Like many, Sir Anthony Hopkins suffered an enormous loss at the beginning of this year when his Los Angeles home was hit by harrowing wildfires.
However, it wasn't the first time the Academy Award-winning actor had a house affected by fires, as his former home in London, where he lived with ex-wife Jennifer Lynton, almost burned down in 2000.
The Silence of the Lambs actor and Jennifer, who was his second wife, bought the home in the mid-1990s to use as his base in the UK.
© GettyAt the time, the proud Welshman had recently returned to the UK after living in the States in the 1970s while pursuing his film career.
However, not long after buying the homes, Anthony's career on the big screen took off even further (following the Oscar success of The Silence of the Lambs).
Then, after he and Jennifer parted ways, Anthony relocated back to Los Angeles in 1998.
The fire at the home occurred in 2000 when Anthony was already back in LA, but it was reported at the time that Jennifer still lived there.
The Guardian also said at the time that the fire broke out on the second floor of the Kensington property.
According to the article, Anthony's prized possessions, including his coveted Best Actor Oscar, were saved.
The publication wrote: "A Fire Brigade spokesman said they had managed to contain the fierce fire on the second floor after a 45-minute battle to save the rest of the house.
© Instagram"The second floor bedroom in which the blaze broke out was badly damaged by fire, but the rest of the house was intact despite a small amount of smoke damage.
"According to the crews, there were a lot of photos, awards and statuettes around the house, including the Oscar.
© David Livingston"It was only a matter of minutes before the whole house went up in flames."
The four-storey home was located in the exclusive and affluent area of Kensington.
© Julian ParkerThe plush part of London is, of course, where royalty resides. In the 1990s, Princess Diana lived in an apartment in Kensington Palace. In later years, both her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, would eventually move in with their respective wives.
To this day, Princess Eugenie, daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, has a base at Kensington Palace, known as Ivy Cottage, which she and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, use as their UK residence.
© UK Press via Getty ImagesSir Anthony Hopkins's property portfolio with unfortunate history
The 87-year-old's home in London, sadly, isn't the only house that has been plagued by fires.
Up until 2021, Anthony's primary residence was his Malibu property that he purchased in 2001. However, in 2018, the house narrowly avoided total destruction during the Woolsey Fire.
© Getty ImagesAfter selling his Malibu home for $10.5m – more than double what he paid in 2001 – he moved into a mammoth house in the Pacific Palisades.
But in January of this year, his four-bedroom colonial-style home, which he bought for $6 million, was burnt to the ground.
Writing on Instagram in the aftermath of the fires, Anthony said: "As we all struggle to heal from the devastation of these fires, it's important we remember that the only thing we take with us is the love we give."
