Anthony Hopkins prepares to play a dementia sufferer in The Father. Photo / Getty Images
Actor Anthony Hopkins admits he is "at peace" with his inevitable death, describing life as a "terminal condition" which brings "tremendous freedom".
Hopkins, 82, spoke of this as he prepares to play a dementia sufferer in The Father set to be released in January.
The film will mark his 60-year career in the industry.
The Oscar-winning actor told the Mirror: "Your life is terminal. It's a terminal condition, you're not going to get off the planet alive.
"With that reality there's a tremendous freedom, a wonderful peacefulness about it."
The actor debuted his career in the 1960 series A Matter Of Degree before landing his most iconic role as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs in 1991.
In 2019, the actor played Pope Benedict XVI in the Netflix movie The Two Popes.
The movie received a Golden Globe, Academy Award and BAFTA nominations.
Like the rest of us, Hopkins was in isolation earlier this year.
He thanked his fans recently for their support after he reached his 10-day voluntary isolation in March.
He revealed in an Instagram video that he had been painting to help pass the time, showing off some impressive artwork in the process.
He said: "Hello everyone, well thank you for your generous compliments and well-wishes. As you see I'm in self-quarantine, I'm 82 years of age I've found lots of things to do.
"I've also been painting, these are my latest paintings, just for the fun of it. I'm afraid Niblo does not really approve of my work, I think he's probably a better painter than me."
Niblo is his cat.
The actor is married to Stella Arroyave, but shares a daughter, Abigail, with ex-wife Petronella Barker.
In 2018, Hopkins revealed he is estranged from his daughter and doesn't even know if he has grandchildren.
The Oscar winner told the Radio Times (via Metro), "I don't have any idea. People break up. Families split and, you know, 'Get on with your life.' People make choices. I don't care one way or the other."
The actor added, "[My answer] is cold. Because life is cold. Children don't like their fathers … you don't have to love each other … It's like John Osborne's response when someone said to him, 'Mr. Osborne, your play is so offensive,' and he said, 'Life is offensive.' "
Abigail and Hopkins reconciled briefly in the 1990s when she had small parts in Hopkins' films Shadowlands and The Remains of the Day, but reportedly haven't spoken much since.
Broadcaster has written a new book about the joys of getting older.