Sir Anthony Hopkins

Dr Hannibal Lecter was played by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 film ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and his performance as the incarcerated cannibal earned him a Best Actor Oscar.

Hopkins reprised the chilling role on two other occasions in 2001 sequel 'Hannibal' and 2002 prequel 'Red Dragon'.

After reading the script, Hopkins simply had to play the part.

He recalled: “[My agent] said, ‘I want you to read this.' I said, ‘Is it an offer?’ He said, ‘It’s a film with Jodie Foster called ‘The Silence of the Lambs'.'"

Hopkins admitted that after getting through a few pages he knew it was “one of the best parts I’ve ever read".

He added: "I knew how to play the part, and I don’t know. I do have an instinct about these roles. I could understand Lecter. I could understand the mystery of the man, the loner, the isolated voice in the dark, the man at the top of the stairs who’s not really there.”