United Kingdom, Oct. 26 -- Sir Anthony Hopkins knew he needed to get help for his drinking when he realised he "could have killed" someone.

The 87-year-old actor - who celebrated 49 years sober last December - was driving around California while in a "blackout" and had a sudden moment of awareness that he was an alcoholic and needed to quit the bottle.

He told The New York Times' The Interview podcast: "I was drunk and driving my car here in California in a blackout, no clue where I was going, when I realised that I could have killed somebody - or myself, which I didn't care about.

"I came to my senses and said to an ex-agent of mine at this party in Beverly Hills, 'I need help.' "

The Silence of the Lambs actor had a "spooky" moment ...