One of Britain's most celebrated actors, Sir Anthony Hopkins, has opened up about the profound pain of his 25-year estrangement from his only child, daughter Abigail Hopkins, revealing that his attempts at reconciliation have gone unanswered even as she battled a serious health crisis alone.
The Cancer Battle Fought Without Her Father
Abigail Hopkins was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer and faced her health battle without any support from her famous father. The 57-year-old underwent a gruelling treatment regimen that included radiotherapy, low anterior resection surgery, and a 12-week course of chemotherapy.
Throughout her draining 18-month cancer journey, which began before her diagnosis and lasted until she went into remission in June 2022, Sir Anthony was 8,000 miles away in California. Abigail documented her experience through intimate Instagram posts, sharing selfies from hospital gowns that showed the physical and mental toll of her treatment.
After receiving the good news about her remission, Abigail wrote on her personal website: 'I owe my life to my medical team, to the NHS, my loved ones and friends who supported me. Without them all I would not be here to share my story with you!' The phrasing notably excluded any mention of her father, who wasn't part of her support network during this challenging period.
A Relationship Fractured Since Childhood
The roots of their estrangement trace back to Abigail's early childhood. Sir Anthony abandoned the family when Abigail was just 14 months old, following the breakdown of his marriage to her mother, Petronella Barker. The couple had married in 1967, welcomed Abigail in 1968, but separated just 18 months later before formally divorcing in 1972.
In his new memoir, 'We Did Ok, Kid', the 87-year-old actor recalls the moment he left: 'I looked down at her and whispered goodbye. Then I walked back to the hall, picked up my suitcases, and left the house.' Although he provided financial support, he had no contact with Abigail during her early childhood years.
The four-time BAFTA winner describes this separation as 'the saddest fact of my life, and my greatest regret', though he maintains that staying would have been 'much worse for everyone'.
Failed Attempts at Reconciliation
Sir Anthony tried to reconnect when Abigail was nine, but the interaction was awkward. Another attempt later also fell flat, with his daughter remaining distant. Their relationship improved temporarily during Abigail's acting career, when Hopkins helped her secure small roles in films like Shadowlands and Remains of the Day in 1993.
However, their tenuous contact collapsed completely in the early 2000s and never recovered. A particularly low point came in 2018 when Sir Anthony told the Radio Times about potentially becoming a grandfather: '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.'
In his memoir, he now expresses regret for these comments, saying he has 'no excuse' for them and attributing them to 'the coldness of my grandfather coming out'.
New Directions After Cancer
Abigail's cancer experience appears to have been transformative. She shelved acting and pursued an MA in Film Making, taking an eight-month study break during treatments before graduating with distinction in 2023. She produced an intimate short documentary about her cancer experience called Under This Sky, which won Best Documentary at the London Indie Film Festival.
She also wrote songs for a charity album called Stardust, with proceeds going to The Royal Marsden hospital that treated her. Abigail now lives in a £300,000 three-bed Victorian terraced house in St Leonards, Sussex, having moved to the seaside town popular with artistic communities.
Sir Anthony, who lives in Brentwood, California with his third wife Stella Arroyave, recently made another attempt at reconciliation. His wife sent an invitation to Abigail, but it went unanswered. The actor told the New York Times: 'Not a word of response. So I think, OK, fine. I wish her well, but I'm not going to waste blood over that.'
Despite the ongoing estrangement, Sir Anthony maintains that 'my door is always open' for reconciliation and expresses hope that his daughter knows he wants her to 'be well and happy'.
