40 Years Ago Today: Hannibal Lecter's First Screen Appearance Came In A Movie Almost Nobody Saw

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Several actors have played Dr. Hannibal Lecter at this point, but the most famous is and will probably remain Anthony Hopkins. Even if Hopkins' later Lecter performances in "Hannibal" and "Red Dragon" aren't as well-remembered, no one can take away his immortal debut as Hannibal the cannibal in "The Silence of the Lambs." For "Silence," Hopkins won Best Actor at the 64th Oscars, and his Hannibal Lecter has been ranked the no. 1 movie villain of all time by the American Film Institute, inching out Norman Bates, Darth Vader, and the Wicked Witch of the West.

But while most minds will go to Anthony Hopkins (and his line reading of "fava beans and a nice chianti") when they hear "Hannibal Lecter," he wasn't the first. In 1986, five years before "The Silence of the Lambs" hit theaters, Michael Mann directed "Manhunter," an adaptation of author Thomas Harris' first Hannibal Lecter novel, 1981's "Red Dragon." That movie features a young Brian Cox (best known these days for "Succession") as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (note the different spelling).

"Manhunter" has become a beloved film, and recently received a theatrically-released "Final Cut" for its 40th anniversary. Michael Mann's enduring legacy as an auteur ensured its place in the canon if nothing else. But when it first came out, "Manhunter" bombed.

It is reported to have only grossed about $8.6 million worldwide upon its theatrical release in August 1986. Contemporary reviews from major publications dismissing the film as style over substance couldn't have helped. Thus, while Cox's Lecktor came first, it was Hopkins' Lecter who became the default image of the character. If you've only ever seen Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter, or are a fan of Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal from the "Hannibal" TV series, Cox's Lecktor might take some adjusting — but he's worth watching.

In Brian Cox's autobiography "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," he speaks highly of "Manhunter" and his experience making it. He recounts, with frustration, that "['Manhunter'] became this film that everybody talked about but nobody had seen."

"Personally, I loved the film. I thought it was great and still think so," Cox said, adding that he would've loved to play Lecktor again in "The Silence of the Lambs." (In a bittersweet anecdote, Cox recalls receiving a copy of the "Silence" novel from Thomas Harris with the note: "I hope that one day you'll do this.")

"The Silence of the Lambs" has no aesthetic overlap with "Manhunter," nor any returning actors. "Silence" was always a soft reset from "Red Dragon," with Clarice Starling replacing Will Graham (the profiler who originally caught Hannibal) as the protagonist. You can watch or read "The Silence of the Lambs" without knowing it's a sequel, something that benefitted the movie tremendously.

Both films present Hannibal very differently as well. Cox's clever and curt Lecktor has none of the gentlemanly menace Anthony Hopkins brought to the role. Comparing his performance and Hopkins' in "Rabbit," Cox wrote:

"Tony played him crazy whereas I played him insane, and there's a difference between madness and insanity. Tony was scary and very Grand Guignol, but that wasn't my and Michael Mann's take. Our take was, this guy is an intellectual. He's very, very clever. But if you saw him in the street you wouldn't look twice at him."

When Clarice (Jodie Foster) goes to meet Hannibal, you feel like she's walking into Count Dracula's castle. Cox's Lecktor works his way under your skin so slowly you almost don't notice him. Which is scarier? It all comes down to personal taste.