For the role of Lecter, Demme originally approached Sean Connery. After Connery turned it down, Anthony Hopkins was offered the role based on his performance in "The Elephant Man" (1980). When Hopkins's agent told him a script was en route titled "The Silence of the Lambs", Hopkins responded, "Is it a children's story?" Hopkins called his agent back after reading the first 10 pages, saying, "This is the best part I've ever read," then had dinner with Demme and accepted the role.