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Desert Island Discs

Anthony Hopkins

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Music, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Music Commentary

4.314.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 1985

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The actor Anthony Hopkins has recently returned to this country after 10 years in California.

In conversation with Roy Plomley, he talks about his upbringing in South Wales, his rapid rise to fame, the unhappiness that caused him to go to America, and his success in the films The Elephant Man and Mutiny on the Bounty.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Myfanwy by Treorchy Male Choir Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Luxury: Piano

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

0:05.0

For Wright's reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

0:08.0

The program was originally broadcast in 1985, and the presenter was Roy Plumlee. This week are cast away as the actor Anthony Hopkins.

0:24.0

Tony, I know that music means a great deal in your life. You play the piano.

0:37.5

Yes. Were you put to it or did you take to it? I took to it quite early. I started about the age of six.

0:43.4

Did you ever consider taking it up professionally?

0:46.0

Yes, I did for a while, for about 10 years I think, and then I discovered that I didn't

0:51.0

have the technique or the talent really to play as a

0:55.1

constant pianist.

0:56.7

That's all I wanted to be was constant pianist.

0:58.3

So I more or less gave up or gave me up.

1:00.5

The top or nothing.

1:01.5

Top or nothing. That's been it all my life. Do you play

1:04.0

discs a lot? Yes I play music a lot when I'm working on plays you know I choose

1:08.6

something that will help me to get in the mood when I'm reading. Well you have

1:12.2

just eight for what may be a long time.

1:15.1

How did you set about choosing them?

1:16.5

Are you choosing nostalgic clearly?

1:18.7

They're nostalgic, yes.

1:20.0

I've chosen a few that made an impression on me when I was a child.

1:24.8

What's the first one?

1:26.2

It's from the purfishers by Bisey, sung by Nikola Gedar.

...

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