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Widely regarded as the most memorable introduction in movie lore – while he stands utterly motionless.

The FBI trainee, new to the job, navigates a row of prison cells until she reaches the notorious doctor's transparent prison. The man is present, appearing as a living skull filled with sinister intent, eerily immobile wearing a snug blue inmate uniform. He remains motionless before suddenly he lunges toward the window, making that unforgettable spitting-growling noise. A multitude of real-crime films have since revealed that actual serial killers tend to be quite dull, lacking anything like Anthony Hopkins's powerful on-screen charisma.

He was not unrecognized at the time he got his Academy Award-winning part in the 1991 thriller back in 1989: it wasn't his debut, but a legend emerged. His portrayal of Lecter was based, Hopkins notes with amusement in his latest book, from Lugosi's Dracula, on Joseph Stalin according to his daughter's memories, and also from his strictly demanding Rada tutor Christopher Fettes. There was also a parent-child dynamic within the narrative; a painful subject for the actor, who recounts how his Lear was subconsciously influenced by painful regret concerning Abigail, the daughter he was separated from from his initial marriage in 1966 with Petronella Barker, who disliked his time away and drinking.

The book's name comes from an historical picture of Hopkins as a toddler with his father at the seaside – the child who might have felt he would never do OK. He was a bewildered, lonely, vulnerable little boy raised in Port Talbot, son of Richard Arthur Hopkins, the scene-stealing supporting player in the narrative: a bread-maker and man's man, a straightforward talker who loathed the Bible-punching hypocrites of the chapel and refused to displaying emotion, yet possessed a touch of dreamy, sentimental tenderness. His father who deeply disliked the way they had to go cap-in-hand to their rich relatives like Auntie Patty, who was connected to the famous Bevan and was able to secure Anthony as a boy into a posh school: “Because they're bloody rich!” he raves during the car ride. “Everyone is looking for scraps! Bloody rubbish, that's what it is!”

The pleading was effective, for a time. Hopkins was a hopeless student in his new institution. However, one day during an English class he had to recite the poem by Masefield The West Wind – without seeing it first – and his talent emerged; he stunned the teacher and the other boys. He reasonably claims that verse, by itself, started his career. This, and joining the YMCA theater group. Surprisingly, he exited school with low prospects, entered the acting world, and shocking his family, was performing with Laurence Olivier at the famous theater within 10 years. He largely achieved it alone, even though back then financial aid was available to go to Rada – a path to success for actors from humble backgrounds. His father was always amazed with Anthony's worldwide acclaim: when he asked Anthony to deliver the Yorick lines from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Richard listened carefully and then retreated to another room and wept openly.

As for the hot-tempered, stubborn individual, he left the National Theatre in a moment of anger – causing Olivier's regret and displeasure – but stumbled upon a great TV role playing an alleged war criminal in Leon Uris's QB VII, which eventually resulted to parts like that in David Lynch's The Elephant Man and a successful acting career in movies, which he liked more over theater. He gave up alcohol in 1975 once a notorious drinker, and so survived into middle age to achieve remarkable acting, such as Lecter, the servant Stevens in The Remains of the Day with Emma Thompson and the old man with dementia in the movie The Father – his second Academy Award.

During the second part of his autobiography he appears more reserved, more deliberate. Certain stories aren't entirely successful. He recalls going out for lunch with his fellow actor in Oliver Stone's Nixon, the highly regarded performer Paul, who sought to advise him his acting as Nixon wasn't effective. Was this the opportunity for Hopkins to learn something from the legendary star of Scorsese's Goodfellas? Not exactly. Anthony appears to agree with Stone's rejection of Sorvino as driven due to resentment. Truly?

He often portrays the grounded, serious thespian who maintains it is one's responsibility to be on time, learn everyone's name on set and do the job. Quite so. However, he also describes confronting an obnoxious director who caused a young extra to weep: “Say sorry to her! And acquire some decency. If you ever repeat that near me, I'll alter your appearance!” He appears to be an individual who stopped drinking yet perhaps not the aggression that went with it. An actor of his caliber must know Cornwall's speech regarding Kent from Lear: “He is incapable of flattery! A truthful and simple spirit – he is compelled to be honest!”

Anthony ends his memoir with a lengthy appendix composed simply