Anthony Hopkins made his first public appearance over the weekend following the recent loss of his home in the Pacific Palisades fire, traveling to Saudi Arabia for a series of high-profile events. The Oscar-winning actor and composer hosted a gala concert featuring his original compositions, performed by Britain’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
While in Saudi Arabia, Hopkins also attended the Joy Awards, a prestigious celebration of artistic achievements within the Arab world. Joining him in Riyadh for these opulent events were Hollywood luminaries including Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman, Cuba Gooding Jr., Amanda Seyfried, Kiefer Sutherland, and Christina Aguilera.
The musical gala, titled Life is a Dream, took place on Friday at Riyadh’s Bakr Al-Sheddi Theater. The program featured several of Hopkins’ works, including Circus and Braken Road, alongside classic arias.
“The theme of this concert is that life is a long farewell to the bitter,” Hopkins, 87, remarked during his opening speech, 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,” added the two-time Academy Award winner, honored for his roles in The Silence of the Lambs and The Father.
The Joy Awards, held the following evening, celebrated international and regional talent. Morgan Freeman received a lifetime achievement award, alongside composer Hans Zimmer and renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Matthew McConaughey was named Personality of the Year. Now in its fourth year, the Joy Awards has grown into a marquee event for the Middle East entertainment industry, blending elements of the Grammys, Emmys, and Oscars while also recognizing local athletes and influencers.
The awards show is produced and broadcast by MBC, a powerhouse in the Middle Eastern media landscape, and sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), led by Turki Al-Sheikh.
Al-Sheikh is a driving force behind Saudi Arabia’s ambitious emergence as a global hub for sports, including soccer, boxing, and tennis, as well as its aspiration to lead in content creation. A film enthusiast and accomplished screenwriter, Al-Sheikh penned the Saudi TV series The Eight and the supernatural thriller Cello, directed by Saw filmmaker Darren Lynn Bousman and starring Jeremy Irons.
Among the evening’s honorees was Netflix’s Arabic original series Al Rawabi School for Girls, which explores themes of revenge, patriarchy, and gender-based violence through the lens of Jordanian high schoolers confronting bullying.
Also celebrated was Palestinian-American director Tarek Al-Arian’s action-comedy Welad Rizk 3: The Judge, which took home the Joy Award for Best Film.