Anthony Hopkins has reached the major milestone of 49 years of sobriety

Anthony Hopkins ends the year by celebrating a major milestone in his journey to sobriety.

“Good morning! Happy December 29th. The 29th? Why the 29th? Well, I quit (drinking) 49 years ago today,” the 86-year-old actor said, making a hand gesture for drinking on Sunday the 29th. Instagram video. “I was having so much fun, but then I realized I had a big, big problem because I couldn’t remember anything and I was driving my car drunk out of my head.”

Hopkins admitted that in that small “fatal” moment he realized he “needed help” and sought it out.

“I called a group of people like me – alcoholics – and that was it. Sober,” he continued. “I’ve had more fun in those 49 years than I’ve ever had.”

In the clip, Hopkins sat in front of a lit fireplace, his mantle decorated with holiday garland. He urged those who find themselves in a similar situation to get support.

“If you have a problem — partying is great, drinking is fine — but if you have an alcohol problem, there is help,” Hopkins said. “It’s not a terrible thing. It’s a condition. If you are allergic to alcohol, get help. There’s plenty of help around.”

Hopkins admitted that when he first started his the path of sobrietyhe didn’t know there were others in similar situations.

“One thing I didn’t realize: I wasn’t unique,” he admitted. “There are thousands of people like me around.

While Hopkins has come a long way since then, he shared that his sobriety has improved his life — and there’s a lot to look forward to.

“Anyway, I’m sober and it sounds corny, but I’ve had an amazing life,” The silence of the lambs the actor reflected. “They still employ me, they still give me work. I’ll be 87 in two days. So I’m celebrating my long life—an unexpectedly long life.”

Related: Anne Hathaway is over 5 years sober: “It feels like a milestone”

Monica Schipper/FilmMagic Anne Hathaway is celebrating an achievement she believes is more important than any birthday. “There are so many other things that I consider milestones,” Hathaway, 41, said in an interview with the New York Times published on Saturday, April 27. “I don’t normally talk about it, but I’ve been sober for over five years. (…)

Before wishing everyone a “Happy New Year,” Hopkins said people who want to get sober can “phone any fringe group” or join a “12-step program” to get the help they need.

For the past four years, Hopkins has taken to social media to celebrate his sobriety milestones. He published his first Instagram video in 2020 to share what made him do it abstain from alcohol.

“Forty-five years ago today, someone woke me up. I was headed for disaster, drinking myself to death. I’m not a preacher, but I got the message,” he recalled at the time. “A little thought that said, ‘Do you want to live or die?’ And I said, ‘I want to live.’ And suddenly relief came and my life was wonderful.”