Anthony Hopkins is stepping away from acting to chase his true first love, composing classical music, with 'Life Is A Dream' The 88-year-old has spent six decades captivating audiences worldwide, earning two Academy Awards during that time. Yet long before Hannibal Lecter touched his resume, music sat quietly in the background of his life. That quiet passion now takes center stage, arriving with an orchestra and a story only Hopkins could tell.

While the world knew him as cinema's most chilling villain, Hopkins was secretly composing melodies that would one day define his most personal project yet.

Anthony Hopkins has signed with record label Decca Classics to release his debut album as a composer. Titled 'Life Is A Dream,' the project gathers decades of compositions performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Decca revealed a statement from Hopkins, in which he called music his first calling.

"I've been composing music all my life," he said.

He then added, "Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades, and I still find myself returning to them."

Decca notes the album draws from Hopkins' Welsh upbringing, weaving in landscapes of his boyhood alongside memories of loved ones who shaped him. The twelve-track collection includes pieces such as 'Fanfare And March,' 'My Fatherland' and the three-part '1947 Suite', with lead single 'Bracken Road' already released. Decca called the project Hopkins' most personal musical work to date, built from imagination and heritage. Life Is A Dream arrives August 21.

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Music was not the only path Anthony Hopkins once wandered from, as history shows he also walked past a supervillain role in DC's world.

Long before his musical reveal, Arnold Hopkins turned down a major DC role that reshaped his career path. Director Joel Schumacher once approached the actor to play the villain Mr. Freeze in a 238 million dollar comic book film. Hopkins had already won acclaim for The Silence Of The Lambs, making him a fitting choice for menacing characters. Talks never progressed, and Schumacher shifted attention toward a very different kind of star altogether.

Arnold Schwarzenegger eventually landed the role of Mr. Freeze, while Hulk Hogan had also been considered for the same part. Hopkins later rejected a second comic book opportunity, turning down the role of Alfred in Christopher Nolan's Batman films, which went instead to Michael Caine. Decades later, those missed franchises seem fitting, since Hopkins was clearly saving his real transformation for something far more personal than any cape could offer.

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What are your thoughts on Anthony Hopkins choosing music over another Hollywood blockbuster this late in his career? Let us know in the comments.