Before his untimely death on Sunday, it could be said the Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the most talented men in Hollywood. A true actor’s actor, the perineal Oscar contender left behind a resume that only a few could compare to. Let’s take a look back at some of his most memorable and beloved roles.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch Drunk Love is a great example of Hoffman’s talent not because he was the star, but because of how he made his short role memorable. Case and point: his argument and confrontation with Adam Sandler as the nefarious ringleader for a phone sex operation.
I couldn’t not pick this one. It was very far from his most technically sound role, but Hoffman’s rare comedic role as Sandy Lyle really just goes to show you how awesome he truly was. He took a pretty terrible movie and made it pretty damn funny thanks in large part to one of my favorite basketball scenes ever. “Let it rain!”.
Want to to talk about his versatility? Check out a very young PSH playing Scotty J, the gay boom mic operator for Dirk Diggler’s(whom he also secretly loves) porno flicks.
Hoffman plays utterly blunt CIA operative and Afghan Task Force Chief, Gust Avrakotos. Unlike Hanks, PSH received an Academy nomination and this epic rant is one of the reasons as to why he landed one.
Alongside fellow great Meryl Streep, Hoffman takes on the role of a priest accused of having an illicit relationship with young boy. The dubious role of Father Flynn is a great one in that PSH plays exactly to the movie’s title and never lets the audience truly figure out the character.
In this crime drama, PSH plays Andy who, along with his brother, masterminds a jewel heist in his parents own store. Hoffman plays up to the role by bringing a perfect balance of poise and absolute intensity.
In his last collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson, PSH became L. Ron Hubbard Lancaster Dodd, the captivating leader of a newly formed religious cult movement. Joaquin Phoenix may have received the best actor nomination for his part in the movie, but it’s pretty clear that Hoffman was the true star for the film.
This will largely be remembered as Hoffman’s masterpiece. And it should be. After all, he took home the best actor Oscar for his brilliant take on “In Cold Blood” writer Truman Capote.
