Anthony Hopkins celebrated a major career milestone five years ago today after his record-breaking win at the Oscars.
However, amid the recognition and applause from the public and critics, there was a surprising twist that no one saw coming.
On April 25, 2021, Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles lit up with A-listers, celebrities and industry figures to celebrate the 93rd Academy Awards.
Despite the global pandemic, the event broke from tradition, opting for a more intimate, scaled-down and socially distanced setting.
While some guests arrived dressed to the nines, others, including nominees, chose to skip the Oscars due to personal reasons, among them was Hopkins, who was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in The Father.
Anthony Hopkins attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.David Livingston/Getty Images
The Welsh actor was up against equally talented stars such as Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), the late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Gary Oldman (Mank) and Steven Yeun (Minari).
Presented by Joaquin Phoenix, Hopkins took home the coveted award, making him the oldest Best Actor winner at 83.
He surpassed the previous record set by Henry Fonda, who won the same title at 76 during the 1982 Academy Awards.
However, at the time, Hopkins was not present to accept the award, so the Joker star accepted it on his behalf.
A day after the actor’s historic win, his representative revealed a surprising reason he was MIA at the ceremony.
“Tony was in Wales, where he grew up, and he was asleep at 4 in the morning when I woke him up to tell him the news," the actor’s long-time agent, Jeremy Barber, told PEOPLE, adding, "He was so happy and so grateful."
At the time, the two-time Oscar winner was in his hometown in Wales, where he was spending the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"After a year in quarantine, and being double-vaccinated, he was finally able to return to Wales, and at age 83 it was a great relief after such a difficult year," Barber further explained, adding that he considers the film to be meaningful to him, “But he loved the role in The Father – it's his proudest performance – and to be the oldest living actor to win in the category means so much to him."
Hopkins earned his first-ever Oscar after winning Best Actor at the 64th Academy Awards. It was for his exceptional performance as the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the movie The Silence of the Lambs.
Related: 1991 Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’
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