Sir Anthony Hopkins gives a spontaneous piano performance in empty hotel lobby: 'Perfect venue'

Sir Anthony Hopkins has graced the big screens as some of the most notable characters like Hannibal Lecter and Odin but cinephiles might not be aware of his talent as a music composer and expert pianist. So when the two-time Oscar-winning actor was spotted at an empty hotel lobby playing the piano, a small crowd gathered on the spot and millions of his Instagram followers were left stunned as well.

The 85-year-old Hopkins captioned the brief video on his Instagram profile as follows: "Tuesday tunes. When an empty hotel lobby is the perfect venue." The hotel's name was not disclosed in the video but the tune he played sounded similar to his NFT track "Eternal," per Daily Mail. As he continued his exclusive performance a bunch of hotel staff clad in black became his live audience and applauded when he finished playing the Alfonsi piano.

The piano he was playing on was a relatively smaller piece compared to the Bösendorfer grand piano Hopkins reportedly owns at his Pacific Palisades home. Hopkin's lesser-known talent of being a musician actually has a story behind it. The "Thor" actor's mother wanted him to become a concert pianist but Hopkins ended up prioritizing his acting career instead. However, the pandemic lockdown gave fans a few glimpses into the musical side of the actor's life as he uploaded a bunch of videos serenading his late gray tabby cat Niblo on his grand piano.

"She, of course, wanted me to be a concert pianist, and I had different plans," the veteran star told NPR in 2012. "I just wanted to be a composer; I became an actor by default, really. I got a scholarship to a college of music and drama, hoping to take a scholarship in music. But I ended up as an acting student, so I've stuck with that for the last 50-odd years." Hopkins released his first single in 1986, titled "Distant Star." 

The single peaked at No. 75 in the UK Singles Chart that year. He also released an album full of classical music in 2012 which he called "Composer." The multi-talented star also contributed his composing skills to film and TV shows like "Elyse" (2020), "André Rieu in André Rieu: Wien, du Stadt Meiner Träume" (2011), "Slipstream" (2007), "August" (1996) and "Dylan Thomas: Return Journey" (1990).

The "Amistad" actor's Instagram comment section was flooded with wholesome comments from fellow celebrities and fans. @laughingbesideyou joked: "Imagine walking into your hotel and Sir Anthony Hopkins is just playing the piano." @cecilialsalinas wrote: "My dream is to walk into an empty hotel lobby and have Sir Anthony Hopkins playing piano." @_ugly_pineapple commented: "That was beautiful, Mr. Hopkins. Thank you. It is always a pleasure to see you still having fun with so many things, whilst others sadly seem to have lost a certain passion. It is, in fact, very inspiring. Thank you, once again, and have a nice day."

Pianist Eric Christian and actor Jeff Goldblum's wife Emilie left some words of appreciation for Hopkins too with Christian calling him a "maestro." However, we wouldn't have had the privilege to witness the many talents of Hopkins on social media if Mark Wahlberg had not introduced him to it back in 2016. In one of his older Instagram videos alongside Wahlberg, the veteran star wrote: "Thank you @markwahlberg for introducing me to social media in October of 2016. The outpour of love and generosity has been astonishing. With gratitude."

Ever since then, Hopkins has been active on his social profiles where he alternates between posting classy photos and videos along with displaying the goofy side of his personality without hesitation. Sometimes he can be seen playing the ukulele, dancing or following through the latest trends on social media. The actor will be starring in Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon" where he voices a sentient robot named Jimmy and the film is set to release later in 2023.