Joshua Bennett
Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce are both actors who starred in the film The Two Popes, directed by Fernando Meirelles. The film is about the Catholic Church and revolves around Pope Benedict XVI (played by Anthony Hopkins) and his successor, Pope Francis (played by Jonathan Pryce). While Anthony Hopkins was born to an atheist father and an agnostic mother, Jonathan Pryce has expressed his admiration for Pope Francis, although he is not Catholic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Portrayed Pope Benedict XVI in The Two Popes | Anthony Hopkins |
| Portrayed Pope Francis in The Two Popes | Jonathan Pryce |
| Nationality | Both are Welsh |
| Spirituality | Hopkins has described spirituality as a complicated matter for him |
| Pryce has expressed admiration for Pope Francis | |
| Hopkins is not Catholic |
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What You'll Learn
Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce's religious upbringings
In an interview with the Catholic Herald, Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce discussed their experiences filming "The Two Popes" and their own spiritual upbringings.
Jonathan Pryce was born and raised in Carmel, a village near Holywell in North Wales. He reveals that Catholicism has been "at least a tangential part of his life" since he was a boy. Pryce's physical resemblance to Pope Francis, whom he portrays in the film, is uncanny. Pryce admits that people have been commenting on the likeness since Pope Francis became Pope, and images of the two of them together have been circulating on the internet.
On the other hand, Anthony Hopkins reveals that spirituality has always been a complicated matter for him. He did not grow up with religion, as his father was an atheist and his mother was agnostic. However, he would often visit churches as an adult, especially when he was "in bad shape." Hopkins recalls a time when he spoke to a priest about becoming a Catholic. The priest, who was also a psychiatrist, asked him why he wanted to become a Catholic, and when Hopkins replied that he didn't know, the priest advised him not to convert. Hopkins reflects on this experience, stating that one can't just become a Catholic, and that there's more to it than that.
Despite their differing upbringings, both Hopkins and Pryce agree that their hope for "The Two Popes" is that it will provide entertainment and food for thought. Pryce expresses his desire for people to walk out of the film feeling better, not only about themselves but also about their fellow man.
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The Two Popes and its critical reception
The Two Popes is a 2019 biographical drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten. The film is adapted from McCarten's play, The Pope, and premiered at the Royal & Derngate Theatre in 2019. The Two Popes stars Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who later becomes Pope Francis. The film is predominantly set in Vatican City and explores the relationship between the two pontiffs, who disagreed on almost everything, and imagines conversations between them.
The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the two leads and McCarten's screenplay. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 89% based on 229 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critics' consensus describes the film as " [l]ed by outstanding performances from its well-matched leads [and] draw [ing] absorbing drama from a pivotal moment in modern organized religion". Similarly, Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, indicating "generally favourable reviews". The performances of Pryce and Hopkins, as well as McCarten's screenplay, received high praise from critics, and all three received nominations for their work at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and British Academy Film Awards.
Despite the positive reviews, some critics pointed out inaccuracies in the film. For example, there are scenes in which the two namesake characters watch TV together, whereas, in reality, Pope Francis had claimed not to have watched any television broadcast since the 1990s. Additionally, the relationship between the two popes has been described as less smooth in reality than in the film.
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Jonathan Pryce's portrayal of Pope Francis
In the 2019 Netflix film "The Two Popes", Jonathan Pryce portrays Pope Francis, alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins, who plays Pope Benedict XVI. The film is a fictionalised account of a meeting between the two pontiffs, who disagreed on almost everything, towards the end of Pope Benedict's tenure. Pryce's performance received critical acclaim, with Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter praising his chemistry with Hopkins, and writing that Pryce "matches him in subtlety as well as charismatic force". Pryce received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the film.
Pryce, who bears a striking resemblance to Pope Francis, plays Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who would eventually succeed Pope Benedict as Pope. The film explores the friendship between the two religious leaders around the time the papacy transferred to Francis, who has been the head of the Catholic Church since 2013. Pryce's portrayal of Pope Francis gives the Argentine Jesuit a folksy touch. The film depicts Bergoglio talking to gardeners, watching soccer, and telling corny jokes. In an interview with CNN, Pryce revealed that he watched a lot of videos on YouTube to get a sense of Pope Francis's mannerisms and soft voice. He also drew parallels between Pope Francis and his character in "Game of Thrones", the High Sparrow, who washes people's feet and blesses the poor.
Pryce has described the emotional moment when the film was screened at the Vatican. Pryce said that a cardinal asked for a DVD of the film to show to Pope Francis, as he was convinced that the Pope would enjoy it. Pryce said that this felt like a seal of approval from the Church. While it is not known if the Pope has seen the film, Pryce expressed his hope that the Pope would like it, saying that he respected him greatly. He also noted that he did not play any jokes on set while wearing a cardinal's or Pope's garb, as he did not want to display any disrespect.
"The Two Popes" also briefly deals with the abuse that has rocked the Catholic Church, with Pryce noting that "the film, if it is about anything, it is about forgiveness". The film showcases the differences between the two religious leaders, with Pope Benedict portrayed as a conservative, while Pope Francis is shown to be popular as a cardinal.
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Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Pope Benedict
In the 2019 biographical drama film "The Two Popes", Anthony Hopkins portrays Pope Benedict XVI, alongside Jonathan Pryce, who plays Pope Francis. The film, directed by Fernando Meirelles, is a fictionalised account of a meeting between the two pontiffs, who disagreed on almost everything, towards the end of Pope Benedict's tenure. Hopkins' character is depicted as ageing, stooped, and crotchety, in contrast to Pryce's lanky and laid-back portrayal of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who would later become Pope Francis.
The film is predominantly set in Vatican City and explores the friendship and ideological differences between the two religious leaders. It centres around their theological debates on the future of 21st-century organised religion, with Pope Benedict characterised as a rigid and uncompromising leader advocating a return to principles. The film also briefly addresses the abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church.
One notable scene involves a confession by Pope Benedict to Cardinal Bergoglio, in which he mentions Marcial Maciel before the audio fades out. This scene has been criticised for implying that it was Benedict who allowed Maciel to remain a leader in the Church despite knowledge of his predatory behaviour. However, it was during the papacy of Pope John Paul II that efforts to investigate Maciel were frustrated, and it was Benedict who ultimately removed him.
The relationship between the two popes in the film has been described as smoother than in real life. In reality, Pope Benedict released a letter in 2019 blaming the clergy sex abuse scandal on liberal theological ideas within the Church, which was seen as undercutting the authority of Pope Francis.
Despite the historical inaccuracies, Hopkins' performance has been praised by critics, with both he and Pryce receiving nominations for their work at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and British Academy Film Awards.
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Anthony Hopkins' and Jonathan Pryce's thoughts on spirituality
In an interview with the Catholic Herald, Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce shared their thoughts on spirituality while discussing their film "The Two Popes".
Anthony Hopkins on Spirituality
Sir Anthony Hopkins has had a complicated relationship with spirituality and religion. He shared that he did not grow up with religion as his father was an atheist and his mother was agnostic. However, he would visit churches as an adult and even considered becoming a Catholic at one point. Hopkins has described himself as an atheist and an agnostic in the past, but his perspective shifted around the age of 40 when he sought help for his alcoholism. He recalled a woman at an AA meeting suggesting he "trust in God," which led to a significant change in his life as his desire to drink was taken away. Since then, he has held fast to his faith. Hopkins identifies as a Christian and believes in God, but his concept of God is not necessarily aligned with the traditional Christian interpretation. He has been described as a God-fearing pantheist with some Catholic and agnostic tendencies. Hopkins finds spiritual fulfilment in places like St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, where he goes to meditate and appreciate the sense of spirituality.
Jonathan Pryce on Spirituality
Jonathan Pryce, who played Pope Francis in "The Two Popes," was raised as a Welsh Presbyterian and attended chapel and Sunday School regularly during his childhood. However, like many young people, he drifted away from organised religion in his teenage years. Pryce shared that he is still unsure about his religious beliefs and doesn't consider himself a confident atheist. He finds spirituality in relationships with people rather than organised religion. Pryce expressed that he used to think he would find religion as he grew older, but even in his eighth decade of life, he admits that he "still hasn't found religion." However, he remains open to spiritual experiences, as evidenced by his statement before filming "The Two Popes": "I'm not religious, but I fully expect to be by the end of this film!". Pryce's experience of being blessed by a Jesuit priest during the filming of the movie moved him spiritually.
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Frequently asked questions
Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins are not Catholic. However, they have both portrayed Catholic figures in the film 'The Two Popes'.
Anthony Hopkins played Pope Benedict XVI, while Jonathan Pryce played Pope Francis, also known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
'The Two Popes' is a film that explores the friendship between Pope Francis and Pope Benedict during the transition of the papacy to Francis. It is a dramatization of a 2012 meeting between the two Catholic figures, who disagree on most things.
