Anthony Hopkins Honors 50 Years of Sobriety Following Life-Threatening Drunk Driving Incident

Anthony Hopkins has celebrated a significant milestone this week, marking 50 years of sobriety after a near-fatal incident during his early struggles with alcohol.

The Academy Award-winning actor shared the achievement in an Instagram post on Monday, reflecting on a pivotal moment that led to his recovery. In the video, Hopkins described driving under the influence 50 years ago when he nearly lost his life. “My only problem was I had too good a time because, 50 years ago today, I was nearly killed by driving my car in a drunken blackout,” he said.

Hopkins emphasized that recognizing the severity of his addiction prompted him to seek help. “I realized at that point that I was having too much fun. It was called alcoholism,” he added. He urged others to prioritize sobriety: “Choose life instead of the opposite. Life, life, life and more life.”

The actor previously detailed similar experiences in his memoir, “We Did OK, Kid,” published earlier this year. In the book, he wrote that at age 37, a doctor warned him about the severe health impact of years of heavy drinking. Hopkins also noted that many individuals with addiction often fail to recognize their struggle without external intervention: “Rarely does a heavy drinker wake up to that without an intervention of some kind.” He further highlighted denial as a critical barrier: “Denial is the greatest killer.”

Currently, Hopkins maintains sobriety through ongoing participation in 12-step programs, which he credits for helping him sustain his recovery for five decades.