Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman

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Biography

Philip Seymour Hoffman (born 23.7.1967 - died 2.2.2014) Philip Seymour was an American actor. His most highly acclaimed role was his performance as Truman Capote in 2005's Capote - which won him the Best Actor Oscar, as well as BAFTA and Golden Globe awards and an accolade from the Screen Actor's Guild.

Childhood: Hoffman was born in the Rochester area of New York, to Marilyn L. O'Connor and Gordon S. Hoffman. His mother was a judge in a family court as well as a civil rights activist and lawyer. His father was an executive of Xerox. His parents divorced when he was aged nine. He has two sisters, Jill and Emily. His brother, Gordy Hoffman, wrote the screenplay for Love Liza, the 2002 film in which Philip starred.

Acting Career: Hoffman's debut amateur acting role come in 1982, when he played Radar O'Reilly in the Fairport High School production of M*A*S*H. In 1984, Hoffman studied at the Theater School at the New York State Summer School of the Arts. In 1989, Philip Seymour Hoffman graduated from NY University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama. Whilst at university, he was briefly a member of the notoriously volatile theatre company the Bullstoi Ensemble, which also featured Steven Schub (singer of the ska band The Fenwicks) and Bennett Miller.

Philip's first professional acting role came in 1991 when he appeared in an episode of Law and Order. The following year, he appeared in four feature films. The most successful of these was Scent of a Woman, which also starred Chris O'Donnell and Al Pacino. Prior to landing the role, he had been stacking shelves in a grocery store. He has often stated that it was this role that really kick-started his career.

From then on, Hoffman has been lucky, in many ways, as he has managed to retain a large degree of credibility as his career has advanced. He has worked with a number of highly respected directors, such as Cameron Crowe, Anthony Minghella, David Mamet and the Coen Brothers. He has also appeared in four of Paul Thomas Anderson's five feature films. These were Hard Eight, Boogie Nights (which starred Mark Wahlberg), Magnolia (starring Tom Cruise and William H. Macy) and Punch-Drunk Love.

Much of Hoffman's career has been characterised by supporting roles. It has been rare for him to land major lead roles - but when he has, he has certainly flourished. Among his more acclaimed supporting roles are Cold Mountain, in which he played a sexually obsessed preacher, alongside Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger. He also featured in Mission: Impossible III, alongside Tom Cruise.

In Happiness, he starred opposite Jane Adams. The independent film was directed by Todd Solondz and also featured Lara Flynn Boyle and Dylan Baker. He also appeared in The Talented Mr. Ripley alongside Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The role that really propelled Hoffman to stardom was his portrayal of Truman Capote in Bennett Miller's biopic of the homosexual author. The film also starred Catherine Keener and Chris Cooper. Hoffman won an Oscar for his lead role in the film.

In 2007, Philip Seymour Hoffman featured in another biographical drama, Charlie Wilson's War. The film starred Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Amy Adams and Hoffman played the role of a CIA operative, Gust Avrakotos. He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in the film. He also received an Oscar nomination for the same category, but lost out to Javier Bardem, for his performance in No Country For Old Men.

2008 saw Hoffman star in two critically lauded films. First was Synecdoche, New York, the Charlie Kaufman / Spike Jonze production starring Samantha Morton and Michelle Williams. Secondly was Doubt, the Oscar-nominated film that also starred Meryl Streep. Hoffman lost out on the Best Supporting Actor once more - this time to the late for Heath Ledger, for his performance in The Dark Knight.

2012 saw him in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'The Master' for which he was nominated for an Oscar, and the following year he appeared in 'The Hunger Games' sequel 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'.

Personal Life: Hoffman was in a relationship with Mimi O'Donnell until he died, a costume designer whom he met on the set of 1999's In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, which was directed by Hoffman. The couple had a son, Cooper Alexander and two daughters, Tallulah and Willa.

As a college graduate, Hoffman suffered from heavy drug use and alcoholism before going to rehab and recovering at 22. He re-entered rehab in 2013 following a relapse into heroin use after two decades. In February 2014, he was found dead by David Bar Katz in the bathroom of his office apartment following a drug overdose. Large amounts of heroin and prescription drugs were found on the scene.

Following the tragedy, Katz allegedly claimed to have been in a homosexual relationship with Hoffman, though these reports are yet to be solidly confirmed.



Biography by Contactmusic.com

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Review

Extraordinary

Suzanne Collins' saga comes to a suitably epic conclusion in a climactic series of battles that are packed with emotional kicks to the gut. Director Francis Lawrence continues to show remarkable reverence for the source novels while relying on his A-list cast to bring layers of nuance to even the smallest roles. The result is a massively textured war movie that's packed with darkly personal moments and glimpses of wit and spark. It's also a satisfying conclusion to the franchise that avoids the usual Hollywood bombast.

As the rebels prepare to attack Panem's Capitol and President Snow (Donald Sutherland), the rebellion's figurehead Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) decides to take matters into her own hands. Rebel leaders Coin and Plutarch (Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman) try to stay one step ahead of Katniss, using her as the Mockingjay to rally the troops. With Gale (Liam Hemsworth), a not-quite-unbrainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a small group of cohorts, Katniss works her way across the bombed-out city to Snow's mansion, intending to put an arrow through his heart. But the battle takes a shocking twist, and Katniss has to make a difficult decision about doing the right thing no matter what it costs her.

Right from the start, the filmmakers continue to echo Katniss' earliest act of heroism when she volunteered for the Hunger Games to protect her sister Prim (Willow Shields) and then vowed to keep Peeta safe in the violent arena. These are the things that drive her right to the very end of this saga, holding the audience in an emotional grip. This means that the political nastiness, violent warfare and publicity posturing all have a much deeper resonance for the audience, while for Katniss they are virtually irrelevant. Her mission remains untainted: she just wants to protect her loved ones and make the future safe. Which is why her speeches carry such rousing power.

Continue reading: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Final Trailer


Katniss Everdeen is determined to take down President Snow once and for all. Too many lives have been sacrificed and too many homes destroyed while the Capitol has brainwashed and controlled the people of Panem. Now re-united with Peeta after his rescue from Snow's clutches, Katniss gathers her friends from District 13 - Gale, Finnick and Cressida - and sets out on the ultimate mission to free Panem, and fight Snow to the death. But it seems it's not only Snow that wants Katniss dead, as she becomes increasingly paranoid about some of the supposed rebels. Facing increasing uncertainty, more tragedy and some of the worse warfare she could possibly imagine, Katniss starts to realise that ending the nightmare won't end the fear or the collective sorrow.

Continue: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Final Trailer

Steve Coogan's 'Happyish' Cancelled By Showtime


Steve Coogan Philip Seymour Hoffman

Steve Coogan’s latest prime-time comedy series ‘Happyish’ has been cancelled by its American TV network. The series, which Coogan was called in to front after the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2014, has been axed after just one season by Showtime.

According to Deadline, the cable network confirmed that the satirical drama-comedy about a depressed middle-aged man and his family would not be getting a second run, after receiving disappointing ratings throughout its first series from April to June this year. Just 261,000 watched the series finale, even though that was up from the initial 237,000 that watched the first episode.

Steve CooganSteve Coogan's ambition to break big Stateside has taken a blow, with 'Happyish' being cancelled

Continue reading: Steve Coogan's 'Happyish' Cancelled By Showtime

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - Join The Revolution Trailer


Having successfully rescued Peeta and the other Hunger Games victors, Katniss Everdeen is feeling the strain of being the Mockingjay for the rebel group of District 13. The propaganda is exhausting, and she is starting to become uncertain about who are the heroes and who are the villains. While victory over the Capitol looks in the rebels' favour, Katniss is becoming increasingly suspicious of President Coin - a suspicion which becomes all the more intense when she confronts the captured Panem leader President Snow. He seems intent on killing her, but he's not the only one. When the rebels' methods are shown to be just as hostile as the Capitol, Katniss has to decide which path the take and with the oncoming final Hunger Games, her decision is fated to change her life forever.

Continue: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - Join The Revolution Trailer

Jennifer Lawrence Brings 'Mockingjay Part 1' To The Top Of The Box Office


Jennifer Lawrence Julianne Moore Philip Seymour Hoffman Donald Sutherland Woody Harrelson Stanley Tucci

'The Hunger Games' continues to go from strength to strength, garnering solid reviews and big box office takings. The latest instalment, 'Mockingjay Part 1', debuted at number one on both the American and British box office charts, and looks likely to hold the top spot until 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' opens next month.

Jennifer Lawrence in 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1'
Jennifer Lawrence makes another stunning performance in 'Mockingjay Part 1'

Critics have given the film a 66% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, down from 84% for the 2012 original film and 89% for 'Catching Fire'. This is probably due to the fact that third novel 'Mockingjay' has been split into two movies, which leaves 'Part 1' sometimes feeling like a set-up to something much more exciting still to come.

Continue reading: Jennifer Lawrence Brings 'Mockingjay Part 1' To The Top Of The Box Office

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Review


Excellent

This four-part franchise, based on the Suzanne Collins novels, turns very dark with this strikingly bold third film, which once again makes the most of perspective to recount a parable about normal people rising up against oppression. This may be a sci-fi apocalypse, but the story is packed with present-day resonance and messy characters who are sometimes unnervingly easy to identify with. So while things get very grim in this chapter, it's still a hugely engaging film, packed with real-life humour and emotion. And it makes Mockingjay Part 2 unmissable.

The story picks up not long after the chaos of the Quarter Quell, when Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) realised that she had been a pawn for a planned revolution that cast her as the iconic Mockingjay. Now in hiding, the rebels need her to assume the role publicly, but she has other concerns. So she makes a deal with rebel President Coin (Julianne Moore) and her sidekick Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) that she'll help them if they guarantee safety for the captured Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), who has apparently been brainwashed so he can be used for propaganda purposes by the Capitol's President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Working with her old hunting buddy Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Katniss takes on the Mockingjay role, locking horns with Snow as the rebellion grows in strength.

Once again, director Francis Lawrence vividly tells the story from Katniss' imperfect point of view. This is a teen consumed with anger and confusion, and she can't figure out why she's so inspiring to everyone who looks at her. But she's beginning to understand her impact and how she can use it to help the people she loves. This makes her heroism remarkably human, rather than the usual noble movie self-sacrifice. And Jennifer Lawrence brings so much depth to Katniss that the character transcends even the most jarring plot points. Her internal journey also makes this much more than yet another dystopian teen adventure.

Continue reading: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Review

'A Most Wanted Man' Could Win Hoffman Posthumous Oscar


Philip Seymour Hoffman

When A Most Wanted Man premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, early buzz began to swell around Philip Seymour Hoffman's strikingly astute performance as a worn-out German spy pushing back against a militaristic culture of paranoia and violence. Then just weeks later, the actor was found dead in his New York home.

A Most Wanted ManPhilip Seymour Hoffman in 'A Most Wanted Man'

Now that the film is in cinemas, the talk of possible awards-season glory has risen again, as critics describe Hoffman's performance as one of his best ever. Many say that an Oscar nomination is a sure thing, and that he could very well win a posthumous honour to go along with his 2005 Best Actor for Capote.

Continue reading: 'A Most Wanted Man' Could Win Hoffman Posthumous Oscar

A Most Wanted Man Review


Excellent

Photographer-turned-filmmaker Anton Corbijn continues to show striking maturity with only his third movie (after Control and The American). Based on the John Le Carre novel, this thriller avoids cliches to become a brilliantly tense spy drama. It also offers Philip Seymour Hoffman another terrific posthumous performance, one of his best ever, as a quietly tenacious man who refuses to get caught up in the hype.

Set in Hamburg, the story centres on Gunther (Hoffman), the exhausted leader of a top-secret anti-terrorist unit who has gathered around him a loyal team (including Nina Hoss, Daniel Bruhl and Vicky Krieps). When they spot an unknown Chechen in town, they identify him as Issa (Grigoriy Dobrygin) but aren't sure what he's up to. Gunther thinks that following him is the best course of action, as he may lead them to much bigger fish. And they're further intrigued when he contacts a lawyer (Rachel McAdams) and a powerful banker (Willem Dafoe). But the local police and German security forces want to arrest Issa and interrogate him, even though this will stop Gunther from taking down a potentially much bigger operation, and even though it looks like Issa isn't a terrorist at all. Only a US embassy attache (Robin Wright) shares Gunther's long-game approach, but can they delay the gung-ho cops?

While the central plot slowly cranks up some powerful suspense, it's the dramatic and thematic elements of the film that truly get under the skin, mainly thanks to Hoffman's world-weary performance as a man whose eyes miss nothing. And he's beginning to wish he could just close them and pretend all of this doesn't exist. Every conversation he has sparks with jagged insinuation, driving the entire film deeper as an exploration of the dangers of self-proclaimed "good guys" with too much military power, especially when they're paranoid. This is augmented by several personal layers of plot-threads, including Issa's own compelling mystery, beautifully played by a gifted cast that's great at saying one thing and meaning another.

Continue reading: A Most Wanted Man Review

God's Pocket Review


Good

Despite a strong sense of the characters and the setting, this film struggles to engage viewers with its downbeat story about how tough life is. Even though the performances are powerful enough to hold the attention, the film feels like it drifts aimlessly along, never coming into focus in a meaningful way. And since everything is right on the surface, there isn't much subtext to help the events resonate with the audience.

In the God's Pocket neighbourhood in 1980s Philadelphia, everyone knows everything about each others' lives. Mickey (Philip Seymour Hoffman) works as a driver delivering meat, but spends just as much time planning small-time scams with his pal Arthur (John Turturro). Then his life is thrown out of balance when his hothead stepson Leon (Caleb Landry Jones) dies in what is suspiciously described as a workplace accident. Mickey's wife Jeanie (Christina Hendricks) struggles to cope with her son's death, so Mickey is easily pressured by the local mortician (Eddie Marsan) into buying a funeral he can't afford. To make some extra cash, he plans a heist with Arthur and their careless pal Sal (Domenick Lombardozzi), which predictably goes awry. Meanwhile, a famed local journalist (Richard Jenkins) starts looking into Leon's death.

It's not like the film is low on plot: there are plenty of story strands to push each character further into their own personal desperation. And the tightly knit setting provides an intriguing counterpoint as everyone's dirty laundry is aired for all to see, which pushes their true emotions even further underground. This lets the actors deliver riveting performances, even as they're all beaten down to mere husks of humanity. In one of his final roles, Hoffman is terrific as a guy for whom everything goes relentlessly wrong. Hendricks is pretty wrenching as the rather drippy Jeanie, whose interaction with Jenkins is both warm and depressing. Thankfully, Turturro and Marsan provide a spark of energy, as does Joyce Van Patten in a scene-stealing role as Arthur's gun-crazy aunt.

Continue reading: God's Pocket Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 'Our Leader The Mockingjay' - Teaser Trailer


Katniss Everdeen has survived the latest political disaster of Panem following the shocking 75th Hunger Games. Her home, District 12, has been destroyed with her sister Prim and neighbour Gale having only narrowly escaped, and her partner Peeta Mellark has been captured and brainwashed by the formidable President Snow. She has been taken to the underground rebellion that has become of the long thought destroyed District 13, alongside her newest Games partners Finnick and Beetee, and her mentor Haymitch. All the rebels of District 13 are relying on Katniss to lead their revolution against Panem's government, but in doing so she risks the lives of so many. Her symbol of hope, the Mockingjay, has been banned from all districts but she refuses to let the meaning disappear from the heart's of her peers as she sets out to fight against Snow once and for all.

Continue: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 'Our Leader The Mockingjay' - Teaser Trailer

Mimi O' Donnell, Tallulah Hoffman, Cooper Hoffman and Willa Hoffman - The funeral of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman held at Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan. Hoffman was found dead in his West Village apartment on Sunday (02Jan14) from an apparent drug overdose. - Manhattan, New York, United States - Friday 7th February 2014

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mimi O' Donnell, Tallulah Hoffman, Cooper Hoffman and Willa Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Odeon Leicester Square - Phillip Seymour Hoffman London, England - The BFI London Film Festival: The Ides Of March - UK film premiere held at the Odeon Leicester Square. Wednesday 19th October 2011

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Odeon Leicester Square

Philip Seymour Hoffman Wednesday 5th October 2011 New York premiere of 'The Ides of March' at the Ziegfeld Theater - Arrivals New York City, USA

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman Friday 9th September 2011 36th Annual Toronto International Film Festival - 'Moneyball' - Premiere held at the The Roy Thomson Hall Toronto, Canada

Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman Quick Links

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Philip Seymour Hoffman

Date of birth

23rd July, 1967

Date of death

2nd February, 2014

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.77


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Philip Seymour Hoffman Movies

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Movie Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Movie Review

Suzanne Collins' saga comes to a suitably epic conclusion in a climactic series of battles...

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Final Trailer

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Final Trailer

Katniss Everdeen is determined to take down President Snow once and for all. Too many...

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - Join The Revolution Trailer

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - Join The Revolution Trailer

Having successfully rescued Peeta and the other Hunger Games victors, Katniss Everdeen is feeling the...

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Movie Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Movie Review

This four-part franchise, based on the Suzanne Collins novels, turns very dark with this strikingly...

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 Trailer

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 Trailer

With the incredible ramifications of the end of the yearly ritualistic sacrificial televised Hunger Games,...

A Most Wanted Man Movie Review

A Most Wanted Man Movie Review

Photographer-turned-filmmaker Anton Corbijn continues to show striking maturity with only his third movie (after Control...

God's Pocket Movie Review

God's Pocket Movie Review

Despite a strong sense of the characters and the setting, this film struggles to engage...

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 'Our Leader The Mockingjay' Trailer

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 'Our Leader The Mockingjay' Trailer

Katniss Everdeen has survived the latest political disaster of Panem following the shocking 75th Hunger...

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 - 'Mockingjay Lives' Teaser Trailer Trailer

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 - 'Mockingjay Lives' Teaser Trailer Trailer

Following Katniss Everdeen's escape from the catastrophic 75th Hunger Games with mentor Haymitch and two...

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 Trailer

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 Trailer

President Snow has a message for the people of Panem in a mock propaganda clip...

God's Pocket Trailer

God's Pocket Trailer

God's Pocket seems to be an ordinary working class neighbourhood at face value; full of...

A Most Wanted Man Trailer

A Most Wanted Man Trailer

A German spy belonging to a secret anti-terrorist group named Gunther Bachmann embarks on his...

A Most Wanted Man Trailer

A Most Wanted Man Trailer

Gunther Bachmann is a German spy who has been enlisted by both German and American...

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Movie Review

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Movie Review

After 2012's The Hunger Games caught us off-guard with its subtle themes, this sequel more...

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