Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment of an apparent drug overdose, said New York City police on Feb. 2.
The Oscar-winning actor leaves behind his underrated legacy and his ability to elevate any movie simply by just appearing in it. Hoffman had a chameleon-like ability to disappear into his roles, no matter how wide the range in character made him truly magic. He was able to dig deep and his unmistakable complexity and intelligence allowed him to channel an entirely different aspect of himself for every performance.
Through 22 years acting, he gave many memorable performances. No matter how big or small his role, Hoffman was sure to leave an impression.
You could see him elevate a dumb comedy like Along Came Polly in 2004 as Ben Stiller’s has-been acting buddy, the ‘uncool’ rock journalist from Almost Famous in 2000, and Hoffman’s role where he won an Oscar for Best Actor after delivering a complex and sophisticated role portraying the cultural figure of Truman Capote in 2005.
Hoffman, a stocky, often sleepy looking man with blond, uncombed hair who would rather wear rumpled clothes more associated with an out of work actor than a movie star is what made him so loved by all of his friends and colleges. Hoffman was known for being a humble, down to earth man, not one for extravagant things. Todd Louiso, a long-time friend of Hoffman’s described him as “the warmest, most generous person and just overflowing with love and affection for his friends and family” in an Entertainment Weekly interview.
In a 2006 interview of 60 Minutes conducted by Steve Kroft, Hoffman admitted that after graduating from New York University’s Tisch School with a BFA in Drama, he checked himself into rehab as he would consume “anything I could get my hands on. I liked it all.”
“I went [to rehab]. I got sober when I was 22 years old. You get panicked…And I got panicked for my life,” Hoffman said.
In May 2013, Hoffman checked himself back into a rehab for 10 days as he desperately wanted to nip his drug problem in the bud. Hoffman said for a year he had been relying on prescription drugs in a bid to kick his resurfacing heroin habit, an addiction he believed he had kicked 23 years before.
But this was yet another story of another celebrity checking into rehab for drug and/or alcohol addiction that is becoming too common and expected. We’ve seen too many celebrities who are role models for young and impressionable people that have been battling with drug addiction, which are exposed on ridiculous shows such as celebrity rehab. In the recent past we have seen celebrities like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus on the news for their drug abuse, which is just adding to the acceptance of the drug culture in today’s impressionable world.
Unfortunately for Hoffman, he had lost his battle with drug addiction, and was found dead in his Manhattan home. He was unresponsive on the bathroom floor with multiple syringes and baggies upon baggies which were believed to be heroin dispersed around his apartment. Hoffman leaves behind his three young children and recently separated wife Mimi O’Donnell of 15 years. His wake was held Thursday, Feb. 6, in New York City, where dozens of A-list celebrities came to honour and remember, the now late, great, Philip Seymour Hoffman.
