Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937), is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television. Considered to be one of the greatest living actors, he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, its sequel, Hannibal, and its prequel, Red Dragon. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Hopkins is renowned for his preparation for roles. He has confessed that once he has committed to a project, he will go over his lines as many times as is needed (sometimes upwards of 200) until the lines sound natural to him, so that he can “do it without thinking.” Hopkins stated that after he is finished with a scene, he simply discards the lines, not remembering them later on. This is unlike others who usually remember their lines even years later.
Additionally, Hopkins is a gifted mimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character.
Privately Hopkins has attended 12-Step meetings for alcohol addiction and stopped drinking in 1975. He is a vegetarian and also a prominent member of environmental protection group Greenpeace. Hopkins is also a talented pianist. In 1986, he released a single called “Distant Star”. It peaked at #75 in the UK charts. He has written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator. These compositions include Schizoid Salsa and The Masque of Time, having had its world premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008.
How appropriate for a Joker who can wear any mask they want!
Source: Wikipedia Image: BAFTA/ Camera Press
December 31 Birthdays – The Joker Card
Little is really known about the Joker. He has no Life Path Cards or Yearly Spreads from which we can make any sort of predictions. In truth, the Joker can be any card in the deck that he or she chooses to be. The Joker is no card and yet it is all the cards at the same time. While the Joker person can assume the personality of any card in the deck at will, they have no personality that is truly their own. Thus, they fall into a unique category in this system that separates them from the other cards. Whether this special place is a blessing or a curse is highly dependent upon the individual who possesses this most unusual Birth Card.
The Joker was the Court Jester in days of old that ascended the throne on ‘Fool’s Day’ each year and impersonated the King, Queen and all members of the kingdom. His day, December 31st, is the time of celebration of the New Year, and in ancient times was the day to make merry and folly of our serious natures. He could impersonate anyone with ease. This is still part of the Joker’s personality today. They have the ability to take on any role at will. Since we don’t know which card they are playing out, it is difficult to make any definite statements about them.
A Joker can be considered to be the ‘Jack of all Jacks.’ This tends to make them very creative, youthful acting and extremely independent. The Joker is part of the royal family and so we find that they are proud and not too fond of being told what to do, as is the case with most Jacks, Queens and Kings. Because of the strong creative urges in the Joker, we find many are attracted to the stage or theater. This same creative energy can show up as a dishonest streak in some of them as well. Many are successful musicians or artists. They have the potential to be deeply spiritual, being the card that is associated with God in the Tarot decks (The Fool Card, Number Zero).
Beyond this, there is little known about them. As Florence Campbell, author of Sacred Symbols of the Ancients, puts it, “They are a mystery unto themselves.”
Source: Love Cards by Robert Lee Camp
It’s not a surprise to learn actor Anthony Hopkins is a Joker!
