Anthony Hopkins celebrates 45 years of sobriety

Anthony Hopkins celebrated 45 years of sobriety on Tuesday, urging others to “keep fighting” amid the pandemic in a brief video he published on his social media accounts.

“Forty-five years ago today, I had a wake-up call. I was heading for disaster drinking myself to death,” Hopkins, 82, said. “I got message, a little thought that said: Do you want to live or die? And I said, I want to live.”

The distinguished Welsh-born actor said he has moments of doubt but that life has been “amazing” since he weaned himself off the bottle.

“It’s been a tough year full of grief and sadness for many, many, many people,” Hopkins said in the one-minute video. But he urged people not to give up hope.

“Happy New Year,” Hopkins said. “This is going to be the best year.”