A mansion on the west side of Santa Monica Beach in California welcomed two special visitors in the evening.

The temperature difference here is very large, the sun has just sunk in the west, and the outdoor temperature has plummeted from more than 20 degrees at noon to only a dozen degrees, Kate only wore a thin knitted jacket today, and immediately felt a little cold after getting out of the car.

Fortunately, the host did not mean to refuse the guest, and after Jude rang the doorbell, the big iron door in front of the two slowly opened.

Jude drove the car straight into the courtyard, and Kate met the owner first, led by a black man who looked like a butler.

"Mr. Hopkins, it's an honor to have your hospitality."

"It's also an honor for me to meet two such young elites in the entertainment industry."

Standing at the door of the mansion and shaking Kate's hand was a mild-mannered middle-aged man, with short brown hair meticulously combed behind his head, and dark blue eyes that stood out in the hazy night.

Long-term acting honing has made Anthony Hopkins not only known for his complex character, but also for his elegant, formal, and polite middle-class performance, or in real life he is such a person.

Jude parked the car and walked over and shook Kate's hand.

"The world is changing so fast, I'm still a silly kid at Director Locke's age now, and Director Rock is already the director of two films. By the way, I heard about the movie "Two Big Smoking Guns" a long time ago, and I went to the cinema to watch it when I was in the UK two days ago, and the plot structure is very clever, and the dialogues in it are really interesting, and next time Director Locke makes such an interesting movie, he must bring me. ”

Hopkins sighed and warmly invited the two into the house, and the spacious dining table was already full of all kinds of food.

Jude and Kate both handed their coats to each other's butlers and sat down together at the table.

After laying out the napkin, Jude raised his glass and greeted the host, saying, "The next time Mr. Hopkins is to star in a movie like 'The Silence of the Lambs,' I'd really like to have my name on the director's column." ”

Hopkins raised his glass and smiled faintly: "I'm glad that Director Locke likes 'The Silence of the Lambs,' but it doesn't seem like a good occasion to mention that movie right now." ”

"Sorry for my mistake!" Jude put down his glass and immediately changed the subject: "I don't know how Mr. Hopkins thought about the script I sent me last time?" ”

Hopkins stopped the knife and fork in his hand, wiped his mouth with a napkin and said: "A very interesting crime story, I believe that in the hands of Director Locke, its shine will definitely not be weaker than "Two Smoking Guns". ”

It was full of praise and praise, but it cleverly avoided the part that Jude wanted to know the most.

Seeing that Hopkins refused to answer Jude's question head-on, Kate immediately picked up the topic and said: "Recently, I was taking an acting class, using Mr. Hopkins and Jodie Foster's supporting role in "The Silence of the Lambs" as a teaching material, and I have always been very curious about how you did it. The imagination of a personable psychology professor is shaped so successfully. I'm going to play a role in The Seven Deadly Sins next, and I'm a little worried about how to portray my character, and it would be nice to have Mr. Hopkins on the spot. ”

Hopkins held the goblet in front of him and replied with a smile: "I'm also looking forward to working with Miss Beckinsale, but I'm not sure whether to join the crew of "The Seven Deadly Sins" yet, of course, the reason for the hesitation has nothing to do with the sincerity of Director Locke and the entire crew, the script, the characters, etc., mainly because of my personal problems. ”

Both Jude and Kate had curious expressions on their faces, but they didn't interrupt Hopkins just out of politeness.

"When I was at the door just now, I asked Director Locke if he would remember to bring me next time he made a movie like "Two Smoking Guns", and your reaction at that time was the same as I was just now, very polite, but there was no substantive answer, here I want to ask Director Locke very seriously, are you sure you will make another movie like "Two Smoking Guns"?"

Under Hopkins' gaze, Jude realized that he had no chance of lying, so he shook his head.

"Actually, I knew this would be the result for a long time, because from the very beginning I found out that Director Locke and I are the same kind of people, or any aspiring director and actor in Hollywood, we hate repetition, and we hate to be stereotyped, so Director Locke, you will no longer want to make a movie similar to "Two Smoking Guns", and I don't want to repeat a similar role to "The Silence of the Lambs."

Hopkins uses Jude as an example, making it difficult for Jude to organize the language of rebuttal unless he first disproves himself.

"I can understand Mr. Hopkins' feelings, but I don't quite agree with some of your views. There may be two reasons for the reluctance to repeat, one is that we have a higher pursuit, and the other is that we think that there is no way to break through in the same genre. I admit that Hannibal is one of the most successful characters in the history of cinema, but if I say that this character is the most successful character that Mr. Hopkins has created in his life, you will definitely not think that this is a compliment, and if you deliberately avoid the same type of role because of this, it is equivalent to rejecting the possibility of making another breakthrough in your acting skills. ”

"What about you, Director Locke? How do you convince yourself? Hopkins asked quietly and rhetorically.

"I don't want to repeat it because I've done my best in every film, so I want to try a new challenge, doesn't Mr. Hopkins think so? It seems to you that the serial killer in "The Seven Deadly Sins" is no different from Hannibal in "The Silence of the Lambs", but in fact, the killer in "The Seven Deadly Sins" does not kill because of bloodlust, he relies on powerful theoretical creeds and delusions to carry out his self-righteous trials and sermons to achieve the goal of salvation, which is the most terrifying. Maybe he doesn't usually kill a chicken, but he can do gruesome murders on people once he finds a basis for it, so in a way, I think the character is more complex than Hannibal because he has two sides, and it's definitely a huge challenge for the actors, doesn't Mr. Hopkins want to give it a try? ”

There was a brief silence at the table, and Hopkins took a piece of steak into his mouth and chewed it twice, but he couldn't taste the usual taste.

"Director Locke has always emphasized the difference between 'Seven Deadly Sins' and 'The Silence of the Lambs,' but didn't you think of asking me to play the serial killer in 'The Seven Deadly Sins' because of the movie 'The Silence of the Lambs'?"

"I was certainly inspired by the movie 'The Silence of the Lambs,' but I was interested in Mr. Hopkins' acting rather than the fame you gained for starring in 'The Silence of the Lambs.'"

Jude swore a promise, but Hopkins held a wine glass and joked: "Every director who comes to me to film promises like this, how can Director Locke prove that his statement is true?" ”

Jude had to add another clause to his promise: "The crew will not announce the news of Mr. Hopkins' joining, and Mr. Hopkins' name will not appear in the pre-release film promotion, so Mr. Hopkins should believe in my sincerity, right?" ”