Fans of TV’s Hannibal series may advocate for Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal, but when people hear the name Hannibal Lecter, they think of one performance in particular: Sir Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs.
It was the role that won Hopkins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor despite his mere 16 minutes of screen time.
The character’s roots began long before Hopkins’ portrayal however, with author Thomas Harris said to have been inspired by Alfredo Ballí Treviño, a polite Mexican surgeon-turned-murderer who “could package his victim in a surprisingly small box.” This figure inspired Harris to create Lithuanian cannibal Dr.
Lecter, who justifies his actions by killing the rudest members of society.
Hopkins even called the character the “Robin Hood of killers” for this reason.
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