Philip Seymour Hoffman dead at 46
Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won a best actor Oscar in 2006 for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote in Capote and created a gallery of other vivid characters, many of them slovenly and slightly dissipated comic figures, has died. He was 46.
He was found dead in his bathroom in the city’s Greenwich Village area at 11.30am local time. The cause of death hasn’t been officially determined, but a drug overdose is suspected.
“He was found dead in his bathroom of an apparent drug overdose,” an NYPD spokesman said.
His family released a statement on Sunday afternoon New York time: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone. This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving. Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers.”
Hoffman, who was no matinee idol figure with his tubby, lumpy build and limp blond hair, made his career mostly as a character actor. He was nominated for Oscars four times in all.
In one of his earliest films, he played a spoiled prep school student in Scent Of A Woman in 1992. One of his breakthrough roles came as a gay member of a porno film crew in Boogie Nights, one of several movies directed by Paul Thomas Anderson that he would eventually appear in.
He often played comic, slightly off-kilter roles in movies such as Along Came Polly, The Big Lebowski and Almost Famous.
More recently, he was Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and was reprising that role in the two-part sequel, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, which is in the works. In Moneyball, he played Art Howe, the grumpy manager of the Oakland Athletics who resisted new thinking about baseball talent.
Just weeks ago, Showtime announced Hoffman would star in Happyish, a new comedy series about a middle-aged man’s pursuit of happiness.
In The Master, he was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as the charismatic leader of a religious movement. The film, partly inspired by the life of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, reunited the actor with Anderson.
He also received a 2009 supporting nomination for Doubt, as a priest who comes under suspicion because of his relationship with a boy and a best supporting actor nomination for Charlie Wilson’s War, as a CIA officer.
Born in 1967 in Fairport, New York, Hoffman was interested in acting from an early age, mesmerised at 12 by a local production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. He studied theatre as a teenager with the New York State Summer School of the Arts and The Circle in the Square Theatre. He then majored in drama at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Trained in the theatre, with a versatility and discipline more common among British performers than Americans, he was a character actor who could take on any role, large or small, loathsome or sympathetic.
On the stage, he performed in revivals of True West, Long Day’s Journey Into Night and The Seagull, a production that also featured Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline. In 2012, he was more than equal to one of the great roles in American theatre – Willy Loman in Death Of A Salesman, a performance praised as heartbreaking by Associated Press theatre critic Mark Kennedy.
“Hoffman is only 44. But he nevertheless sags in his brokenness like a man closer to retirement age, lugging about his sample cases filled with his self-denial and disillusionment,” Kennedy wrote.
“His fraying connection to reality is pronounced in this production, with Hoffman quick to anger and a hard edge emerging from his babbling.”
Speaking at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards in central London, John Hurt – who starred with Seymour Hoffman in 2003 film Owning Mahowny – said: “It’s a devastating loss. His contribution was massive.”
Celebrities turned to Twitter to mourn the loss of Seymour Hoffman, who they described as one of film’s greats.
Such shocking & sad news. RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman. One of the greatest actors of a generation and a sweet, funny & humble man.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) February 2, 2014
Dear Philip, a beautiful beautiful soul. For the most sensitive among us the noise can be too much. Bless your heart. ;^{ — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 2, 2014
Blu day, Philip Seymour Hoffman od’d. Addiction comes fr trying to escape th pain of living. We all struggle with this but Drugs never help. — Val Kilmer (@ValEKilmer) February 2, 2014
Just hearing about Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Devastating. What an amazingly gifted actor. RIP — Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) February 2, 2014
Shocked to hear of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death. If you missed him as Willy Loman, you missed a Willy Loman for all time. — Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) February 2, 2014
This truly blows. PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN has died: http://t.co/TfQrD4iDZq First noticed him in SCENT OF A WOMAN. Brilliant actor. So sad… — KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 2, 2014
So saddened by the news of #PhilipSeymourHoffman passing. It’s a true loss to film industry. — Jack Osbourne (@JackOsbourne) February 2, 2014
I am sad on so many levels about the loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman. One of the greats. Losing him this way is absolutely tragic. — Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) February 2, 2014
Philip Seymour Hoffman was a brilliant, talented man. The news this morning is shocking and sad. My heart goes out to his loved ones.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 2, 2014
Philip Seymour Hoffman was prolific on film, as well as holding many notable stage credits. Here are his credits:
FILM
2014
Happyish (TV Series) (post-production), Thom Payne
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (post-production), Plutarch Heavensbee
A Most Wanted Man, Günther Bachmann
God’s Pocket
2013
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Plutarch Heavensbee
2012
Back Beyond (Video short), Lancaster Dodd
A Late Quartet, Robert Gelbart
The Master, Lancaster Dodd – nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar
2011
Moneyball, Art Howe
The Ides of March, Paul Zara
A Child’s Garden of Poetry, (TV Movie) (voice)
2010
Jack Goes Boating, Jack
2009
Arthur (TV Series), Will Toffman
– No Acting Please/Prunella Deegan and the Disappointing Ending (2009) … Will Toffman (voice)
The Invention of Lying, Jim the Bartender
Pirate Radio, The Count
Mary and Max Max, Jerry Horovitz (voice)
2008
Doubt, Father Brendan Flynn
Synecdoche, New York Caden Cotard
2007
Charlie Wilson’s War, Gust Avrakotos
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Andy
The Savages, Jon Savage
2006
Mission: Impossible III, Owen Davian
2005
Capote, Truman Capote
Empire Falls (TV Movie), Charlie Mayne
Strangers with Candy, Henry
2004
Along Came Polly, Sandy Lyle
2003
Cold Mountain, Reverend Veasey
Mattress Man Commercial (Video short), Dean Trumbell
Owning Mahowny, Dan Mahowny
2002
25th Hour, Jacob Elinsky
Red Dragon, Freddy Lounds
Punch-Drunk Love, Dean Trumbell
Love Liza, Wilson Joel
2000
Almost Famous, Lester Bangs
State and Main, Joseph Turner White
1999
The Talented Mr. Ripley, Freddie Miles
Magnolia, Phil Parma
Flawless, Rusty
1998
Patch Adams, Mitch
Happiness, Allen
The Big Lebowski, Brandt
Next Stop Wonderland, Sean
Montana, Duncan
1997
Liberty! The American Revolution (TV Mini-Series)
Joseph Plumb Martin
– The Times That Try Men’s Souls: 1776-1777 (1997) … Joseph Plumb Martin
– Oh, Fatal Ambition: 1777-1778 (1997) … Joseph Plumb Martin
– The Reluctant Revolutionaries: 1763-1774 (1997) … Joseph Plumb Martin
– Blows Must Decide: 1774-1776 (1997) … Joseph Plumb Martin
Culture (Short) Bill
Boogie Nights Scotty J.
1996
Twister, Dustin Davis
Hard Eight, Young Craps Player (as Phillip Seymour Hoffman)
1995
The Fifteen Minute Hamlet, (Short) Bernardo / Horatio / Laertes (as Philip S. Hoffman)
1994
Nobody’s Fool, Officer Raymer
When a Man Loves a Woman, Gary
The Yearling, (TV Movie) Buck
Szuler, Martin
The Getaway, Frank Hansen (as Philip Hoffman)
1993
Money for Nothing, Cochran (as Philip S. Hoffman)
My Boyfriend’s Back, Chuck Bronski (as Philip Hoffman)
Joey Breaker, Wiley McCall
1992
Scent of a Woman, George Willis, Jr. (as Philip S. Hoffman)
Leap of Faith, Matt
My New Gun, Chris
1991
Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole, Klutch (as Phil Hoffman)
Law & Order (TV Series), Steven Hanauer
– The Violence of Summer (1991) … Steven Hanauer (as Philip Hoffman)
THEATRE
Broadway
2012
Death of a Salesman [Broadway] Broadway Revival Willy Loman
2007
Jack Goes Boating [Off-Broadway] Jack
2003
Long Day’s Journey Into Night [Broadway] Broadway Revival, 2003 James Tyrone, Jr.
2001
The Seagull [Off-Broadway] Konstantin
2000
True West [Broadway] Broadway Revival, Austin, Lee
1999
The Author’s Voice & Imagining Brad [Off-Broadway] Performer
1998
Shopping and Fucking [Off-Broadway] Mark
1997
Defying Gravity [Off-Broadway] C.B.
1996
The Skriker [Off-Broadway] RawHeadAndBloodyBones