12×16 custom MANHUNTER mat with BRIAN COX autograph. ACOA certification card.

While it’s easy to think Anthony Hopkins and “Silence Of The Lambs” when imagining the infamous killer, Hannibal. It was actually Michael Mann’s “Manhunter” (1986) as the actual first film adaptation and cinematic debut of the iconic character Hannibal Lecter (spelled “Lecktor” in this film). And it was BRIAN COX who turned in a very memorable performance in the role.

Brian Cox’s performance as Hannibal is different from the portrayal that would later be immortalized by Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Cox plays Lecktor with a subtle, almost businesslike coldness, eschewing the theatrical menace that Hopkins would bring to the role. His Hannibal is eerily calm and matter-of-fact, lacking the overtly sadistic charm that Hopkins made famous.