Hopkins was a member of the original National Theatre ensemble when it was formed in 1965, originally as an understudy to Laurence Olivier. His National Theatre credits include: Marc Anthony in Shakespeare's "Anthony & Cleopatra" (1987), the title role in Shakespeare's "King Lear" (1986-7), Lambert Le Roux in "Pravda" a new play by Howard Brenton (1985), the title role in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (1972, Old Vic), the title role in Shakespeare's "Coriolanus", Emperor in "Architect & The Emperor of Assyria" Frankfurt in "A Woman Killed With Kindness" (all 1971, Old Vic), Audrey in Shakespeare's "As You Like It", Andrei in Chekhov's "Three Sisters" (both 1967, Old Vic), Irregular Mobilisor in "Juno and the Paycock", Etienne in "A Flea In Her Ear" (both 1967, Old Vic), Edgar in Strindberg's "Dance of Death" (1966, Old Vic).

Made his Broadway debut as Dr Dysart in the US premiere of "Equus" by Peter Schaffer - Playmouth Theatre, New York City ((1974). He played Des and directed the play in it's West Coast premiere at the Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles in 1977.

Stage: Gallimard in the UK premiere of "M.Butterfly" by David Henry Hwang - Shaftesbury Theatre, London (1989).

Stage: Timon in Shakespeare's "Timon Of Athens" - London.

1999: TV commercial (voiceover) for Agilent Technologies.

1992: Narrated Jeff Wayne's musical version of "Spartacus" double-album.

2003: Narrated TV show on Animal Planet channel about wildlife.

2000: Appeared in Barclays Bank TV commercial "Player".

2006: TV commercial (voiceover) for Occidental Petroleum.

(1970) His credits at London's Royal Court Theatre include: "Metellus" in William Shakespeare's "Julius Caeser" (1964) and "Boris" in "The Provincial Life" (1966).

(1972) Stage: Played "Petruchio" in William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" - Chichester Festival Theatre, Sussex (1972).

(1994) Stage: Played "Ieuan Davies" in "August", a new play by Julian Mitchell, based on Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" - Theatre Clwydd, Wales (1994).

(1979) Stage: Played "Prospero" in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest - Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles (1979).

Made his professional debut in "The Quare Fellow" by Brendan Behan - Library Theatre, Manchester (1960).

(1969) Played "Claudius" in William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" - Roundhouse Theatre, London (1969).

Made his debut as a conductor with the New Symphony Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London on March 21 1982.

In 1986 he released a single called "Distant Star". It peaked at #75 in the UK charts.

Played Julian in "The Lonely Road", a new play by C Fetter - Old Vic, London (1985).

Played Deeley in "Old Times" by Harold Pinter - Roundabout Theatre, NYC (1984).

(1969) He acted in the Free Theatre Production of William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet," at the Round House Theatre in London, England with Nicol Williamson, Gordon Jackson OBE, Judy Parfitt, Mark Dignam, Michael Pennington, Marianne Faithfull, Roger Lloyd Pack, Ben Aris, Roger Livesey, and Michael Elphick in the cast. Tony Richardson was director.

(1994) He acted and directed Julian Mitchell's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's play, "August," based on his play, "Uncle Vanya," at the Clwyd Theatr in Wales with Gawn Grainger, Leslie Phillips, and Hugh Lloyd in the cast.

2009: Commercials for Sky HD.

(1972) He acted in William Shakespeare's play, "The Taming of the Shrew", in a Chichester Festival Production at the Chichester, Sussex, England with Joan Plowright, Harold Innocent, David Robb and Charles Dance in the cast. Jonathan Miller was the director.

(1966) He played the Messenger in William Shakespeare's play, "Othello," in a National Theatre Company production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Laurence Olivier, Frank Finlay, Maggie Smith, Robert Lang, John Stride, Michael Turner, Graham Crowden, Edward Hardwicke, Edward Petherbridge, Christopher Timothy, Joyce Redman and Sheila Reid in the cast. John Dexter was director.

(1966) He played the Irregular Mobiliser in Sean O'Casey's play, "Juno and the Paycock," in a National Theatre Company production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Colin Blakely, Joyce Redman, Ronald Pickup, Mike Gambon, Frank Finlay, Madge Ryan, and Christopher Timothy in the cast. Laurence Olivier was director.

(1967) He played Audrey in William Shakespeare's play, "As You Like It," in a National Theatre Company production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Ronald Pickup, Jeremy Brett, Charles Kay, Robert Stephens, Derek Jacobi, and Oliver Cotton in the cast. Clifford Williams was director.

(1966) He played the Messenger in William Shakespeare's play, "Othello," in a National Theatre Company production at the Queen's Theatre in London, England with Laurence Olivier, Frank Finlay, Maggie Smith, Robert Lang, John Stride, Michael Turner, Graham Crowden, Edward Hardwicke, Edward Petherbridge, Christopher Timothy, Joyce Redman, and Sheila Reid in the cast.

(1966) He acted in Georges Feydeau's play, "A Flea in Her Ear," in a National Theatre Company production at the Queen's Theatre in London, England with Geraldine McEwan, Edward Hardwicke, Robert Lang, and John Stride in the cast. Charon was director.

(1967) He acted Anton Chekhov's play, "Three Sisters", in a National Theatre Company production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Robert Stephens, Joan Plowright, Jeanne Watts, Louise Purnell, Sheila Reid, Derek Jacobi and Ronald Pickup in the cast. Laurence Olivier was the director.

(1967) He played "Sentry" in August Strindberg's play, "The Dance of Death", in a National Theatre Company production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Laurence Olivier, Geraldine McEwan and Robert Stephens in the cast.

(1967) He acted William Shakespeare's play, "Much Ado About Nothing", in a National Theatre Company production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Robert Stephens, Joan Plowright, Derek Jacobi, Ronald Pickup, Gerald James, John McEnery, Edward Petherbridge, Frank Finlay and Christopher Timothy in the cast. Franco Zeffirelli was the director.

(April 1967) He played "Sentry" in August Strindberg's play, "The Dance of Death", in a National Theatre Production at the Theatre Royal in Brighton, East Sussex, England with Laurence Olivier, Geraldine McEwan, Robert Stephens and Richard Warwick in the cast.

(April 1967) He acted in Georges Feydeau's play, "A Flea in Her Ear", in a National Theatre Production at the Theatre Royal in Brighton, East Sussex, England with Geraldine McEwan, Anthony Hopkins, Edward Hardwicke, Robert Lang and John Stride in the cast. Jacques Charon was the director.

(1971) He acted in Thomas Heywood's play, "A Woman Killed with Kindness", in a National Theatre production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Joan Plowright, Derek Jacobi and Tom Baker in the cast. John Dexter was the director.

(April 1971-July 1971; September 1971-January 1972) He acted in Repertoire Season in the National Theatre production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England in Thomas Heywood's play, "A Woman Killed with Kindness;" William Shakespeare's plays, "Coriolanus," and "The Merchant of Venice;" George Bernard Shaw's play, "Mrs. Warren's Profession;" Peter Nichols's play, "The National Health;" Oliver Goldsmith's play, "A Woman Killed with Kindness;" Carl Zuckmayer's play, "The Captain of Kopenick; and Fernando Arrabal and J. Benedetti's play, "The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria;" with Sarah Badel, Tom Baker, Coral Browne, Anna Carteret, Constance Cummings, Jim Dale, Bill Fraser, Derek Jacobi, Maureen Lipman, Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Louise Purnell, Denis Quilley, and Paul Scofield in the cast.

(1971) He acted in Fernando Arrabal and Jean Benedetti's play, "The Architect and The Emperor of Assyria", in the National Theatre production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Jim Dale in the cast. Victor Garcia was the director.

(1972) He played the title role in William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in the National Theatre production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England with Diana Rigg, Maureen Lipman, Alan MacNaughtan, Ronald Pickup, John Shrapnel, Denis Quilley, Gawn Grainger, Louise Purnell, Nicholas Clay, Stephen Greif, David Ryall, Benjamin Whitrow, Clive Merrison, Jeanne Watts, Jeremy Clyde, and David Bradley in the cast. Michael Blakemore was director.

(March 1972 - January 1973) He acted in the Repertoire Season in the National Theatre production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England in Tom Stoppard's play, "Jumpers;" William Shakespeare's plays, "Richard II," and "Macbeth;" Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play, "The School for Scandal;" Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's play, "The Front Page;" John Ford's play, "Tis Pity She's A Whore;" and Eugene O'Neill's play, "Long Day's Journey Into Night;" with Anna Carteret, Graham Crowden, Constance Cummings, Michael Hordern, Maureen Lipman, Alan MacNaughtan, Laurence Olivier, Ronald Pickup, Louise Purnell, Denis Quilley, Diana Rigg, John Shrapnel, and Benjamin Whitrow in the cast.

(January 1973 - February 1974) He acted in the Repertoire Season in the National Theatre production at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England in Moliere's play, "The Misanthrope;" William Shakespeare's plays, "Macbeth" and "Measure for Measure;" Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's play, "The Front Page;" Tom Stoppard's play, "Jumpers;" Anton Chekhov's play, "The Cherry Orchard;" Peter Shaffer's play, "Equus;" Euripedes's play, "The Bacchae;" Eduardo De Filippo's play, "Saturday Sunday Monday;" and Trevor Griffiths's play, "The Party;" with Laurence Olivier, Diana Rigg, Alec McCowen, Constance Cummings, Denis Quilley, Joan Plowright, Frank Finlay, Martin Shaw, Michael Hordern, Peter Firth, Benjamin Whitrow, Maureen Lipman, Alan MacNaughtan, Anna Carteret, Clive Merrison, David Bradley, David Firth, Gawn Grainger, Jeanne Watts, John Shrapnel, Julian Curry, Louise Purnell, Nicholas Clay, Paul Curran, Ram John Holder, and Ronald Pickup in the cast. Franco Zeffirelli was director.

(1985) He acted in Howard Brenton and David Hare's play, "Pravda", in a British National Theatre production at the Olivier Theatre in London, England with Kate Buffery and Bill Nighy in the cast. David Hare was also the director.

(December 1985 - January 1986) He acted in the British National Theatre Repertoire Season at the Cottesloe, Lyttelton, and Olivier Theatre in London, England in Peter Shaffer's play, "Yonadab;" Tom Stoppard's play, "The Real Inspector Hound;" Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play, "The Critic;" Alan Ayckbourn's play, "A Chorus of Disapproval;" Howard Brenton and David Hare's play, "Pravda;" William Congreve's play, "Love for Love;" George Bernard Shaw's play, "Mrs. Warren's Profession;" Richard Peaslee's play, "Animal Farm;" John Webster's play, "The Duchess of Malfi;" Anton Chekhov's play, "The Cherry Orchard;" Athol Fugard's play, "The Road to Mecca;" and William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet;" with Robin Bailey, Ian Bartholomew, Alan Bates, Eleanor Bron, Michael Bryant, Yvonne Bryceland, Selina Cadell, Charlotte Cornwell, Gemma Craven, Michael Gambon, Sheila Hancock, Greg Hicks, Kelly Hunter, Jonathan Hyde, Sara Kestelman, Roy Kinnear, Leigh Lawson, Nigel Le Vaillant, Hugh Lloyd, Tim McInnery, Ian McKellen, Stephen Moore, Claire Moore, Wendy Morgan, Bill Nighy, Bob Peck, Edward Petherbridge, Joan Plowright, Amanda Redman, Moira Redmond, Imelda Staunton, and Jane Wenham in the cast.

(January-February 1986, June 1986, October-December 1986) He acted in the British National Theatre Repertoire Season at the Cottesloe Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, and Olivier Theatre in London, England in Peter Shaffer's play, "Yonadab;" Tom Stoppard's plays, "The Real Inspector Hound," and "Dalliance;" Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play, "The Critic;" Alan Ayckbourn's plays, "A Chorus of Disapproval," and "Tons of Money;" Howard Brenton's play, "Pravda;" Neil Simon's play, "Brighton Beach Memoirs;" William Congreve's play, "Love for Love;" George Bernard Shaw's play, "Mrs Warren's Profession;" John Webster's play, "The Duchess of Malfi,;" Charlotte Chandler's play, "Not About Heroes;" William Shakespeare's plays, "Hamlet," and "King Lear;" Athol Fugard's play, "The Road to Mecca;" Anton Chekhov's play, "The Cherry Orchard;" Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's play, "The Threepenny Opera;" Sarah Daniels's play, "Neaptide;" play, "Futurists;" David Wood's play, "The Pied Piper;" Richard Peaslee's play, "Animal Farm;" Franz Werfel's play, "Jacobowsky and The Colonel;" Arthur Wing Pinero's play, "The Magistrate;" David Hare's play, "The Bay At Nice;" Arthur Miller's play, "The American Clock;" Stephen Poliakoff's play, "Coming In To Land;" and Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz's play, "The Mother;" with Robin Bailey, Desmond Barrit, Alan Bates, Suzanne Bertish, Brenda Blethyn, Eleanor Bron, Michael Bryant, Yvonne Bryceland, Selina Cadell, Simon Cadell, David Calder, Charlotte Cornwell, Gemma Craven, Tim Curry, Daniel Day Lewis, Frances De La Tour, Sally Dexter, Russell Dixon, Simon Dutton, Julian Fellowes, Alison Fiske, Michael Gambon, Robert Glenister, Sheila Hancock, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Head, Greg Hicks, Clare Higgins, Kelly Hunter, Geoffrey Hutchings, Jonathan Hyde, Barry Ingham, Sara Kestelman, Roy Kinnear, Leigh Lawson, Nicholas Le Prevost, Nigel Le Vaillant, Hugh Lloyd, Stephen Mackintosh, Anna Massey, Tim McInnery, Ian McKellen, Claire Moore, Stephen Moore, Wendy Morgan, Bill Nighy, Bob Peck, Edward Petherbridge, Joan Plowright, Amanda Redman, Moira Redmond, Jack Shepherd, Michael Simkins, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Stewart, Ken Stott, Zoe Wanamaker, Marcia Warren, Jane Wenham, and Irene Worth in the cast.

(1987) He acted in William Shakespeare's play, "Antony and Cleopatra", in a British National Theatre production at the Olivier Theatre in London, England with Judi Dench, Michael Bryant and Tim Pigott-Smith in the cast. Peter Hall was the director.

(1987) He acted in William Shakespeare's play, "King Lear", in a British National Theatre production at the Olivier Theatre in London, England with Michael Bryant, Douglas Hodge, Anna Massey and Bill Nighy in the cast. David Hare was the director.

(June 1987-July 1987; August 1987-December 1987) He acted in the British National Theatre Repertoire Season at the Cottesloe Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, and Olivier Theatre in London, England in Alan Ayckbourn's plays, "A Small Family Business," and "Tons of Money;" William Shakespeare's play, "Antony and Cleopatra," and "King Lear;" Luigi Pirandello's play, "Six Characters In Search of An Author;" August Strindberg's play, "Miss Julie;" Ivan Turgenev and Brian Friel's play, "Fathers and Sons;" Moliere's play, "School for Wives;" Arthur Wing Pinero's play, "The Magistrate;" Henrik Ibsen's play, "Rosmersholm;" Frederico Garcia Lorca's play, "Yerma;" Arthur Miller's play, "A View from a Bridge;" John Cecil Holm and George Abbott's play, "Three Men on a Horse;" Thurston E. Temple's play, "The Wandering Jew;" Nick Darke's play, "Ting Tang Mine;" Peter Gill's play, "Mean Tears;" David Wood's play, "The Pied Piper;" A.R. Gurney's play, "Entertaining Strangers;" play, "Countrymania;" Samuel Beckett's play, "Waiting for Godot;" play, "Down Cemetery Road;" William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet," by the Royal Dramatic Theatre of Stockholm, Sweden; William Shakespeare's play, "Macbeth," and Euripedes's play, "Medea," by the Ninagawa Company of Japan; and the play, "Tomorrow Was War," by the Mayakovsky Theatre Company of Russia with Robin Bailey, Desmond Barrit, Alan Bennett, Suzanne Bertish, Richard Bonneville, Michael Bryant, Simon Cadell, Garry Cooper, Gemma Craven, Julian Curry, Judi Dench, Sally Dexter, Paola Dionisotti, Russell Dixon, Robert Eddison, Ralph Fiennes, Julia Ford, Michael Gambon, Patrick Garland, Nigel Hawthorne, Barbara Hicks, Douglas Hodge, Celia Imrie, Barbara Jefford, Karl Johnson, Nicholas Le Prevost, Philip Locke, Anna Massey, Alec McCowen, Sylvester McCoy, Bill Nighy, Richard Pasco, Tim Pigott-Smith, Mark Rylance, Leslie Sands, Michael Simkins, Juliet Stevenson, Sian Thomas, Philip Voss, and Marcia Warren in the cast.

(January 1988 to June 1988; August 1988 to December 1988) He acted in the British National Theatre Repertoire Season at the Cottesloe Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, and Olivier Theatre in London, England in John Ford's play, "'Tis A Pity She's A Whore;" Alan Ayckbourn's play, "A Small Family Business;" Athol Fugard's play, "A Place with the Pigs;" William Shakespeare's plays, "Antony and Cleopatra," "Cymbeline," "The Tempest," and "The Winter's Tale;" Ben Jonson's play, "Bartholomew Fair;" Tennessee Williams's play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof;" play, "Countrymania;" A.R. Gurney's play, "Entertaining Strangers;" David Hare's plays, "Fanshen," and "Secret Rapture;" Brian Friel's plays, "Fathers and Sons," and "Making History;" Lope De Vega's play, "Fuente Ovejuna;" Adrian Mitchell's play, "Love Songs of World War III;" Harold Pinter's play, "Mountain Language;" Nicholas Wright's play, "Mrs Klein;" Arnold Wesker's play, "Roots;" Caroline Chapmans' play, "Russell of the Times;" Alan Bennett's play, "Single Spies;" Thomas Middleton's play, "The Changeling;" August Strindberg and John Osborne's play, "The Father;" the play, "The Magic Olypmical Games;" David Wood's play, "The Pied Piper;" the play, "The Shaughraum;" Nick Ward's play, "The Strangeness of Others;" Nick Darke's play, "Ting Tang Mine;" and Samuel Beckett's play, "Waiting for Godot;" with Polly Adams, John Alderton, Francesca Annis, Eileen Atkins, Robin Bailey, Jill Baker, David Bamber, Jim Barclay, Gillian Barge, Alan Bennett, Richard Bonneville, Jim Broadbent, Michael Bryant, David Burke, Simon Callow, Ian Charleson, Garry Cooper, Jonathan Cullen, Judi Dench, Sally Dexter, Paola Dionisotti, Russell Dixon, Lindsay Duncan, Nick Dunning, Robert Eddison, Ralph Fiennes, Susan Fleetwood, Mick Ford, Clive Francis, Michael Gambon, Henry Goodman, Rupert Graves, George Harris, Tony Haygarth, Guy Henry, Colin Jeavons, Barbara Jefford, Paul Jesson, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Mark Lockyer, Steven Mackintosh, Maggie McCarthy, Alec McCowen, Sylvester McCoy, Sarah Miles, Stephen Moore, Richard Pasco, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eric Porter, Stephen Rea, Paul Shelley, Kate Spiro, Alison Steadman, Ken Stott, Sian Thomas, Niall Tobin, Bridget Turner, Philip Voss, Julian Wadham, Zoe Wanamaker, John Wells, Penelope Wilton and Peter Woodward in the cast.

(1989) He acted in David Henry Hwang's play, "M. Butterfly," at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, England with Lynn Fairleigh, Tsai Chin, and G.G. Goeri in the cast. John Dexter was director.

(1999) TV commercial: Honda Avancier (Japan)

(2016) Music video: Mindcrutch - "I Forgive It All" (dir. Sean Penn, Samuel Bayer)