Anthony Hopkins’ Health: His Asperger’s Diagnosis & How He’s Doing Now

Anthony Hopkins received his Asperger’s diagnosis much later in life. Find out all about the Oscar winner’s health journey here.

• Anthony Hopkins is a famous actor who has won two Oscars.
• Anthony was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 2014.
• Anthony publicly revealed his Asperger’s diagnosis in 2017.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, 85, is a legend in Hollywood, winning his first Oscar in 1992 for his performance in Silence of the Lambs. Nearly 30 years later, Anthony won his second Academy Award for The Father, becoming the oldest recipient of a Best Actor Oscar at the age of 83. Anthony has overcome major hurdles in his life, including being diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was in his 70s.

“It’s a great gift, actually,” the Welsh said about finding out he’s on the spectrum later in life in a 2020 interview. “I was a bit slow as a school kid, and so I made up for it by working hard, and I became, you know, a successful actor. Obsessiveness about the details,” he added.

The way Anthony has dealt with his Asperger’s has inspired so many people. He’s living proof that somebody on the spectrum can still do anything in life. Here’s what you need to know about Anthony’s Asperger’s diagnosis and how he’s doing today.

Anthony Hopkins Diagnosed With Asperger’s Syndrome

Anthony revealed in 2017 that he was diagnosed with Asperger’s three years earlier, but was “high end.” That means the person shows no intellectual disability but could deal with deficits in communication, expression, and social interaction, according to online health journals. Anthony described his Asperger’s diagnosis for the first time to the Desert Sun in 2017, where he admitted that he “didn’t know Asperger’s even existed” before he got his diagnosis.

“A lot of people with Asperger’s are highly functional, but inconsistent. They have nervous ticks, nervous habits, inconsistently obsessive thinking,” he explained in the interview. “Some neurological people don’t agree, but my wife [Stella Arroyave] was trying to figure out who she was married to and she read a newsletter from a psychotherapist. He said, ‘You should see some of my patients.’ He put it back on the map that Asperger’s people tend to be creative or severely handicapped. I don’t know if that’s true of me, but I know I can never be restful. I tend to multi-task. I decide I’m not going to paint and then I’ll spend 24 hours painting.”

What Is Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s is a condition on the autism spectrum. It’s a developmental disorder that affects the ability to effectively socialize and communicate, according to the Autism Speaks website. Signs of Asperger’s include difficulty with social interactions, restricted interests, desire for sameness, and distinctive strengths. Therapies and services for Asperger’s include cognitive behavior therapy, social skills training classes, speech therapy, physical and occupation therapy, and psychoactive medicines.

How Long Has Anthony Hopkins Had Asperger’s?

Anthony has had Asperger’s for nearly a decade now. He received the diagnosis in 2014 but didn’t go public with it until 2017. In a 2021 interview with GQ, Anthony said that a “doctor contacted” him about his health, and that’s how he found out he had Asperger’s.

How Is Anthony Hopkins Doing Today?

Anthony doesn’t let his Asperger’s diagnosis define him. “I don’t believe in it. I don’t feel any different,” the accomplished actor told GQ. “I think these are dressed up. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m ignorant. They call it neurodiversity. It’s a fancy label,” he added. Anthony explained that he’s “very focused in one way” and said that an example of that is how he acts at restaurants.