When you look back on the career of an actor, you can generally identify a period that would be referred to as their “prime”. That’s not the case when it comes to Philip Seymour Hoffman. Since I first heard his name in the mid-90s, he’s been delivering great performances in a long list of acclaimed films. There were a few misses (no one’s perfect) but I can’t think of any actor over the past two decades who has put together a more impressive resume.
In 2004, I started an annual blog on my website where I named my top 10 actors working today. A lot of names have slipped on and off that list… but Hoffman has always been ranked number 1 or number 2 (nudged out by George Clooney). I know I’m not alone with my admiration. He received 4 Academy Award nominations (winning for Capote) as well as 3 Tony Award wins. He was a gifted actor who could seemingly take on any role – good guy or bad guy.
I was stunned to get a text message from a fellow film-going friend at 5:37am this morning that simply read – “Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead. Massive loss.” We’ll be able to see him in a few more completed films (A Most Wanted Man, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) but it’s still hard to believe that the career of Hoffman has come to such a sudden, tragic end.
I could list more than 20 films but in this week’s blog, I thought I’d pay tribute by listing my favourite 10 Philip Seymour Hoffman movies (with a few quotes thrown in). May he rest in peace.
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Capote (2005)
The film follows writer Truman Capote (Hoffman) as he becomes friends with a criminal on death row and then transforms the story into “the non-fiction book of the decade”. This is one of cinema’s great character studies. It was my favourite release of 2006 and earned Hoffman an Academy Award for best actor.
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Doubt (2008)
Working alongside the equally brilliant Meryl Streep, Hoffman plays a priest who by an influential nun of molesting a young boy. The dialogue was incredible and the film created as much “doubt” in my mind as the characters on screen.
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The Master (2012)
Hoffman worked with many directors… but never as often as he did with the brilliant Paul Thomas Anderson. This was their last collaboration and it saw Hoffman take on the role of a cult leader who tried to control an aimless solider (played by Joaquin Phoenix).
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The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith and directed by the late Anthony Minghella, Hoffman played Freddie Miles – a party-loving guy living in Italy who becomes a thorn in the side of the film’s sinister protagonist, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon).
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Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
In a “truth is stranger than fiction” kind of story, Hoffman plays a rogue CIA agent who helps a U.S. Congressman (Tom Hanks) to get weapons for Afghan soldiers during their 1980s war with the Soviet Union. With some cracking good one-liners, the role earned Hoffman another Academy Award nomination.
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Boogie Nights (1997)
In one of Hoffman’s earlier roles, Hoffman played a young boom operator who developed an infatuating with the well-hung porn star, Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg). There are so many awkward exchanges between the pair!
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The Ides Of March (2011)
I’m a sucker for a great political thriller and in this slick George Clooney directed effort, Hoffman starred as crafty campaign manager trying to get his candidate the Democratic presidential nomination.
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Magnolia (1999)
In one of the greatest films of all time (at least in my opinion), Hoffman plays a nurse who is trying to reunite a dying man (Jason Robards) with the son he hasn’t seen in many years (Tom Cruise).
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Owning Mahowny (2003)
Hoffman was more widely known for his supporting work but in this low budget drama (released two years prior to Capote), he proved himself more than worthy in a leading role. Based on a true story, his character was a bank manager who embezzled millions of dollars to fuel his growing gambling addiction.
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Happiness (1998)
In an R-rated black comedy from director Todd Solondz, Hoffman played a pervert who jerks off while making creepy phone calls to a woman he has a crush on. As you do.