There’s been shock today with the news, via the Wall Street Journal, that acclaimed actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been discovered dead in the bathroom of his New York Apartment. Although cause of death has not yet been officially determined, it’s believed the 46-year-old overdosed on drugs.
Hoffman had battled substance abuse for many years. This included a stint in rehab last year, which surprised many as most in Hollywood had believed the actors’ drug issues were behind him.
Hoffman first started getting noticed in film in the 1990s thanks to a series of ‘that guy’ scene stealing supporting performances in the likes of Twister, Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski. He soon started becoming a star name in his own right in the likes of Flawless, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Magnolia, Almost Famous and Red Dragon.
He topped that by winning an Oscar playing the title role in Capote, and continued to mix indie and mainstream projects ranging from Mission: Impossible III to Synedoche, New York.
While he directed for the stage for many years, he didn’t helm his first movie until 2010 with the promising Jack Goes Boating. He was currently deep in pre-production on his second directorial outing, the supernatural thriller Ezekiel Moss, which only yesterday announced that Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams were set to star.
Hoffman was undoubted one of the best respected actors of his generation, and one who most had expected to have a illustrious career over the next few decades. Sadly that has now been cut short.