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Widely regarded as the greatest appearance in cinematic history – while he stands without moving a muscle.

The FBI trainee, new to the job, must walk a corridor of cells arriving at Hannibal Lecter's secure glass tank. The man is present, his face resembling a living skull radiating satanic malice, eerily immobile clad in a tight blue prison jumpsuit. He stands frozen before suddenly he throws himself at the barrier, emitting that distinctive snarling-hissing noise. Numerous true-crime documentaries have since revealed that genuine criminals are usually uninteresting, lacking anything like Hopkins' commanding screen presence.

He wasn't exactly an unknown when he landed his Academy Award-winning part in The Silence of the Lambs in 1989: it wasn't his debut, but a legend was cemented. His portrayal of Lecter drew influence, Hopkins cheerfully recalls in his latest book, from Lugosi's Dracula, on Joseph Stalin according to his daughter's memories, and also from his icily exacting Rada tutor his instructor Fettes. There was also a parent-child dynamic in these moments; a painful subject for Hopkins, who recounts how his King Lear was subconsciously influenced by an agonised guilt about Abigail, the estranged daughter from his disastrous first marriage during the 60s to Petronella Barker, who was angered by him being away and drinking.

The book's name comes from a vintage war-era photograph of a young Hopkins on the beach with his dad – the child who might have felt he wouldn't succeed. He appeared lost, shy and fragile youth hailing from Port Talbot, his father was Richard Arthur Hopkins, the memorable figure in the narrative: a baker and a tough individual, a plain speaker who loathed the religious hypocrites of the chapel and refused to showing his emotions, but also exhibited dreamy, sentimental tenderness. His father who was angered by how they were forced humbly to their rich relatives such as Aunt Patty, who was connected to the politician Nye Bevan and could get young Anthony into a posh school: “Because they're bloody rich!” he exclaims while traveling there. “We are all expecting handouts! Total garbage, that's all it is!”

The humility worked, for a while. Hopkins was a hopeless student in his new institution. But one day in an English lesson he needed to deliver the poem by Masefield known as The West Wind – without prior preparation – and his voice awakened; he shocked the educator and the other boys. He says quite plausibly that verse, by itself, started his career. Combined with participating in the dramatic society at the YMCA. Surprisingly, he exited school with low prospects, entered the acting world, and amazingly to his parents, was on stage with the great Olivier at the famous theater within 10 years. He more or less did it on his own, though at that time there were grants to go to Rada – a way up for working-class actors. His dad remained in awe of Anthony's global success: on asking his son to perform the Yorick monologue from Hamlet, his father paid close attention and then retreated to another room and began crying.

Regarding the fiery, strong-willed son, he departed the theatrical troupe in a moment of anger – much to Olivier's disappointment and criticism – but stumbled upon a great TV role as a potential war criminal in Leon Uris's QB VII, which eventually resulted to roles such as in David Lynch's The Elephant Man and a thriving starry career on screen, that he favored compared to stage acting. He gave up alcohol in 1975 once a notorious drinker, and thus made it through midlife to execute great performances, such as Lecter, the butler Stevens in the film The Remains of the Day alongside Emma Thompson and the old man with dementia in his film The Father – his next Oscar win.

In the latter half of the book his character seems more elusive, more studied. A few tales doesn't quite come off. He mentions having lunch with his fellow actor in Stone's Nixon, the esteemed thespian Paul, who sought to advise him his acting as Nixon wasn't effective. Was this the moment for him to absorb a lesson from the famous actor from Goodfellas? Not exactly. Anthony appears to agree with Stone's dismissal of Sorvino as being motivated due to resentment. Truly?

He repeatedly performs the tough, down-to-earth professional actor who believes it's your duty to be on time, remember every crew member's name and do the job. Quite so. But he also recounts confronting an obnoxious director who brought a background actor to tears: “Apologize to that girl! And learn some manners. You ever do that again in front of me, I'll change the shape of your face! He appears to be a person who quit alcohol but maybe not the belligerence that came with it. An actor of his caliber must know Cornwall's speech regarding Kent from the play Lear: “He does not know how to flatter! A truthful and simple spirit – he must speak truth!”

Anthony ends his memoir with an extensive addendum composed simply