Anthony Hopkins dismisses his wife Stella Arroyave’s belief he’s autistic.
The Oscar-winning actor, 87, made the revelation in a candid new interview on Saturday as he reflected on his habits and personality quirks.
“I’m obsessed with numbers. I’m obsessed with detail. I like everything in order. And memorising,” he told The Sunday Times of the traits his wife, 68, found common with austism.
“'You must be Asperger’s,'” he recalled his wife telling him. “I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about,” he said. “I don’t even believe it.”
Asperger’s syndrome, once considered a separate diagnosis, is now classified under autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which affects social interaction, communication, and behaviour.
When asked whether a diagnosis might bring him clarity, Hopkins responded that he was skeptical. “Well, I guess I’m cynical because it’s all nonsense,” he said. “It’s all rubbish. ADHD, OCD, Asperger’s, blah, blah, blah. Oh God, it’s called living.”
“It’s just being a human being—full of tangled webs and mysteries and craziness,” he continued. “All these labels. I mean, who cares? But now it’s fashion.”
The Silence of the Lambs star’s remarks come as part of the press tour for his upcoming memoir, We Did OK, Kid, out November 4.