Anthony Hopkins celebrates his 49th year of sobriety with a video post

Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins shared a new message for his fans as he celebrated 49 years of sobriety.

The veteran actor has a long tradition of sending messages of hope to people struggling with alcoholism, and uses his sobriety as a way to motivate them.

On his sober anniversaries, Hopkins usually makes a video detailing his experience and how he decided to get sober and continued the tradition this year.

In the nearly two-minute clip, he shared his sobriety story with fans, revealing what made him quit drinking.

Hopkins began, “Good morning. From December 29. 29? Why 29? Well, 49 years ago today I stopped (mimics the act of drinking).”

He shared that he had fun then, but he realized he had “big problems” because he couldn’t remember anything.

The “Parents” actor continued: “I was driving a car, drunk to my head. Then on that fateful day, I realized I needed help, and I got it.”

After realizing he needed help, Hopkins said he “called a group of people” who were in a similar situation and began his journey to sobriety. He added: “Anyway, I’ve had more fun in these 49 years than I ever have.”

The actor used his message to inspire people struggling with alcoholism or alcohol-related problems. He reassured them, saying: “If you have a problem, having fun is great, drinking is good. But if you have a drinking problem, there is help.”

Hopkins explained, “It’s not a scary thing. It’s a condition where you’re allergic to alcohol. Get help, there’s a lot of help.”

He also said: “One thing I didn’t realize was that I wasn’t unique. There were thousands of people like me around.”

In the final part of the video, Hopkins expressed hope and positivity to his followers, using his life as an example of how sober people can still have fun and achieve great opportunities.

He said: “Anyway, I’m sober. It sounds sad, but I’ve had a great life. They’re still hiring me, they’re still giving me work.”

The 86-year-old shared: “I’ll be 87 in two days, so I’m celebrating my long life – my unexpectedly long life – so if you’re in trouble, you know where to go.”

Hopkins urged those with drinking problems to seek help by calling a group, enrolling in a 12-step program or doing whatever they can “because it (alcohol) is a killer.”

He ended his message by blowing a kiss and saying, “Happy New Year!”

He said“Hello, Happy New Year to you all! All you revelers and drinkers are having a great time. Great!”

Hopkins added: “Happy New Year, have a great time. If you have a hangover, remember me. I don’t feel it anymore because I stopped 48 years ago. I got help and my life changed.”

The One Lifetime star concluded: “I don’t envy you if you’re having fun out there, but if you need help, there’s time. Life is in session. Go.”

In the 2020 interview The New York Times– Hopkins recalled the moment when he decided to stop drinking in 1975.

He said he woke up in a hotel room in Arizona, but didn’t know how he got there.

Hopkins said by Independent“I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to stop this because I’m going to kill someone or myself. From that moment on, my life took on a new meaning.”

The Silence of the Lambs actor’s decision to quit drinking has benefited him greatly.

The icon received his first Oscar in 1991 for the role of serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the film “Silence of the Lambs”. The second “Oscar” Hopkin received in 2021, when he was 83 years old.

He won the award for his portrayal of a father suffering from dementia in The Father, becoming the oldest person to win an Oscar.