It is with great sadness and shock that the world heard of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death on Sunday Feb. 2nd, 2014 in NYC. Hoffman died of a heroine overdose. The hugely talented actor and director on both screen and stage leaves a great legacy behind him. The sheer magnitude and quality of the work he accomplished in a life ended too suddenly, shows a man driven by hard work and perfection. He is one of only seven actors to have won The Oscar, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performanc as Truman Capote in ‘Capote’ (2005). Premiere Magazine ranked this performance as the 35th out of the top 100 greatest performances of all time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s break through role came under the direction of Paul Thomas Anderson in ‘Boogie Nights’ (1997) starring alongside Julianne Moore. He has been in all of Anderson’s films after this except for ‘There Will Be Blood’ (2007). He acted along side Julianne Moore in ‘The Big Lebowski’ (1998) and ‘Magnolia’ (1999). In a strange twist of fate Heath Ledger lost the Best Actor Oscar to Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2005, but then in 2008 went on to win an Oscar posthumously for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Joker in ‘Dark Knight’ winning over Seymour Hoffman’s nomination for his role in ‘Doubt’. Most recently, Hoffman was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master”, opposite Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams. Here he discusses the film at the Venice International Film Festival (2012) press conference with Joaquin Phoenix and director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Philip Hoffman Seymour has been nominated for an Oscar 4 times (The Master, 2012; Doubt, 2008; Charlie Wilson’s War, 2007 and Capote, 2005). Constantly in the public eye with major hits including ‘Moneyball’ (2011), The Ides of March (2011) and ‘Jack Goes Boating’ (2010), where he also marked his directorial debut. Here is the press conference at the Toronto International Film Festival (2011) for ‘Moneyball’ along with Brad Pitt.

Philip Hoffman Seymour received three Tony Award nominations; for Sam Shepard’s “True West” (2000), Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” (2003), and Arthur Miller’s “Death of A Salesman” (2012). He recently attended the Sundance Film Festival (2014), to promote his new films ‘A Most Wanted Man’, a spy thriller based on John le Carré’s novel, and the crime drama ‘God’s Pocket’, based on the 1983 novel by Peter Dexter. He was currently shooting two Hunger Games Mockingjay movies in Atlanta, Georgia with Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Julianne Moore. He has worked with many of the most recent notable actors in the entertainment industry seeking roles that would challenge his considerable talent. Philip Hoffman Seymour is the father of three young children, a son and two daughters and also leaves behind his partner of many years, Mimi O’Donnell.

Read our review of The Master.

Read our review of Moneyball.

– Moira Romano