Anthony Hopkins Opens Up About Regret in New Memoir
Sir Anthony Hopkins shares his deepest regrets over years of estrangement from his daughter, Abigail, in his new memoir “We Did OK, Kid”, released on November 4, 2025. Now 87, the acclaimed actor reflects with painful honesty on family, alcoholism, and lost connection.
Reflections on Fatherhood and Mistakes
Hopkins, known for his uncompromising roles, applies the same candor to his personal life. He recounts how his struggle with alcohol led him to leave his first wife, Petronella Barker, and their infant daughter when Abigail was only 14 months old.
“Abigail never seemed able to forgive me for leaving the family when she was a baby.”
In the book, Hopkins calls himself “a cold fish,” admitting that his emotional distance came from old defense mechanisms. He accepts full responsibility for the pain he caused.
“I will always be sorry for hurting her when I left the family, even as I believe to this day that I had no choice.”
Brief Reconnection and Lingering Distance
Father and daughter reconnected for a short time in the 1990s, when Abigail appeared in his films Shadowlands and The Remains of the Day. However, their fragile bond faded again, leaving years of silence between them.
Facing the Past
Hopkins’s public reflections mark a rare moment of vulnerability from an actor long guarded about his private life. His memoir reads as a reckoning with his own emotional coldness and the consequences of choices made decades ago.
Author’s summary: Anthony Hopkins reveals painful self-awareness and lifelong regret over his estrangement from daughter Abigail, offering a candid look at love, loss, and accountability in his memoir.