Which actor played Hannibal Lecter in 'The Silence of the Lambs'?

Anthony Hopkins played Dr. Hannibal Lecter in 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), a role for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor despite appearing for only 16 minutes on screen, one of the shortest times for a winning leading role. He reprized the role in 'Hannibal' (2001) and 'The Red Dragon' (2002).