10 Best Acting Performances In The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy

Was it really going to be anyone else?

Anthony Hopkins first appeared as Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, but reprised the role in both 2001’s Hannibal and 2002’s Red Dragon. Hopkins’ legendary portrayal of psychiatrist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal ‘the Cannibal’ Lecter brings a perfect balance of cold terror and chilling intelligence to life on the screen.

An obvious example of this is his introduction in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ where he first meets Foster’s Clarice Starling. The way he, unlike the other inmates, is eerily stood in the centre of the room gives off an almost unnatural vibe to the audience, something which is carried on throughout the scene due to his discomforting politeness and excellent skill at reading the room.

Hopkins is able to transform from nonchalant to aggressive to violent in the blink of an eye, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. Seeing this dark side to Lecter through Hopkins makes it all the more chilling to see him act so personably when interacting with characters like Giannini’s Rinaldo Pazzi in Hannibal and the dinner guests in the opening of Red Dragon. The achievement of the portrayal is enhanced, particularly in The Silence of the Lambs, by the use of extreme close ups of Hopkins’ face, filling the screen with nothing but pure intensity.

Lecter’s commanding presence and ability to know things before both the audience and other characters gives a sadistic sense power to the character. To Lecter, the events of the series aren’t much more than an elaborate game, and Hopkins certainly brings us all along for the ride.