We Did Ok, Kid

A Memoir

By: Anthony Hopkins

Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh, Anthony Hopkins

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Academy Award–winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins delves into his illustrious film and theater career, difficult childhood, and path to sobriety in his honest, moving, and long-awaited memoir.

Born and raised in Port Talbot—a small Welsh steelworks town—amid war and depression, Sir Anthony Hopkins grew up around men who were tough, to say the least, and eschewed all forms of emotional vulnerability in favor of alcoholism and brutality. A struggling student in school, he was deemed by his peers, his parents, and other adults as a failure with no future ahead of him. But, on a fateful Saturday night, the disregarded Welsh boy watched the 1948 adaptation of Hamlet, sparking a passion for acting that would lead him on a path that no one could have predicted.

With candor and a voice that is both arresting and vulnerable, Sir Anthony recounts his various career milestones and provides a once-in-a-lifetime look into the brilliance behind some of his most iconic roles. His performance as Iago gets him admitted into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and places him under the wing of Laurence Olivier. He meets Richard Burton by chance as a young boy in his art teacher’s apartment, and later, backstage before a performance of Equus as an established actor meeting his hero. His iconic portrayal of Hannibal Lecter was informed by the creepy performance of Bela Lugosi in Dracula and the razor-sharp precision of his acting teacher. He pulls raw emotion from the stoicism of his father and grandfather for an unforgettable performance in King Lear.

Sir Anthony also takes a deeply honest look at the low points in his personal life. His addiction cost him his first marriage, his relationship with his only child, and nearly his life—the latter ultimately propelling him toward sobriety, a commitment he has maintained for nearly half a century. He constantly battles against the desire to move through life alone and avoid connection for fear of getting hurt—much like the men in his family—and as the years go by, he deals with questions of mortality, getting ready to discover what his father called The Big Secret.

Featuring a special collection of personal photographs throughout, We Did OK, Kid is a raw and passionate memoir from a complex, iconic man who has inspired audiences with remarkable performances for over sixty years.

Opening with music composed by the author, and narrated by Academy Award winner Sir Kenneth Branagh, the audiobook concludes with Sir Anthony performing a selection of his and his father’s favorite poems.

Spectacular. Moving. Heartwarming. Sublime.

I listened to this phenomenal story while walking in the Sonoran desert in Tucson. I was so moved by Anthony Hopkins and his life and his recovery from alcoholism and his finding the theater. There was magic. There was spirituality. Kenneth was amazing and truly delightful with his impressions and his readings and Anthony Hopkins’ poetry at the end was the cherry at the top of the ice cream cone. I never wanted the book to end. I will be forever grateful for this incredible opportunity to have a window into your blessed life. Thank you, Mr. Hopkins.

His brilliance.

His life is poem just as it is written. Sir Anthony Hopkins is an artist of the elite of the elite,

The narration

I love Tony, this book changed my life.
I will listen to it more and more.

Honesty and Autism

I myself kept to myself growing up. I also was told I am on the spectrum. Anthony’s truths are riveting.

Like Listening To My Grandfather

This book was unapologetically authentic, made me laugh, made me cry, and brought me back to stories of my grandfather and father who have long since passed. As someone a young person who can relate to loss, the open dialogue regarding life's big secret, and the preparation to walk behind the veil gave me comfort and peace I was unaware I needed. The voice actor that narrated the book was incredible and kept me hooked into the world so expertly described. The poetry reading by Sir Hopkins in the end was undoubtedly a welcomed surprise. I am grateful to the introduction to poetry that I had not heard before.