Hannibal Lecter
The fictitious character Hannibal Lecter was developed by the author Thomas Harris. The serial murderer Lecter kills his victims by eating them (literally). Before his eventual arrest, he was a well-respected forensic psychologist; after his imprisonment, FBI agents Clarice Starling and Will Graham consult him to assist them in locating other serial murderers.
Lecter was initially featured as a minor antagonist in Harris' 1981 suspense book Red Dragon - a book that was converted into the 1986 film Manhunter, starring Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecter (also spelled "Lecktor"). Due to immense popularity, the character has a much greater part in Silence of the Lamb (1987); Anthony Hopkins received the Oscar Award of Best Actor for his portrayal of Lecter in the 1991 picture adaption. Hopkins reprised the character in the 2001 film version of the 1999 book Hannibal, in which Lecter evades police pursuit as well as the 2002 film adaptation of Red Dragon.
One of the most well-known Lecter's cinematic interpretations also belonged to the American actor Mads Mikkelsen. He received the Saturn Awards for Best Actor in Television for his role in the NBC series Hannibal (2014–2015), which centered on Lecter's interactions with Graham.
Hannibal Lecter is extremely well-received, both in books and in movies. The American Movie Institute rated Lecter as the best villain in American film in 2003. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly recognized him as one of the 100 best characters from the previous two decades.
Book: Silence of The Lambs
Author: Thomas Harris
