Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dead at 46
Lionsgate Publicity still of Philip Seymour Hoffman in the movie “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”
One of our best actors has died. Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead in his New York apartment on Sunday. He was 46 years old.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning actor (Capote) who just returned from Sundance with two indie films to his credit was as talented and respected as they come. Hoffman was by CNN producer Rose Arce’s accounts (by telephone to a live CNN broadcast) just a regular guy who doted on his three children, even walking them to school on the day of his Oscar nominator for “Capote.” He was reportedly unpretentious and accessible, kind and well-respected by his acting peers.
He was only 46 years old.
CNN is reporting that Hoffman’s body is still in the West Side Apartment being examined by the medical examiner and law enforcement. A crowd of people have assembled outside waiting for the actor’s remains to be removed from the apartment. ABC News reports that Hoffman was found in the bathroom of his Manhattan apartment at 35 Bethune St. in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan this morning, according to the New York Police Department, which is investigating.
The cause of death has not yet been determined, but a law enforcement official tells ABC News heroin was found at the scene and a needle was sticking out of Hoffman’s arm.
Mr. Hoffman has struggled publicly with addiction issues for years. One of the top psychiatrist and addiction experts in the world, Dr. A.R. Mohammad, founder of Inspire Malibu, a medical and science based approach to dealing with all forms of addiction, answered our request for commentary about Mr. Hoffman’s shock death. Dr. Mohammad, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist and addiction specialist who is an expert on this topic. (He is also a celebrated professor at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.)
Dr. Mohammad says,
Heroin addiction is a dysfunction in brain chemistry that never goes away. People suffering from addiction must be taught how to recognize this dysfunction and must be 100% accountable for their recovery plan. People are not seeking treatment but effective treatment is available. Addiction effects the brain and body and we know that there is often underlying psychiatric conditions so we must conduct full psycho social personality and professional evaluations.
We believe that anyone struggling with a major addiction should not be denied professional treatment and therefore should have access to the finest medical professionals available. Once we have relevant information we can determine the most effective medication for safe comfortable detox and relapse prevention. As stated earlier, anyone suffering from addiction must have a lifelong ongoing treatment plan in place. Anything short of this can end in disability or premature death.”
Connecticut born Hoffman graduated with a BFA in drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1989 and began his film career in 1991, starring in his debut role in the indie production “Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole.” He won the Best Actor Academy Award and the Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for his leading role in the 2005 film “Capote,” the film that spanned a period in Truman Capote’s life when he wrote “In Cold Blood.”
He was nominated for three Best Supporting Actor Oscars, for “The Master,” “Doubt,” and “Charlie Wilson’s War.”
Hoffman’s performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights: (1997) was a critically acclaimed moment, he also appeared in Todd Solondz’s “Happiness” (1998), “Flawless” (1999), “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999), Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” (1999), “Almost Famous” (2000) and “State and Main” (2000).
Philip Seymour Hoffman recently wrapped production on “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and Anton Corbijn’s “A Most Wanted Man.” He was previously seen in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master and the independent film, A Late Quartet.”
Most recently, Showtime’s David Nevins, President of Entertainment, spoke to those of us assembled at the television critics’ association winter tour 2014, and gave us a sneak preview during their executive session of a new series starring Mr. Hoffman.
He said:
Our second new show, “Happyish,” is a very personal comedy starring one of the really great actors of our time, Oscar-winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman. “Happyish” is about the fear — in this world of 25-year-old CEOs and 27-year-old billionaires — of becoming culturally irrelevant at a surprisingly young age. Hoffman plays Thom Payne, a successful but self loathing creative director at a New York ad agency. One of my favorite comedy actresses, Kathryn Hahn, is his artist wife, and Rhys Ifans is his boss and friend. The show is written by Shalom Auslander, who brings a scathing new voice to television. While true happiness is an unreasonably high bar, “Happyish” might just be within reach…”
Philip Seymour Hoffman also recently sat down with Variety at the Sundance Film Festival to promote his new film “God’s Pocket,” opposite “Mad Men” duo Christina Hendricks and John Slattery.
