Philip Seymour Hoffman Biography

(Actor Best Known for His Films: 'Capote' and 'Charlie Wilson's War')

Birthday: July 23, 1967 (Leo)

Born In: Fairport, New York, United States

Philip Seymour Hoffman was an American film actor, director, and theatre personality. He was known for playing several supporting and lead roles in his career spanning over two decades. He appeared in over 50 movies during his career. Some of his films are ‘Scent of a Woman,’ ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley,’ ‘The Master,’ and ‘Jack Goes Boating.’ After working as a supporting actor for many years, Hoffman received an opportunity to play the lead role in ‘Capote’ for which he received international acclaim and the coveted ‘Academy Award.’ He was also an accomplished theatre personality. He directed and acted in various theatre productions like ‘True West,’ ‘Death of a Salesman,’ etc. He received the prestigious ‘Tony Award’ nominations three times. He suffered from drug addiction in his youth. The addiction came back to haunt him again in 2012, and he went back to abusing prescribed drugs and heroin, which ultimately led to his death in 2014. He was filming ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,’ the final movie of ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise, at the time of his death.
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Quick Facts

Died At Age: 46

Family:

father: Gordon Stowell Hoffman

mother: Marilyn L. O'Connor

siblings: Emily Hoffman, Gordy Hoffman, Jill Hoffman

children: Cooper Alexander Hoffman, Tallulah Hoffman, Willa Hoffman

Partner: Mimi O'Donnell (1999–2014)

Born Country: United States

Actors American Men

Height: 5'10" (178 cm), 5'10" Males

Died on: February 2, 2014

place of death: West Village, New York, United States

Cause of Death: Combined Drug Intoxication

Ancestry: German American

Notable Alumni: New York University Tisch School Of The Arts

U.S. State: New Yorkers

More Facts

education: New York University Tisch School Of The Arts

Childhood & Early Life
Philip Hoffman was born on 23 July 1967, in the Rochester suburb of Fairport, New York, USA, to Marilyn O’Connor and Gordon Hoffman. His father worked for a company called ‘Xerox Corporation’ and his mother was a judge. He has a brother named Gordy and two sisters named Jill and Emily.
His parents divorced when he was nine; he was raised by his mother. He was drawn towards sports from childhood. Unfortunately, due to a neck injury at the age of 14, he had to give up his dream of becoming a sportsman.
Hoffman was equally attracted to theatre, courtesy the stage adaptation of Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons’ which he saw when he was young. At 17, he was accepted into the ‘New York State Summer School of the Arts.’
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Career
After graduating, Hoffman worked in off-Broadway theater and did brief screen roles in ‘Law & Order’ (1991), ‘Leap of Faith’ (1992), ‘Scent of a Woman’ (1992), ‘Money for Nothing’ (1993), ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’ (1993), etc.
It was in ‘Scent of a Woman’ in 1992 that Hoffman was first recognized for his acting abilities. He starred in the movie with Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell. The recognition helped him get various supporting roles.
Throughout the 1990s, Hoffman did movies like: ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ (1994) with Andy Garcia, ‘Nobody’s Fool’ (1994) with Paul Newman, ‘Twister’ (1996) with Bill Paxton, ‘Boogie Nights’ (1997) with Mark Wahlberg, ‘Todd Solondz’s Happiness’ (1998), etc.
By now, Hoffman was famous for his exceptional ability to play any character with ease. He was critically acclaimed for his portrayal of an upper-class oppressor in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ in 1999.
In 1999, he also played a male nurse in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Magnolia.’ The following year, he took to Broadway and appeared in a renewal of Sam Shepard's ‘True West.’ He received a ‘Tony Award’ nomination.
He spent the 2000s experimenting with his directorial abilities. As a stage director, he received commendation and two ‘Drama Desk Award’ nominations for ‘Outstanding Director of a Play.’ He received the nominations for ‘Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train’ (2001) and ‘Our Lady of 121st Street’ (2003).
In 2005, Hoffman landed the lead role in ‘Capote.’ For this biographical film about Truman Capote, Hoffman took four months to prepare for the role. He received an ‘Oscar’ for his extraordinary acting.
Following the success of ‘Capote,’ Hoffman did a number of significant roles in movies like: ‘Mission: Impossible III’ (2006), ‘The Savages’ (2007), ‘Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead’ (2007), ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ (2007), ‘Doubt’ (2008), ‘The Invention of Lying’ (2009), etc.
In 2012, Hoffman got an opportunity to play the lead role in the Broadway revival of ‘Death of a Salesman.’ He received critical acclaim for his acting skills and also a ‘Tony Award’ nomination.
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He did ‘A Late Quartet’ and ‘The Master’ in 2012. The following year, he joined the ‘Hunger Games’ franchise—‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.’
Major Works
Hoffman’s artistic skills and ability to portray various kinds of roles made him the most sought after supporting actor of his time, but it was his lead role in ‘Capote’ in 2005 that established him as a prominent actor.
Awards & Achievements
In his entertainment career of over two decades, Hoffman won many accolades like: ‘Oscar’ (Capote), ‘BAFTA’ (Capote), ‘Golden Globe’ (Capote), six ‘Chlotrudis Awards,’ six ‘National Board of Review Awards,’ ‘Screen Actors Guild Award,’ two ‘Satellite Awards,’ etc.
Personal Life & Legacy
Hoffman had a longtime partner in costume designer Mimi O'Donnell. The couple was together for 14 years and had three children: son Cooper Alexander and daughters, Tallulah and Willa.
In 2006, Hoffman revealed that he suffered from drug addiction during his time at the university. He also said that he underwent rehabilitation at the age of 22 and was sober for the next 23 years of his life.
He suffered a relapse with prescription drugs and began using heroin again. He was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on February 2, 2014—his death was said to have been caused by acute mixed drug intoxication.
Trivia
After his death, the ‘LAByrinth Theatre Company’ held a candlelight vigil, and Broadway dimmed its lights for one minute in 2014.
In 2013, he checked into a drug rehabilitation program for 10 days.
He and Dustin Hoffman are the only two winners of a ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar’ to share their last name.
Hoffman’s idols were: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken.
With the exception of ‘There Will Be Blood’ (2007), he appeared in all of Paul Thomas Anderson's films.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Movies

1. The Big Lebowski (1998)

  (Comedy, Crime)

2. Boogie Nights (1997)

  (Drama)

3. Capote (2005)

  (Drama, Crime, History, Biography)

4. Doubt (2008)

  (Mystery, Drama)

5. Scent of a Woman (1992)

  (Drama)

6. Almost Famous (2000)

  (Adventure, Comedy, Music, Drama)

7. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

  (Crime, Drama, Thriller)

8. Magnolia (1999)

  (Drama)

9. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

  (Sci-Fi, Mystery, Adventure, Thriller, Action)

10. 25th Hour (2002)

  (Drama)

Awards

Academy Awards(Oscars)
2006 Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Capote (2005)
Golden Globe Awards
2006 Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Capote (2005)
BAFTA Awards
2006 Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Capote (2005)

See the events in life of Philip Seymour Hoffman in Chronological Order

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- Philip Seymour Hoffman Biography
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