Book Review From Rick’s Library: We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir by Anthony Hopkins

⏱️ 11 min read                             

Many of us know the actor, Anthony Hopkins, from various movies, such as ‘The Father’, ’Meet Joe Black’, and ‘The Silence of the Lambs.’

Today we’re talking about a very different movie: Anthony’s life. In his new book titled We Did OK, Kid, Hopkins, at the age of 87, turns the spotlight on his own life—from a Welsh boy in a small steel town to one of the most celebrated actors of our time. 

But this isn’t just a career story that Sir Anthony Hopkins has written: it’s a story about memory, identity, addiction, and redemption. We’ll explore what drew me to this memoir, what Hopkins offers us in his reflections, and what the big takeaways might be for our own lives. So grab a cup of tea (or whiskey, if you prefer), and settle in. Ready to begin? Let’s turn the page.

Welcome to That's Life, I Swear. This podcast is about life's happenings in this world that conjure up such words as intriguing, frightening, life-changing, inspiring, and more. I'm Rick Barron, your host. 

That said, here's the rest of this story

1-Abstract of the book   

We Did OK, Kid is the memoir of Anthony Hopkins, charting his journey from his beginnings in a working-class Welsh town to the heights of international stardom, and the inner struggles that came along with that climb. Born in Port Talbot, Wales, in 1937, Hopkins grew up amid economic hardship and a family culture of emotional reserve and heavy drinking. 

He describes how, as a young boy, he felt out of step—“hopeless” as a student, mocked by peers, unsure of his place. A turning-point came when he watched a film of Hamlet, and something stirred in him: the potential of acting, of voice and presence. 

From there, the narrative follows his early days into the theatre, his training at a prestigious drama school, his work on stage with the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier, and eventually his transition to screen, where he created some of the most iconic roles of his generation (among them the chilling Dr. Hannibal Lecter). 

But alongside these triumphs is a candid reckoning with his personal life: his alcoholism, which nearly derailed everything and cost him relationships; his difficult father-son relationship and estrangement from his daughter; his internal battle with solitude and vulnerability. 

The title — “We Did OK, Kid” — comes from a photograph of Hopkins as a child with his father on the beach; the phrase is both a gesture of reconciliation and a quiet affirmation of survival and achievement. 

In the memoir’s pages, Hopkins is not simply recounting a career, but reflecting on identity: What does it mean to go from nowhere to everywhere? What does it cost? What remains? The book is also sprinkled with personal photographs and reflections on poetry and memory, offering a deeply personal look behind the public persona. 

We Did OK, Kid is a classic “rags-to-riches” story and an introspective meditation on one man’s life — its triumphs, its regrets, its unanswered questions.

2-About the author 

Anthony Hopkins is one of the most respected actors of his generation. Born Philip Anthony Hopkins in 1937 in Port Talbot, South Wales, he came from humble beginnings: his father was a baker and later opened a pub, and his upbringing was modest and sometimes harsh.

After leaving school, Hopkins studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and later trained at London’s prestigious institutions. His career began on the stage, eventually leading to work with Olivier and the National Theatre. 

On screen, his career is legendary: he won his first Academy Award for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and a second for The Father (2020). He has portrayed a broad range of characters—from Shakespearean kings to serial killers to modern drama leads—and his reputation rests on a blend of stage discipline and screen charisma. 

But beyond his acting, Hopkins has a deeply reflective side: he is known to recite poetry by heart, he speaks often of the power of voice and memory, and he sees his own life as shaped not just by roles and accolades but by the mental and emotional frameworks beneath them. In this memoir, that introspection is front and center. He also has been sober for decades, 50 years to be exact, having confronted his addiction and found a way into continued productivity and creative life. 

In short: Anthony Hopkins is not only an “actor’s actor” but a thinker-performer whose life spans working-class Wales, classical theatre, Hollywood, triumph and vulnerability. This memoir gives us a vantage into the full arc of his experience, and thus the author is both a subject and a guide through his own story.

3-What drew my interest in reading this book?  

My interest in reading We Did OK, Kid was sparked by several intersecting threads. First, I’ve long been fascinated by the transformation of artists who start from modest backgrounds yet reach extraordinary heights—especially when that transformation is neither linear nor unblemished. Hopkins fits that pattern extremely well: a boy from a steel-town in Wales, feeling out of place, who becomes one of the most celebrated actors in the world. That kind of arc is compelling.

Second, I was drawn by the promise of honesty. The memoir’s blurbs signal that this is not just a name-brand autobiography but a reflective work that engages with pain: the difficulties of family, addiction, identity, and estrangement. I was curious to see how someone who has operated in the often-glamorized world of celebrity would speak about the less glamorous internal experiences—loneliness, regret, self-doubt.

Third, I’m interested in how our lives are shaped by ritual, repetition, memory—and Hopkins’ reputation for casting himself as a “memory man” who learns lines, recites poetry, and connects to an inner life made me want to explore how this translated to the page. The memoir invites us not only into the world of cinema and theatre but into the psyche of the actor: how does art shape you, how do you shape art, how do you live with your roles?

Finally, from a podcast perspective, this kind of memoir offers rich terrain: a life full of high stakes, dramatic creativity, falls and rises—and also quiet questions about meaning, aging, legacy. It’s perfect for a conversation about what success means, how we measure a life, and what we learn when we get the chance to look back. How many people who’ve reached fame pause and engage with the quieter themes of memory, identity, and mortality? Hopkins clearly does—and that makes the book worthwhile to me.

4-What can we learn from this book? What's the takeaway?  

There are several key lessons and takeaways in We Did OK, Kid—and they resonate both for those in the arts and for anyone grappling with a life lived in phases, curves, and rebuilds.

1-Embrace imperfection and continuity. Hopkins’ story reminds us that success is rarely clean, immaculate or linear. Struggle and labels of failure marked his childhood; his early career moved fast but was preceded by vulnerability; his personal life included addiction, mistakes, and estrangement. The lesson: the arcs of life include side-paths, detours, dark alleys—and survival, reflection and forward motion matter as much as smooth ascent.

2-The importance of self-knowledge and discipline. One of the threads in the memoir is Hopkins’ emphasis on rehearsal, memory, and craft. He describes how he memorized lines, studied roles, carried poetry in his mind, and disciplined himself. This isn’t just about acting; it’s about how one builds a life of meaning through effort. A takeaway: talent may launch you, but sustained living requires discipline, humility, and self-work.

3-The cost and possibility of connection. The memoir shows how family relations—father and son, father and daughter, husband and wife—can carry deep wounds. Hopkins writes candidly about the emotional reserve that shaped his family, about his own avoidance of connection for fear of being hurt. The lesson: our relationships matter, and they often cost us something—but facing that cost can open the chance for repair or at least reconciliation. 

4-Sobriety, change and legacy. Hopkins’ story of alcoholism and redemption is sobering (no pun intended). He describes a dramatic moment—drunk driving, facing mortality—that broke through the fog of denial.  The takeaway: sometimes life forces a reckoning; what matters afterwards is how you integrate that turning point into your life.

In closing: this memoir is a powerful reminder that even though one may “make it,” the real work lies in the quieter moments—self-reflection, relationships, day-to-day craft, and the reckoning with self. For anyone interested in creativity, ageing, personal transformation, or simply a life re-examined, We Did OK, Kid offers plenty of inspiration.

Well, there you go, my friends. That's life, I swear.

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