The chemistry between Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster is what makes 'Silence of the Lambs.' Without it, the twisted psychological horror might have become 'just another horror film,' but the two leads drew you into the plot and made the film a runaway success. Hopkins is an outstanding actor - one of the greatest of his generation without a shadow of a doubt - but we wonder if he'd have been able to achieve the same chemistry if he'd been facing Michelle Pfeiffer instead?
Foster was so good as Clarice Starling that she walked away from the Oscars with the 'Best Actress' award for the role. That must have really bothered Pfeiffer, who decided to say no because she thought the subject matter of the film was a little too dark for her tastes. The next time she was offered a 'darker' role, she decided to take it. Unfortunately for her, that role was in 'What Lies Beneath,' and it didn't have anything like the same impact on viewers.