Face to face with Hollywood’s favorite psycho

Ten years after he uttered the immortal words, "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti," with his terrifying portrayal of the brilliantly evil serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Sir Anthony Hopkins (just call him Tony) is reprising the role that brought him instant fame and an Academy Award. Ridley Scott eventually took on directing.

And Julianne Moore was recruited to take over as Clarice. And now Hopkins, the 63-year-old Welsh actor who became an American citizen last year, is once again chewing up the scenery – and a few of his would-be captors. When Clarice discovers Lecter is hiding in Florence, Italy, she mounts a hunt for him that brings some welcome excitement into the life of her old nemesis.

Didn’t you want to bring back some of the mannerism, like that thing with the tongue?

I didn’t want to repeat the tongue thing. I didn’t want to do the old tricks again; it would be boring. I came up with some new things for him to say, like "Goody, goody," "Okeydokey," "Tah-dah" and "It’s to die for." It makes the audience laugh. In the midst of the horror, you have to give them a bit of a laugh. Also, I got to move around a lot more this time, and I sort of modeled my walk on a cat’s. I like cats, and I love the way they pad around. I wanted to get that feel when Lecter is padding very quietly and stealthily in the shadows around the streets of Florence.

It’s not a secret the movie doesn’t end the way the book does, with Clarice and Hannibal becoming a sort of odd couple as they go off together. Why was it changed?

I liked the ending in the novel, even though some people found it preposterous. I always suspected there was a romantic attachment, almost an obsession, between Hannibal and Clarice. There’s something there. But Jodie had a problem with it, and after she dropped out, I don’t think it was ever seriously considered. When I finally got the script, there was still a big question mark about the ending. I think they were considering three or four possibilities. Julianne felt strongly that she had to be more active in trying to prevent Lecter from escaping again. She wanted to do everything she could to stop him. And I think that had some effect on the way it ended up.

Have you met Thomas Harris, the author of The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal?

Yes. Harris is such a shadowy figure, who avoids all publicity, I wasn’t even sure he existed until I finally saw him face to face in Florence, when he came to the set of Hannibal. He turned out to be a very amiable and ordinary man who likes pasta and Chianti and is something of an expert on wines. He told me when he was writing room? He said, "Yeah and he took over the writing. That’s what happens sometimes when you create a character."

Did he like the film version of his book?

I think he did, although he had a problem with the ending at first. He also liked the "okeydokeys" and "goody, goodies" I’d added. It kind of amused him. One day he came up to me and said, "I don’t remember writing okeydokey.’" I said, "You didn’t. I did."

Why are audiences so fascinated by Hannibal?

Because they liked to be scared. When I was a kid, I used to love the roller coaster. When I went to see Jaws, I didn’t have to check in with a psychotherapist to see what was wrong with me. I saw Psycho, and it scared the hell out of me. I didn’t sleep too well after seeing it, but that was part of the fun. It was just a good fright. People told me they didn’t sleep too well after seeing The Silence of the Lambs, but that doesn’t make them sick. We’re talking about entertainment.

Was it more fun the second time around?

It really was. I had a lot of fun on The Silence of the Lambs. But this was different – working with an astonishingly good director, Ridley Scott, and acting with Julianne Moore. I had a great time.

What about losing Jodie Foster and Jonathan Demme?

I didn’t have any particular angst about it. I didn’t try to persuade them to reconsider not wanting to do the sequel. I didn’t care, really. I thought, if it’s going to happen, it will; otherwise it won’t.

In the book, Hannibal has had plastic surgery, but you chose not to change your appearance.

If I’d have done that, they might as well have gotten another actor to do the part. I didn’t think I should even wear a disguise or a beard or anything. I didn’t believe Hannibal would have tried to change his identity. He likes being on razor’s edge, walking past policemen he thinks are fools because they can’t catch him. And he’s looking for a little excitement, which makes him dangerous.

It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Hannibal. You’ve made the role your own, and you virtually disappear into the character… as you have so many others?

People say nice things about me, like I disappear into the roles, but there’s a disadvantage to being known as the "Character." I’d like to wake up and look like Brad Pitt in the morning, but I don’t. I look in the mirror, I see me.

Hannibal is released by Universal Pictures and distributed by United International Pictures.