - They Had a Reunion but It Did Not Last Long

• Famous Welsh actor, Anthony Hopkins, abandoned his 14-month-old child when he divorced his first wife, Petronella Barker.
• Father and daughter, Abigail Hopkins, reunited years later,
• However, the pain his absence caused lingered, and they soon stopped speaking to each other.

Anthony Hopkins was born in Port Talbot, Wales, in 1937. He was the only child of his parents. Anthony did not do well in school, and by the age of seventeen, he dropped out.

The youngster was inspired by local actor Richard Burton, whose autograph he got at the age of fifteen, so he decided to become an actor himself, setting his sights on the stage.

The actor joined the National Theatre in 1960 but was given non-speaking roles in plays. Anthony was so disgruntled and, with this fierce drive to be a star, confronted the casting director about what he had to do to get leading roles.

During the early 70s, Anthony became a stage star in London. In 1974, the Welshman moved to America intending to become a Hollywood star, and soon after, he landed roles in movies like "A Bridge Too Far" and "Elephant Man."

He also appeared in TV mini­series like "Hollywood Wives" and "Great Expectations." In 1991, Anthony rose to fame when he landed the role of Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs." The actor won an Oscar for his performance in the movie.

The actor has since enjoyed stellar success in Hollywood, appearing in multiple blockbuster movies over the years. He also recently earned critical praise for his performance as a feisty, elderly Londoner succumbing to dementia in "The Father."

Anthony Hopkins’s Personal Life

The upcoming actor was struggling with alcoholism when he married actress Petronella Barker in 1966. They had met while the Welshman was filming a play. Their marriage was supposedly not a happy one initially, but they welcomed their daughter Abigail two years later, in 1968.

After the birth of their child, Anthony started staying out more, and his drinking habits increased. Sometimes, the Welshman would drink a bottle of tequila in a day.

In 1970, Anthony was reportedly so drunk he missed a flight back to London, and Pinewood Studios had to send one of their secretaries, Jennifer Lynton, to get him. The actor started a relationship with Jennifer, and two years later, in 1972, he divorced his wife and left her to take care of their only child alone.

He married Jennifer a year later before moving to America with her on his quest for a Hollywood career. Just like his first marriage, the actor divorced Jennifer in 2002. The actor married his third wife, Stella Arroyave, in 2003, who the actor explained made him happy after years of being in bad relationships.

His Estranged Daughter Speaks

Abigail was 14 months old when her father, Anthony, walked out on the young girl and her mother. In an interview, Abigail Hopkins revealed that she only saw her father once a year during her childhood.

When she was 16, they fell out completely when a row happened with Anthony over the treatment of her mother. Abigail dropped out of University when she was 18 and shortly after suffered a breakdown. She said:

"I bottled up so much emotion in my childhood it caused my mind to go. I came very close to killing myself. It was the worst time I can remember. I totally abused my mind and body."

After this episode, she trained as an actor at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York. In 1990, Anthony and Abigail had a brief reunion, which enabled her to have cameos on two of his films, "Shadowlands" and "The Remains of the Day."

Speaking on the filming experience with her father, Abigail revealed that even on set, she and her father kept to themselves and rarely spoke. Since then, they have barely spoken for two decades and remain bitterly estranged. Abigail revealed her father has never been to any of her concerts despite several of his trips to London coinciding with her performances.

The singer revealed that she and Anthony share some traits because of their genes. These include his love for acting, some of his depressive traits, and most especially playing the guitar, a love she inherited from her father.

Despite their years of estranged relationship, Abigail has been reluctant to criticize her father, Anthony. instead, she has embraced the independence her music gives and gave herself time to move out from under his shadow.

Anthony’s Reflections and Life Today

The Radio Times asked the Oscar winner whether he was a grandfather or not; the actor coldly replied he did not know or care if Abigail had any children. He said:

"I don't have any idea. People break up. Families split and, you know: 'Get on with your life.' People make choices. I don't care one way or the other."

The actor also revealed he did not know where Abigail lived and that people could do whatever they wanted. Children do not have to like their fathers, and neither is it compulsory for someone to love their family.

Anthony was told his reply sounded cold, and the legendary actor responded, it was cold because life is cold. His remarks about Abigail reportedly stem from their long tortured relationship, and also, the actor sometimes felt rejected by his daughter as he rejected her once as a kid.

The Oscar winner also ascribed his past difficult relationships to his drinking habit, which nearly damaged his health. He also blamed his difficult upbringing because his parents sent him to a boarding school, which he hated.

Anthony Hopkins was also diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a neurological condition that affects social interaction. Although he has tried to represent himself with warmth and friendliness, he has always felt empty inside all his life.

At 86, Anthony, who has been married to Stella for 20 years, said that he is at peace with himself. He also appreciated that he is in good health, adding, "I’ve just had a medical checkup. I’m in good shape." The actor, who won his second Best Actor Oscar for "The Father" three years ago, divulged that he was lucky to be working at his age.

Still, he shared, "I’m aware of my mortality. To be realistic, I know that if I have a few more years of work in me, I can do it. So work keeps me alive. I love working. I love being an actor. I love activity.” Anthony enjoys the process of preparing for a role as it keeps his brain neurologically active. He is also glad the people still send him scripts.

When asked what keeps him going, Anthony shared that he loves to paint, play the piano, and film funny Instagram and TikTok videos, which Stella and his niece Tara Arroyave.

Anthony was reluctant to film these videos at first, but then he noted, "I do something silly because we need humor. We need a laugh in life. For good reason, I guess. Life is tough. The world is a savage place, but life has its beauty.” Anthony is also in good health and vibrant due to getting enough sleep, cutting sugar from his diet, and avoiding junk food.

In his free time, the actor enjoys British detective stories that are on television. He acknowledged that they are, "Very well done. There are always scenes where people are having parties and dancing. And I look at them thinking, ‘What?’ I think, ‘I used to do that. I'm glad they're all having fun. I couldn't do that.”

Abigail's Life Today

As for Abigail, she is thriving as an actress, director, and acting coach. In her career that spans over 20 years, the multitalented actress has taught acting and directed projects at several drama colleges and stage schools in London, New York, and Los Angeles.

The actress's films and TV appearances include, "Shadowlands," "Fly A Kite," "Lost Opportunity," and "A Few Selected Exits." Some of her theatre performances are "Macbeth" and "Much Ado About Nothing." Abigail has been attributed for directing "Talk To Me Like The Rain," "The Woman," and "Blood Wedding."

Abigail is also a singer and songwriter, who released two albums and an EP. She is mostly in New York and London but has toured in America has a singer and her hits have been aired on several BBC radio stations. Abigail performed as a singer-songwriter at Poland’s MALTA Festival.

On January 24, 2024, the actress graduated with a Master of Arts in Filmmaking from the University of East London. Despite the rift between father and daughter, Abigail is following in Anthony's footsteps and doing great in her career as well.