Anthony Hopkins: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Dr Hannibal Lecter - The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

And of course, how was Anthony Hopkins' stunning, Oscar-winning turn as psychotic Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter ever not going to make the #1 spot? Here is an example of an actor making so much of so little - given that he has only around 16 minutes of screen time - and making his presence felt throughout the whole film.

In those 16 minutes, we feel like we know Lecter, even though he spends only a few minutes dialoguing with Jodie Foster's FBI Agent Clarice Starling, and spends the rest of his time escaping from his confinement in grisly, intense fashion. Hopkins delivers a truly terrifying performance that has been widely parodied, having well and truly entered into the pop-culture lexicon.

Easily his most widely-praised, discussed and beloved character, it is without question a faultless performance that injects the film with the pep it needed to go on and win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

And now, here's 5 Anthony Hopkins performances that regrettably were not up to muster...