20 Essential Performances By Philip Seymour Hoffman
The death of Philip Seymour Hoffman caused a ripple of sad appreciations for an actor gone too early, who had already made his mark as one of the greatest actors of his generation. It would be hard to call Hoffman under-appreciated considering the recognition he received in his lifetime, the many awards, nominations, and accolades he received. He was nominated for almost every major acting award an actor could be nominated for, in a little over 20 years in the profession. None of these awards seemed to be part of Hollywood politics, but came from recognition by peers of the talent, craft, and hard-work he brought to his work.
About a year ago I had the chance to very briefly meet him, say ‘hello, I love your work, congratulations.’ He certainly neither knew or cared who I was. But he was gracious and engaging, as he seemed to be in any interview he gave when allowed to talk about acting, a topic he was more than passionate about. But what made an impression on me was a comment he made during a question/answer session about directing Jack Goes Boating, and why he wanted to bring the character from stage to screen.
He described wanting to advocate for his character more than he had in the stage version, be more supportive and understanding of the crippling fears his character experienced, a force to move him towards a new part of his life. We hear actors talk often about how they approach characters, but I had never heard an actor speak with such clarity about his approach to a non-actor. The term advocate says everything you need to know. It made him a remarkable actor and was making him a good director.
Philip Seymour Hoffman only directed one movie, the under-appreciated Jack Goes Boating, but at the time of his passing he was planning to direct another film, starring Amy Adams. And he frequently directed theater, especially for the theater group he co-founded The LABrynth Theater Company. At the time of his death, the company was planning to branch into television production with a comedy for Showtime, Happyish, which was to also star Hoffman. It was picked up just two weeks ago.
Hoffman spent nearly a decade building a resume with memorable, small roles before he began breaking through with small, but memorable roles. Starting with Hard Eight, Hoffman would appear in every Paul Thomas Anderson film (except There Will Be Blood) in increasingly bigger roles. From a pathetic gambler in Hard Eight, to the awkward Andy in Boogie Nights, a sympathetic registered nurse in Magnolia, a bullying mattress salesman in Punch-Drunk Love, and finally The all-powerful The Master. Hoffman’s collaborations with Anderson would have been enough for many actors to leave their mark in the acting profession, but Hofffman had many, many roles for the highest respected directors, so many of which were memorable, often elevating the character far beyond what was on the page.
His collaborations with Bennett Miller not only brought him his Oscar win, for Capote, but was decades in the making. Three childhood friends collaborating on a film, became one of the best reviewed films of the year and earned all three Oscar nominations. Only Hoffman would win, for a performance as one of the most notorious men of the 20th century, giving a full, emotional performance which avoided pure impersonation. Hoffman would star in Miller’s next film, Moneyball, also nominated for best picture as a manly, frustrated baseball manager…a character as different from Capote as one could imagine.
Few actors had the range to play the number of character and personality types Hoffman did. Frequently sad and painfully awkward, he had a charisma and swagger which could make him seem like the most powerful man in the world. He could seem repulsive in one film, and in the very next, charm and romantic interest. He did this not by making big physical changes to his appearance or voice, but simply interpreting his characters inner life. One only needs to watch his performance in Owning Mahowny as a gambling addict with a job in a bank to see him easily he could go from nebbish to slick in the same film..a performance which left people amazed by how far he could go without loose the character’s realism. His performances were never expect, but always interesting to watch.
Hoffman premiered two films at The Sundance Film Festival just weeks ago (A Most Wanted Man and God’s Pocket) and will also appear in the last two Hunger Games films. It is sad to know those will be his last performances we have the opportunity to enjoy. However, he left a body which will be appreciated, studied, and cherished for decades to come…offering future audiences the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of seeing a master at work.
Go to Page Two to Start our List of 20 Essential Philip Seymour Hoffman Performances
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