Actors not getting along is not a very uncommon occurrence in Hollywood, but most of them don’t come forward to make official statements about the matter. But this wasn’t the case for Sir Anthony Hopkins in A Change of Seasons, as the legendary actor didn’t bother sugarcoating his words while reflecting on his experience with costar Shirley MacLaine.
Despite comprising some of the greats of their time, A Change of Seasons tanked both commercially and critically and even earned three nominations in the first-ever Razzie Awards. And the failure of the movie can be traced back to the feud between the two costars.
Anthony Hopkins and Shirley MacLaine hated working together
During his younger days in the industry, Sir Anthony Hopkins suffered from severe alcohol abuse, which goes back to his days as a theatre artist. But this addiction would reflect on his demeanor onset, as he wasn’t the easiest actor to work with at the time. And things went on a downfall in A Change of Seasons, as the Thor star didn’t back away from blasting his costar Shirley MacLaine, as he reportedly called her “the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with.”
However, the feelings were mutual, as the Oscar-winning actress also wasn’t quite fond of Hopkins, but could understand why this was the case, as she stated, “I didn’t like him either, but he was on the wagon at that time and it was hard on him”. But it wouldn’t be long before The Silence of the Lambs star would finally address his issues and get his life back on track.
Anthony Hopkins credited AA meetings for saving his life
After years of struggling with alcohol abuse, Sir Anthony Hopkins finally got help after he nearly “drank himself to death”. According to the Academy Award-winning star, he once blacked out as a result of heavy alcohol consumption and realized he had to get his life back together. The actor further credited AA meetings that helped him recover from his self-destructive cycle and since then he hasn’t looked back. He explained,
“I haven’t [drunk since] and nor have I felt the urge to. When I asked for help and I realized I wasn’t alone, that there were thousands of people like me, all my fears began to dissolve… I was headed for disaster, I was drinking myself to death. I’m not preachy but I got a message, a little thought that said, ‘Do you want to live or die?’ and I said ‘I want to live.'”
Ever since then, Hopkins has continued his ascend to the top and has cemented himself as one of the very best in the acting realm through several iconic and influential performances.
A Change of Seasons is available to stream on Apple TV.
Source: New York Post
