Yahoo Lifestyle Anthony Hopkins Hosts Concert in Saudi Arabia After Losing His Home in L.A. Fires and Attends Joy Awards Alongside Matthew McConaughey
Anthony Hopkins made his first public appearance over the weekend since recently losing his home in the Pacific Palisades fire by traveling to Saudi Arabia. The legendary Oscar-winning actor, who is also a composer, hosted a gala concert featuring his pieces played by Britain’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
While in Saudi Arabia, Hopkins also attended the kingdom’s Joy Awards which honors artistic achievements of the Arab world. Also on hand for both lavish events in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was a robust representation of Hollywood stars comprising Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman Cuba Goding Jr. Amanda Seyfried, Kiefer Sutherand, and Christina Aguilera.
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The musical gala evening, titled “Life is A Dream,” was held on Friday in Riyadh’s Bakr Al-Sheddi Theater, and featured a selection of Hopkins’ compositions, including “Circus” and “Braken Road” as well as classic arias.
“The theme of this concert is that life is a long farewell to the bitter,” Hopkins, 87, said at the start of the concert, after being introduced by Morgan Freeman. “During this time, and after all the efforts made, whether in Wales or California, we believe that music can be a path to inner peace,” the two-time Oscar winner – for “The Silence of the Lambs” and “The Father” – added.
Freeman was among international talents celebrated with lifetime achievement prizes during the Joy Awards on Saturday along with composing legend Hans Zimmer, and Andrea Bocelli. Matthew McConaughey was celebrated as personality of the year. Now in their fourth edition, the glitzy Joy Awards are becoming a standout Middle East showbiz celebration that combines elements of the Grammy, Emmy and Academy Awards, while also giving prizes to local athletes and influencers.
The Joy Awards are produced and aired by Saudi-owned Middle East powerhouse MBC and sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, headed by Turki Al-Sheikh the man who is driving Saudi’s deep pocketed rise as a global hub for sports – especially soccer, boxing and tennis – as well as the kingdom’s aspiration to become a content creation player. Al-Sheikh is known to be a film buff and has proficiently dabbled as a screenwriter, having penned Saudi TV series “The Eight” and supernatural thriller “Cello” directed by “Saw” helmer Darren Lynn Bousman and starring Jeremy Irons.
Netflix’s Arabic original series “Al Rawabi School For Girls” which follows a group of Jordanian high school girls plotting revenge on a trio of bullies and portrays physical and sexual violence against women as well as the patriarchy in Arab society, was among the evening’s prizewinning titles along with Palestinian-American director Tarek Al-Arian’s action comedy “Welad Rizk 3: The Judge,” which scored the Joy Award for best film.
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