SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS is planning a move back to his native Wales - after almost 20 years living in sunny California.

The Silence of the Lambs star, who hails from the small town of Port Talbot in the U.K., became a naturalized American citizen in 2000 after residing and working there for a number of years.

But after celebrating his 70th birthday in his home country with old friends and family on New Year's Eve (31Dec07), he realized how much he really wanted to return.

A guest at Hopkins' lavish birthday party in West Glamorgan's Margam Castle says, "Anthony was moved to tears by the whole thing, not least by the Welsh male voice choir, which had all of us going.

"He told us that while he liked waking up to sunshine most days at his place in Malibu, he missed Wales more as he got older, and he plans to start looking for a house here."