Veteran actor Tim Curry says one of the most iconic villain roles in film history remains a lasting disappointment in his decades-long career, as reported by Fox News.

During a recent appearance on The Academy YouTube channel, Curry, 79, reflected on more than 50 years in film, television, and theater, revealing that he desperately wanted to play Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs but was never given the opportunity.

“One of my great regrets is that I read the script of ‘Silence of the Lambs’ and I desperately wanted to play Hannibal Lecter,” Curry said. “My agent couldn’t get me in the room, but Tony Hopkins did a great job.”

Cuando preguntaron a Anthony Hopkins sobre la voz que ponía cuando interpretó a Hannibal Lecter, respondió que era una combinación entre Katharine Hepburn y Truman Capote. Algo muy extraño. pic.twitter.com/wcnYR56Shk

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The role ultimately went to Anthony Hopkins, whose portrayal of the cannibalistic psychiatrist became one of the most celebrated performances in cinema history.

Released on Valentine’s Day in 1991, The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she seeks help from imprisoned serial killer Hannibal Lecter to track another murderer.

The film starred Hopkins as Lecter and Jodie Foster as Starling.

It grossed more than $270 million worldwide and swept the Academy Awards, winning five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Hopkins, and Best Actress for Foster.

Hopkins later reprised the role in Ridley Scott’s Hannibal (2001) and the prequel Red Dragon (2002). Hopkins has said he nearly passed on the role, initially misunderstanding the nature of the film.

“I was in London in 1989, doing a play called ‘M. Butterfly,’” Hopkins told Variety. “My agent sent the script.” After reading just 10 pages, Hopkins said he immediately called back, declaring, “This is the best script I’ve ever read.”

Director Jonathan Demme later revealed that Sean Connery was his first choice for Lecter. Connery declined after reading the script.

“Word came back shortly that he thought it was disgusting and wouldn’t dream of playing that part,” Demme recalled during a 2015 Austin Film Festival interview with Paul Thomas Anderson, according to Deadline.

“So, great, now we can go to Tony Hopkins.”

Demme said Hopkins impressed him after portraying surgeon Frederick Treves in The Elephant Man, convincing him that Hopkins could convincingly play a respected doctor turned killer.

Despite missing out on Lecter, Curry built a career defined by unforgettable characters.

He rose to cult status as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, terrified audiences as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries It, and starred as Wadsworth in Clue.

Pennywise’s appearance in IT (1990) is unsettling due to Tim Curry’s bloodshot eyes and the way he emerges from a tiny, physically impossible drain — it was so frightening that the child actors reportedly avoided him on set. pic.twitter.com/Dw7PtfNMqm

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His résumé also includes roles in Legend, Annie, Muppet Treasure Island, and extensive voice work, including Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys.

Curry also discussed other near-misses, including auditioning for Marv in Home Alone.

“I actually met Chris Columbus, who apparently had the only two albums of mine and was a bit of a fan. Nobody else had ever bought them,” Curry joked.

Though Daniel Stern landed the role, director Chris Columbus later cast Curry as hotel concierge Mr. Hector in Home Alone 2. Curry also recalled working with Macaulay Culkin, calling him “a very nice kid.”

Curry said he was also considered for the role of Scar in The Lion King before Jeremy Irons was cast.

“That would have been nice,” Curry said.