Anthony Hopkins Reveals Nightmare Co-Star Experience on The Girl from Petrovka

In a candid interview from the 1970s, Anthony Hopkins shared his thoughts on what distinguishes professional actors from those who do not take their craft seriously.

These comments were made during his time working on The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and later referenced in retrospectives of his career, including mentions of his film The Girl from Petrovka.

At this stage in his career, Hopkins was still emerging in the film industry but was already influenced by a rigorous theatre background. He stressed the importance of preparation, discipline, and consistency in acting, asserting that the method used is irrelevant as long as the work is well-prepared.

He articulated his perspective clearly, stating, “What I’m speaking about is discipline. It always comes back to that. I don’t care how you get prepared, even if it’s standing on your head in the morning, as long as you’re prepared. The most pure thing that an actor can do is be prepared. Acting is basically a craft, and an actor has to know his craft.”

His frustrations became more pronounced when discussing the working conditions on The Girl from Petrovka, a 1974 film directed by Robert Ellis Miller. The movie featured Hal Holbrook and Goldie Hawn, telling the story of an American journalist in the Soviet Union who becomes involved with a Russian ballerina portrayed by Hawn.

The production received mixed reviews, with critics often highlighting its tonal inconsistencies and the lack of chemistry between the lead actors.

Hopkins pointed to the film as an example of what he perceived as unprofessionalism in parts of the industry. He noted that Hawn sometimes arrived late to the set and was not adequately prepared.

In the same interview, he remarked, “Any actor who doesn’t and gets paid an enormous amount of money like Goldie Hawn did when I was working with her on The Girl from Petrovka, and who, like Miss Hawn, came to the set two hours late and doesn’t know her lines, shouldn’t have the job. If I had been the director, I would have just said, ‘Screw it, off the set,’ and gotten another actress.”

At that time, Hawn was already an emerging star in Hollywood, celebrated for her breakout role on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and her Oscar-winning performance in Cactus Flower. Her acting style was notably more instinctive and relaxed compared to Hopkins’ disciplined, theatre-trained approach.

While Hopkins criticized this method, audiences and critics had already embraced Hawn’s charm and comedic timing, which played a significant role in shaping her early career.

The Girl from Petrovka is often regarded as a modest entry in both actors’ filmographies rather than a major success. It did not garner strong critical acclaim and is seldom highlighted among the notable romantic dramas of the 1970s. Reviews from that time were generally mixed, praising its premise while criticizing its execution and uneven tone.

Hopkins later reflected that his perspective stemmed from a strong belief in professionalism, particularly in an industry where he felt that preparation significantly influenced the quality of the final performance. He also noted a broader divide in Hollywood during that time, where stage-trained actors often found themselves at odds with performers from television or comedy backgrounds who employed a more instinctive style.

Despite the tensions described in the interview, both Hopkins and Hawn went on to enjoy long and successful careers, each becoming respected figures in their respective styles of performance.

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