Anthony Hopkins: Zorro Senior

A sense of humor, and a sense of history, attracted veteran actor Anthony Hopkins to the role of the elder Zorro in the new film The Mask of Zorro.

Hopkins stars as the man who teaches the "new" Zorro, played by Antonio Banderas, how to be the swashbuckling hero with sword, mask, and cape.

In fact, he told CBS 'This Morning' Correspondent Mark McEwen, Hopkins welcomed the chance to brush up on his skills in fencing, a sport which he says is "like a dance."

Fencing, said the actor, is "something you do very slowly and gently. Don't show off because you can get killed or lose an eye or something.

Anthony Hopkins' Interview With CBS 'This Morning' Co-Anchor Mark McEwen

Hopkins, who won an Oscar for his chilling performance as Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, also was nominated as best actor for The Remains of the Day (1993) and Nixon (1995).

Although his career has been filled with many honors, the biggest honor of all probably came in 1993 when he was knighted. When he heard about his knighthood, he says, he thought his wife was playing a trick on him.

Even with his Oscar, knighthood, and more than 30 movies under his belt, Hopkins claims to have only seen two of his films: The Silence of the Lambs and The Edge (1997)

He is currently working on the film Meet Joe Black, which also stars Brad Pitt. There has also been some discussion that a sequel is in the works for The Silence of the Lambs. Quips Hopkins, "I become a vegetarian in the next one."