Two time Academy Award winner Sir Anthony Hopkins poses for photo with the cast of Awakening at the Wynn Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Fresh off their nightly performance, the cast and crew of “Awakening” at Wynn Las Vegas filed back onto the production’s grand circular stage Monday to pose for a picture with their newest audience member: Sir Anthony Hopkins.
The two-time Academy Award-winning actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs” and its sequels, could hardly seem to stand still as photographers captured the moment. He danced in front of the performers, earning hearty laughs from both them and many onlookers, who recorded the interaction on their phones.
“Thank you,” he ultimately told members of “Awakening,” who beamed.
He had heard the show’s striking score and was shown some videos of the performance during his recording sessions, Hopkins said, but he still had no idea just how incredible “Awakening” really was.
“It was a mighty show,” Hopkins told the Sun when asked for his impression of Monday night’s performance. “It’s a vast piece of engineering and creativity. I’m just very honored to be part of it.”
“Awakening,” produced by Michael Curry, Baz Halpin and Bernie Yuman, follows the story of red-headed IO as she travels through a slew of magical and mysterious realms to reconcile darkness and light and return the world to order.
The production, marked by impressive set pieces and massive puppets, also sets itself apart from other shows in Las Vegas by its distinctive soundtrack, stunning costumes and various disciplines of dance, said Datus Puryear, who plays the role of Light.
“How often do you get Anthony Hopkins to voice your show?” Puryear added.
It was cool for the rest of the cast and crew to not only know that Hopkins was in the audience Monday, but that he ultimately enjoyed the performance, as well, said Puryear, who called Hopkins “the cast member.”
“It was pretty surreal,” Puryear told the Sun. “It feels like a full-circle moment.”
Hopkins’ stop in Las Vegas comes at a busy time for the decorated actor, who said he had multiple movie releases on the horizon — including “Freud’s Last Session,” in which he plays the titular role of historic doctor Sigmund Freud, and “One Life.”
The latter tells the story of a British humanitarian who helped save hundreds of children from the Nazis on the eve of World War II, according to IMDB. The film is to be released early next year.
“They keep me busy — keep me off the streets,” Hopkins joked, regarding the various projects he’s been a part of through the years.
In all seriousness, Hopkins said he’s fortunate and “can’t explain” the trajectory of his life, which somehow took him all the way from his native Wales to the Wynn in Las Vegas — a city he said he’s always loved.
“I feel like Frank Sinatra,” he quipped.
After the theater had emptied Monday night and Hopkins and his fellow “Awakening” cast members gathered on the stage for their photo, he could be seen fist bumping the performers, and asking them about themselves or where they were from.
“It was a great honor,” he told the Sun of his role in “Awakening.” “I never thought I’d end up in Las Vegas.”
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