Anthony Hopkins Set To Take Emperor Role In Peacock's New Gladiator Series

Two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins has scored a new acting role and will step into a gladiatorial arena for his performance.

Since "Westworld," Hopkins has not had a significant television role in quite some time, but that's all about to change as he signed on to join the cast of "Those About To Die," a drama series that would be available on the NBC Universal streaming platform, Peacock.

Daniel Mannix's eponymous nonfiction book inspires the show and features an ensemble of characters from all parts of Roman society, colliding in sports, politics, and business. The "84 Charing Cross Road" actor would take on the role of Emperor Vespasian in the drama, which scored a straight-to-series order last summer.

His performance would portray the Roman Emperor and head of the Flavian bloodline, who claimed his throne after victory in a bloody ten-year civil war. However, as he ages, he is "despised by the Patricians jockeying for position in the Empire and looking to supplant his heirs to the throne the first chance they get."

Roland Emmerich, the director and executive producer for the series, is joined by AGC Studios to help bring the written vision of Oscar-nominated "Saving Private Ryan" writer Robert Rodarte.

According to the reports, Co-finance comes from High End Productions, the recently launched distribution and financing partnership between Herbert Kloiber Sr. and Constantin Entertainment, which has acquired distribution rights in Europe. AGC International represents the remaining worldwide rights and will shop the series in the US, as reported by DEADLINE.

As mentioned, Hopkins has won two Oscars during the span of his career. One was for "The Father" performance in 2020, while the other was for "Silence of the Lambs" in 1991. His nominated roles include "The Remains of the Day," "Nixon," "The Two Popes," and "Amistad."

Despite his catalog of accolades, the "Red Dragon" actor was at the center of one of the most bizarre Oscar nights in recent memory, as detailed by The Blast. The 84-year-old brought down the momentum of the show when he didn't come forth for his acceptance speech after the presenter, Joaquin Phoenix, announced him as the winner of best actor for stellar performance in "The Father."

Standing awkwardly on the stage, Phoenix had to cut the final credits, which left a bad taste in the mouth of viewers at home. Hopkins was reportedly asleep by the night's final award was announced. This statement is plausible as the presenter called upon him at about 4 am where he resides.

By the following day, Mr. Hopkins released a video from what looked like a golf course in his native Wales to serve as an acceptance speech for his award. In the video, the "Hannibal" actor conveyed he was surprised to win at his age but appreciated the consideration. Also, he took some time to honor fellow nominee Chadwick Boseman.

Winning an Oscar is every actor's dream; Hopkins has achieved that dream twice, but his first-time win made him lose his girlfriend. The Blast shared that the world-renowned baker Martha Stewart ended things because she did not want her brains eaten by the Lecter- A character Hopkins played in "The Silence of The Lambs." 

A year ago, Stewart appeared on an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and gave a rather amusing insight into the old relationship. DeGeneres is known for getting the tea out of her guests, so it was no surprise when she introduced a "Where's The Lie, Martha?" segment, where a clue read that Stewart broke off her romance with Hopkins because she could not stop seeing him as Hannibal Lecter.

The host assumed it was a lie, but the former stockbroker confirmed it was true. She recounted, "I have a big scary house in Maine that's way by itself on a hundred acres in the forest. I couldn't even imagine taking Anthony Hopkins there. All I could think of was him eating, you know…"