Our insatiable appetite for charmingly vicious killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter began with Thomas Harris’ 1981 novel Red Dragon, and he’s come to life in five films and a TV series. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of NBC’s delicious Hannibal series (all 39 episodes are available on Hulu), we poured a nice Chianti and dissected who played him best.
Long before playing Succession’s fiery patriarch Logan Roy, Brian Cox’s take as Lecter in 1986’s Manhunter was light on charm but heavy on vicious evil. By contrast, Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal in the 2013–15 series oozed a dangerously sexy Hannibal with a side of dark humor.
But, come on, nobody did it better than Sir Anthony Hopkins, who scored the 1992 Oscar for his intoxicating portrayal in The Silence of the Lambs. No wonder he’d play Lecter again in two subsequent films, Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002). Just keep the fava beans to yourself, please.
And now we want to know who you think the best in the role is. Let us know in the poll below.
This is a story from the Poker Face issue of TV Insider Magazine. For more in-depth, reported coverage devoted to streaming shows from the publishers of TV Guide Magazine, pick up the April issue of the new monthly publication, currently on newsstands. You can also subscribe to TV Insider Magazine here now.