Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 - February 2, 2014) was an actor and director. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 2005 biographical film Capote, and received three Academy Award nominations as Best Supporting Actor. He starred in movies include 'The Hunger Games,' 'The Master,' 'Charlie Wilson's War,' 'Moneyball,' 'Doubt,' 'The Savages' and 'Almost Famous.'
Hoffman was born in Fairport, New York on July 23, 1967 to working class parents. His ancestry is a mix of German and Irish Catholic backgrounds. He has two sisters and one brother, all of whom work in the movie business.
Movies
After becoming involved in high school theatrics, he attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with a B.F.A. degree in Drama in 1989. Hoffman made his feature film debut in the indie production Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole (1991) as Phil Hoffman, and his first role in a major release came the next year in My New Gun (1992).
While he had supporting roles in some other major productions, his breakthrough role came in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997). He quickly became an icon of indie cinema, establishing a reputation as one of the screen's finest actors, in a variety of supporting and second leads in indie and major features, including 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). He also appeared in supporting roles in such mainstream, big-budget features as Red Dragon (2002), Cold Mountain (2003) and the upcoming Mission: Impossible III (2006).
Related: Mimi O'Donnell and Children Devastated Over Philip Seymour Hoffman's Death (Family Photos)
Hoffman was also an accomplished theater actor earning two Tony nominations - Best Actor (Play) in 2000 for a revival of Sam Shepard's "True West" and in 2003 as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for a revival of Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Night."
Hoffman recently appeared at the Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of his movie "God's Pocket," which also stars John Turturro and Christina Hendricks.
Death
Hoffman had struggled with drugs and alcohol in the past, in a 2006 interview with "60 Minutes", Hoffman discussed his previous substance abuse problems, which he said began after graduating college.
On Feb 2, 2014, Hoffman was found alone with a needle in his arm in the bathroom around 11:30 a.m. by screenwriter David Katz and another friend. Hoffman was apparently using heroin and that two bags were found near him, but the cause of death was pending the medical examiner's investigation.
Family
Hoffman is survived by his partner of 15 years, Mimi O'Donnell, and their three children - Cooper, 10, Tallulah 7, and Willa, 5. Hoffman and O'Donnell met while working on the 1999 play In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, which Hoffman directed. They are not married.
