Astrology of Class Actors

Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley

What do Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Ben Kingsley have in common? Besides being brilliant, award-winning actors who were both knighted by the Queen, they were born on the same day, December 31, under the sign of Capricorn. So let's take a look at their charts to discover the secret of their success.

Anthony Hopkins
Makes the bizarre believable
Hopkins may be famous for his understated acting, but when his dark side comes out to play, watch out! With typical Capricorn flair for making the fantastic plausible (Capricorn is a grounded Earth sign, after all), Hopkins' memorable role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. His portrayal of the brilliant, manipulative psychopath with a taste for human flesh was both over the top and completely believable, a testament to the man's naturalistic (Earth sign) acting style.

Born on December 31, 1937, the Welsh actor not only has Sun in Capricorn, but Mercury and Venus as well. All three are trine Uranus, the planet of brilliance and spontaneity, so it's not surprising that Hopkins has a talent for making his lines seem completely fresh despite his extensive preparation before filming. That kind of hard work is very Capricorn because it's the sign ruled by disciplined Saturn.

Where there's smoke...
A Moon in fire-sign Sagittarius says Hopkins has a fun-loving, philosophical side as well. Mars in sensitive Pisces accounts for the actor's powerful imagination, and Mercury conjunct Venus bestows a gift for eloquence, which has helped make Hopkins one of the most celebrated actors of our time.

Silly boy
As children, Capricorns are often late bloomers socially. Hopkins was shy and introverted as a child. Above all else, Venus in Capricorn fears being vulnerable in love. Still, these goats are a determined lot - Hopkins has two ex-wives and has been married to his third wife, Stella Arroyave, for four years. Perhaps his penchant for working hard on a role until he gets it right applies to his personal life as well. As for children, he has a daughter from his first marriage, singer/actor Abigail Hopkins, born in 1967.

Up next
Never one to shy away from weird, Hopkins' current film projects include "The Wolf Man," where he plays the father of a man bitten by a werewolf. Hopkins will also portray the famous director of suspense in "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho," to be released in 2009.

Ben Kingsley
Making real-life characters come to life
Born on December 31, 1943, Kingsley, like Hopkins, also has Sun and Mercury in practical Capricorn. Add to that a Moon in whimsical Pisces. As the mountain climbers of the zodiac, Capricorns strive to reach the heights of their field. Kingsley may have found his peak - or one of them - in 1982 in his portrayal of Mohandas Gandhi in Richard Attenborough's film Gandhi. The role won him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Being a realistic Earth sign makes Kingsley perfect for portraying real-life characters - and he's portrayed at least two others: Itzhak Stern in the Academy Award winning film Schindler's List (Stern was Schindler's accountant), and gangster Meyer Lansky in Bugsy, for which Kingsley earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. One interesting note: Itzhak Stern had three planets in Capricorn (appropriate for an accountant!), which undoubtedly helped Kingsley identify with him. And who could forget his convincing role in Sexy Beast?

Ahh, fantasy
Realism is fine, but without a keen imagination, Kingsley wouldn't be the acclaimed actor he is. Fortunately, Moon in Pisces gives him an empathetic emotional nature that enables him to slip into a character's psyche. His Sun also squares Neptune (ruler of Pisces), which heightens his imagination as well.

A dark heart
As for relationships, Kingsley has Venus in intense Scorpio (Gandhi had this placement too), indicating a love life complicated by swings of extreme passion and, conversely, the desire to be alone. On the other hand, Kingsley has Mars in Gemini conjunct Uranus, which gives him a restless spirit and a craving for freedom. He also has a distain for the conventional - Kingsley has three ex-wives and four children. He married his fourth wife, Daniela Barbosa De Carneiro, last year.

Up next
Obviously the ambitious actor has many more mountains to climb - Kingsley has seven films due for release in 2008, including a starring role in Elegy, where he portrays a cultural critic who is sexually obsessed with one of his students (played by Penélope Cruz).

In conclusion, since Capricorn rules longevity, and with both these actor's talent for subtlety and a classy, sophisticated style, we can conclude that Capricorn actors may enjoy a celebrated career that lasts a lifetime. At least Anthonthy Hopkins and Ben Kingsley have thus far.