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Philip Seymour Hoffman

Acting 46 (deceased) years old Fairport, New York, USA ★ 2.4
Born: July 23, 1967
Died: February 2, 2014

Biography

Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor, director, and producer. Best known for his distinctive supporting and character roles–typically lowlifes, eccentrics, bullies, and misfits—Hoffman acted in many films, including leading roles, from the early 1990s until his death in 2014.

Drawn to theater as a teenager, Hoffman studied acting at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He began his screen career in a 1991 episode of Law & Order and started to appear in films in 1992. He gained recognition for his supporting work, notably in Scent of a Woman (1992), Boogie Nights (1997), Happiness (1998), Patch Adams (1998), The Big Lebowski (1998), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Almost Famous (2000), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), and Along Came Polly (2004). He began to occasionally play leading roles, and for his portrayal of the author Truman Capote in Capote (2005), won multiple accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actor. Hoffman's profile continued to grow and he received three more Oscar nominations for his supporting work as a brutally frank CIA officer in Charlie Wilson's War (2007), a priest accused of pedophilia in Doubt (2008), and the charismatic leader of a Scientology-type movement in The Master (2012).

While he mainly worked in independent films, including The Savages (2007) and Synecdoche, New York (2008), Hoffman also appeared in Flawless (1999), and Hollywood blockbusters such as Twister (1996) and Mission: Impossible III (2006), and in one of his final roles, as Plutarch Heavensbee in the Hunger Games series (2013–15). The feature Jack Goes Boating (2010) marked his debut as a filmmaker. Hoffman was also an accomplished theater actor and director. He joined the off-Broadway LAByrinth Theater Company in 1995, where he directed, produced, and appeared in numerous stage productions. His performances in three Broadway plays—True West in 2000, Long Day's Journey into Night in 2003, and Death of a Salesman in 2012—all led to Tony Award nominations.

Filmography

Acting Credits (94)

Starring Austin Pendleton
Starring Austin Pendleton Self 2016
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Plutarch Heavensbee 2015
Straight from the Heart: A Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman
Straight from the Heart: A Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman Self (Archive Footage) 2015
The Making of A Most Wanted Man
The Making of A Most Wanted Man Self 2015
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Plutarch Heavensbee 2014
A Most Wanted Man
A Most Wanted Man Günther Bachmann 2014
God's Pocket
God's Pocket Mickey Scarpato 2014
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Plutarch Heavensbee 2013
Salinger
Salinger Self - Actor 2013
The Frame
The Frame Plutarch Heavensbee 2013
Discord and Harmony: Creating a Late Quartet
Discord and Harmony: Creating a Late Quartet Self 2013
A Late Quartet
A Late Quartet Robert Gelbart 2012
The Master
The Master Lancaster Dodd 2012
Too Young to Die
Too Young to Die Self (archive footage) 2012
The Ides of March
The Ides of March Paul Zara 2011
Moneyball
Moneyball Art Howe 2011
A Child's Garden of Poetry
A Child's Garden of Poetry Self (voice) 2011
Jack Goes Boating
Jack Goes Boating Jack 2010
Restoring a Masterpiece: The Renovation of Eastman Theatre
Restoring a Masterpiece: The Renovation of Eastman Theatre Narrator (voice) 2010
The Invention of Lying
The Invention of Lying Jim the Bartender 2009
Mary and Max
Mary and Max Max (voice) 2009
Doubt: Stage to Screen
Doubt: Stage to Screen Self 2009
The Boat That Rocked
The Boat That Rocked The Count 2009
I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale
I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale Self 2009
Doubt
Doubt Father Brendan Flynn 2008
Synecdoche, New York
Synecdoche, New York Caden Cotard 2008
Directed by Sidney Lumet: How the Devil Was Made
Directed by Sidney Lumet: How the Devil Was Made Self 2008
Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War Gust Avrakotos 2007
The Savages
The Savages Jon Savage 2007
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Andy Hanson 2007
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately Self (archive footage) 2007
Strangers with Candy
Strangers with Candy Henry 2006
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible III Owen Davian 2006
Making Capote: Concept to Script
Making Capote: Concept to Script Self 2006
Truman Capote: Answered Prayers
Truman Capote: Answered Prayers Self 2006
Capote
Capote Truman Capote 2005
Empire Falls
Empire Falls Charlie Mayne 2005
Along Came Polly
Along Came Polly Sandy Lyle 2004
Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain Reverend Veasey 2003
Mattress Man Commercial
Mattress Man Commercial Dean Trumbull 2003
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker Self 2003
Owning Mahowny
Owning Mahowny Dan Mahowny 2003
A Director's Journey: The Making of 'Red Dragon'
A Director's Journey: The Making of 'Red Dragon' Self 2003
Love Liza
Love Liza Wilson Joel 2002
25th Hour
25th Hour Jacob Elinsky 2002
Punch-Drunk Love
Punch-Drunk Love Dean Trumbell 2002
Red Dragon
Red Dragon Freddy Lounds 2002
HypaSpace
HypaSpace Self 2002
Icons
Icons 2002
Last Party 2000
Last Party 2000 Self 2001
Almost Famous
Almost Famous Lester Bangs 2000
State and Main
State and Main Joseph Turner White 2000
Inside 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'
Inside 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' Self 2000
Reflections on 'the Talented Mr. Ripley'
Reflections on 'the Talented Mr. Ripley' Self 2000
That Moment: Magnolia Diary
That Moment: Magnolia Diary Self 2000
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Talented Mr. Ripley Freddie Miles 1999
Magnolia
Magnolia Phil Parma 1999
Flawless
Flawless Rusty 1999
The Early Show
The Early Show Self - Guest 1999
The Directors
The Directors Self 1999
Patch Adams
Patch Adams Mitch Roman 1998
Happiness
Happiness Allen 1998
Next Stop Wonderland
Next Stop Wonderland Sean 1998
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski Brandt 1998
Montana
Montana Duncan 1998
Liberty!
Liberty! Joseph Plumb Martin 1997
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights Scotty J. 1997
Culture
Culture Bill 1997
Hard Eight
Hard Eight Young Craps Player 1997
Anita Liberty
Anita Liberty Man at Party #3 1997
Arthur
Arthur William Fillmore Toffman (voice) 1996
The Daily Show
The Daily Show Self 1996
Twister
Twister Dusty 1996
The Fifteen Minute Hamlet
The Fifteen Minute Hamlet Bernardo, Horatio & Laertes 1995
It Is Now Our Time: Peter Sellars’ The Merchant of Venice
It Is Now Our Time: Peter Sellars’ The Merchant of Venice Launcelot Gobbo 1994
Nobody's Fool
Nobody's Fool Officer Raymer 1994
Inside the Actors Studio
Inside the Actors Studio Self 1994
When a Man Loves a Woman
When a Man Loves a Woman Gary 1994
The Yearling
The Yearling Buck 1994
Szuler
Szuler Martin 1994
The Getaway
The Getaway Frank Hansen 1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien Self - Guest 1993
Money for Nothing
Money for Nothing Cochran 1993
My Boyfriend's Back
My Boyfriend's Back Chuck Bronski 1993
Joey Breaker
Joey Breaker Wiley McCall 1993
Scent of a Woman
Scent of a Woman George Willis, Jr. 1992
Leap of Faith
Leap of Faith Matt 1992
My New Gun
My New Gun Chris 1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 1992
Triple Bogey On A Par Five Hole
Triple Bogey On A Par Five Hole Klutch 1992
Law & Order
Law & Order Steven Hanauer 1990
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
LIVE with Kelly and Mark Self 1988
The Oscars
The Oscars Self 1953
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Nominee 1944

Directing Credits (1)

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