Anthony Hopkins dismisses wife's "diagnosis"

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04 Nov 2025, 5:29 am

There seems to be some confusion here
From 2017
Westworld' star Anthony Hopkins explores consciousness - The Desert Sun

Quote:

Well, I’ve been diagnosed with Asperger’s, but I’m high end. A lot of people with Asperger’s are highly functional, but inconsistent. They have nervous ticks, nervous habits, inconsistently obsessive thinking. Some neurological people don’t agree, but my wife 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.

From 2021
Sir Anthony Hopkins ‘doesn’t believe in’ his Asperger’s diagnosis: ‘Maybe I’m ignorant’

Quote:

Sir Anthony Hopkins has spoken about his Asperger’s diagnosis, sharing he ‘doesn’t believe in it’.

The 83-year-old Oscar-winning actor was told he has the developmental disorder – which is a form of autism – in his late 70s but insisted he doesn’t ‘feel any different’ and added his frustration that people are so quick to add labels to humans and their behaviour these days.

He told GQ magazine, as he scooped the legend award at this year’s Man Of The Year Awards, when asked how his diagnosis came about: ‘I think some doctor contacted me… I don’t know. I don’t, actually, I don’t believe in it. I don’t feel any different. I think these are dressed up. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m ignorant.

They call it neurodiversity. It’s a fancy label. I’m very focused in one way. I notice when I’m in restaurants, but that’s my behaviour.

“I think we’ve ruined the human system by tabulating everything.”

From 2025
Anthony Hopkins Says His Wife Thinks He May Have Autism — but He's 'Cynical' About Diagnoses: 'It’s All Nonsense

Quote:

Anthony Hopkins’ wife thinks he may have autism, but he says he’s not concerned with “labels.”

While speaking candidly about everything from his family history to his mental health in a new interview with The Sunday Times — published on Saturday, Nov. 1 — the Oscar winner, 87, revealed that his wife, Stella Arroyave, once suggested he has a neurodevelopmental disorder.

“I’m obsessed with numbers. I’m obsessed with detail. I like everything in order. And memorizing,” Hopkins told the British outlet. “Stella looked it up and she said, ‘You must be Asperger’s.’ ”

“I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about,” Hopkins said of his wife’s informal diagnosis. “I don’t even believe it.”

He did say he was diagnosed in the earlier interviews. I don't think there is any nefarious intent by Hopkins. From rereading the earlier interviews, it is apparent that this is not a topic he gives a lot of thought to, so it is understandable that his memory about how he was "diagnosed" has changed over time.

Also, from reading that first interview, It was his wife who was the instigator, and it was yours truly who missed that this was something he was not doing a deep dive on, and that when he said he was diagnosed might have meant by his wife because I was seeing what I wanted to see.

I don't know if he is or is not autistic. He is 87 and does not think he is autistic, so as far as I am concerned, he is allistic.

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Bunno
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04 Nov 2025, 7:09 am

Whether he is or not, he's a very successful and lauded man, the idea of him having what many term a disability might be quite difficult to reconcile. You know what the difference between madness and eccentricity yes?

Does it matter a great deal, to what end is a yes/no binary necessary or even possible?

BTDT
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04 Nov 2025, 7:44 am

Most people don't have time for a full evaluation to figure out what they have.

I found that I socialize easily if I present as female.
If I present as male it is like trying to buy something at a store when the cash registers are down!
Why can't they just take cash if they are in front of a cash register?

BillyTree
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05 Nov 2025, 12:26 pm

I follow him on Instagram, where I can watch him dancing around, singing and laughing in his home. It looks like a text book example of autistic stimming. He is a totally different person there to what he presents in public. There is no doubt in my mind that he is autistic.

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MrsPeel
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06 Nov 2025, 1:53 am

Yeah, he definitely seems like one of us, I always thought so.

I think his attitude is related to being an older generation before there was understanding of the autism spectrum, and because he has achieved success in his life, it doesn't bother him now to be the weirdo. He is in the fortunate position of not needing the label to be allowed to be himself.

ASPartOfMe
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06 Nov 2025, 9:57 am

In general since I have not lived their lives I give more credence to peoples view of their own neurology over mine. That Hopkins is 87 with such a distinguished career furthers my conviction not to disagree with him.

BillyTree
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06 Nov 2025, 4:09 pm

What I hear is an old man babbling. To me it doesn't sound like he's denying being autistic, but that he doesn't believe in putting such labels on people and that his diagnosis isn't a big deal.

“I’m obsessed with numbers. I’m obsessed with detail. I like everything in order. And memorizing”

“It’s just being a human being, full of tangled webs and mysteries and stuff that’s in us. Full of warts and grime and craziness, it’s the human condition. All these labels. I mean, who cares? But now it’s fashion.”

“Well, I guess I’m cynical because it’s all nonsense. It’s all rubbish. ADHD, OCD, Asperger’s, blah, blah, blah. Oh God, it’s called living.”

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06 Nov 2025, 4:38 pm

if I were in his shoes and my significent other started blabbing about my being neuro diverse. Would immediately consult a attorney , And rewrite my will .So any assets I had would not be available to her under any circumstances
other than my Soc. Security . As a just incase, she has something else up her sleeve. It would be nobodies business but
Anthoney Hopkins , if he wished to share such information . And if his wife , making this info public . I would not expect that to be in his best interest . It is between him and hisself . And if he wished his wife to be aware. But would not expect her to be public about it in any way .

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lostonearth35
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07 Nov 2025, 11:21 am

I thought Asperger's was no longer an acceptable name. People associate it with Nazism and autism supremacy.

But then again what's acceptable now will likely not be in the near future. I heard that it's no longer even PC to say "homeless person".

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08 Nov 2025, 2:54 am

Jakki wrote:

Oh, I'm not sure it was like that. I think Hopkins himself was the one who went public about it. It was his wife noticed it in him and suggested it to him, that's all. At first he said he had Aspergers but over time he has stepped away from the label a bit.

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08 Nov 2025, 12:53 pm

MrsPeel wrote:

Jakki wrote:

Well Thank you ,And I hope very much , you are right about that .! Could use anything that suggests my faith in humans could be helped . :roll:

. But being in the USA and being subject to mass media here, under control of Pres. Rumpy and his buddies , it might be awhile.

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08 Nov 2025, 2:38 pm

MrsPeel wrote:

Jakki wrote:

I think you are absolutly right about that. Anthony himself is the only one mentioning this in public.

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09 Nov 2025, 7:44 am

Anthony Hopkins sparks backlash over ADHD and autism remarks

Quote:

Sir Anthony Hopkins has come under fire from mental health and neurodiversity advocates after dismissing conditions such as ADHD, OCD and Asperger’s as “nonsense”.

The Welsh-born actor, 86, made the comments during a recent interview, saying he believed society was overusing medical labels to describe normal aspects of human behaviour.

His remarks have sparked anger among ADHD and autism charities, who say they risk perpetuating stigma and misunderstanding around genuine neurological conditions.

A spokesperson for the ADHD Foundation said in a statement: “While Sir Anthony is entitled to his views, dismissing ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions as ‘fashionable’ is deeply unhelpful. These are lifelong differences in brain wiring, not trends. Comments like these can discourage people from seeking support or diagnosis.”

Autism charity Ambitious About Autism also urged caution, noting that Asperger’s syndrome — one of the conditions Hopkins mentioned — is no longer used as a diagnostic term, having been incorporated under the broader umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The change followed both clinical evidence showing overlap between the two and the discovery of Hans Asperger’s links to Nazi-era eugenics programmes.

Children’s author Nikki Saunders, creator of the BAFTA-nominated TV and book series Ready Eddie Go! — which helps neurodivergent children navigate everyday life — told the Standard: “It’s natural to fear what we don’t understand. This is why so many of us advocate for our children and autistic adults. However, a diagnosis is important. It helps the individual understand their brain and their individual needs.

“Late diagnosed neurodivergent adults have often spent years forcing themselves into systems whilst blaming themselves for struggling to fit into neurotypical expectations.

“A diagnosis helps others understand them better, before resorting to calling neurodivergent people lazy or other harmful names.

“If you are diabetic or epileptic, this describes an important medical need — it is not a label.

“My children are autistic; they are their name, strengths, character and interests before anything else”.

“As one autistic person once told me: ‘A diagnosis is not a label. Labels are for jam jars.’”

Hopkins, who has previously suggested he may himself be neurodivergent, has spoken about feeling “angry for no reason” and “putting on a mask every morning”. He has said he was encouraged to see a psychiatrist but remains sceptical about formal diagnoses.

The Silence of the Lambs star — who won his second Oscar in 2021 for The Father — has also been candid about his past struggles with alcohol.

As Mr. Peel and Billy Tree said his attitude is reflexive of his generation and mine also but his to greater degree. Is not what he is saying about autistic traits that they should be seen as part of the human condition exactly what the neurodiversity movement advocates for? The problem is that they are not seen as part of the human condition leading to discrimination, ableism etc. so for now a label is needed for many to deal with internalized ableism and to advocate against discrimination.

As for these advocacy organizations calling him out on this the thing about advocacy is you have to pick your battles. I don’t think going after an iconic 87 year old is the right battle to pick.

MrsPeel wrote:

I think Hopkins himself was the one who went public about it. It was his wife noticed it in him and suggested it to him, that's all. At first he said he had Aspergers but over time he has stepped away from the label a bit.

Being the OP for the thread where he first mentioned it, that is how it played out.

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 09 Nov 2025, 8:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

vanaprastha
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09 Nov 2025, 8:24 am

With all due respect to Sir Anthony, who care what he thinks? He's just a person like everyone else. When did we make the opinions of celebrities so important? (looking at you Jenny McCarthy).

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09 Nov 2025, 8:28 am

It is clear to me that he hasn't been helped by a "diagnosis."
People assume that because he is successful he is smart enough to know all the right things to say about autism.

Which is the big issue with autism. You are smart on some stuff and stupid on others. And nothing will fix that.

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09 Nov 2025, 8:50 am

vanaprastha wrote:

With all due respect to Sir Anthony, who care what he thinks? He's just a person like everyone else. When did we make the opinions of celebrities so important? (looking at you Jenny McCarthy).

In a perfect world that is how it should be. In a perfect world this section would not be needed. We don’t live in that world. Struggling autistics sometimes do need to see successful open autistics. Many NT’s do take their cues from celebrities. Jenny McCarthy a mother of an autistic child did have an easy to understand “answer” for other parents that were struggling with their autistic children. Despite all the attempts by the mainstream media to debunk the anti vaxx movement and put in the past it grew. We probably would not be dealing with RFK Jr. now without Generation Rescue’s anti vaxx and pro quack treatments advocacy.

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