Question 1

True or false: Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins met for the first time on the set of the sequel, Hannibal.

Accepted Answer

False. They met while filming The Silence of the Lambs. Hopkins insisted on a private rehearsal to build tension; they didn't socialize off-set, but they definitely met on set.

Question 2

True or false: Jodie Foster did all of her own stunts, including the final fight scene.

Accepted Answer

False. Foster did many stunts, but a stunt double performed the most dangerous parts of the final fight in the dark room. Foster is vocal about using doubles for safety.

Question 3

True or false: The film was originally rated X by the MPAA for its graphic violence.

Accepted Answer

True. The MPAA initially gave it an X rating due to the visceral violence and gore. Director Jonathan Demme appealed and got it downgraded to R after minor trims.

Question 4

True or false: Anthony Hopkins was only on screen for about 16 minutes in the entire film.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite winning Best Actor, Hopkins appears for just 16 minutes—roughly 12% of the runtime. His limited screen time is a famous Hollywood trivia fact.

Question 5

True or false: The moth in the film's poster is a real species called the death's-head hawkmoth.

Accepted Answer

True. The poster features a death's-head hawkmoth superimposed over Clarice's mouth. The species is real, and its skull-like pattern inspired Buffalo Bill's moth motif.

Question 6

True or false: The film's screenplay was written by a first-time screenwriter named Ted Tally.

Accepted Answer

True. Ted Tally adapted Thomas Harris's novel and won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It was his first major film credit, though he had written for theater.

Question 7

True or false: The film's iconic 'silence of the lambs' phrase refers to Clarice's childhood trauma.

Accepted Answer

True. Clarice explains she heard the lambs screaming at night on her uncle's ranch and failed to save them. This memory symbolizes her drive to rescue Buffalo Bill's victim.

Question 8

True or false: Ted Levine improvised the famous 'tuck the lotion' line while filming.

Accepted Answer

False. The line 'It rubs the lotion on its skin' was scripted. Levine did, however, ad-lib the creepy dance he does while wearing a woman's skin suit.

The Silence of the Lambs Trivia Questions