RIP: Philip Seymour Hoffman

[3113]

News here.

We have lost one of the great actors of our time. I remember when I first saw him in "Boogie Nights." He was phenomenal and you just knew, watching him, that this was a rare talent. I couldn't wait to see more from him--and he didn't disappoint. He's been in some good movies and not so good movies, large roles and small, but never once has he failed at a performance. One of my all time favorites is his brief but oh-so-mememorable cameo as Lester Bangs in "Almost Famous."

He was one of those chameleon actors, able to play a vast range of roles. And it's so sad to see him gone at the too young age of 46. I always imagined I'd be seeing him in movies for years to come....

 

[sr71plt]

That's a shock. RIP.

 

[sethp]

Wow what a shock! He was great in everything! He even nailed it as the villain in Mission Impossible Three.

 

[Bert_Fegg]

Fuck!! - Too soon

 

[AllardChardon]

Yes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, may you rest in peace in a way that may have eluded you in life. I will watch your performance in The Master today and remember you with great respect for your art.

 

[PennLady]

I saw this too and started a thread but better to join this one.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/mo...6.html?hp&_r=0

He was great in so many things... I really wish this would turn out not to be true.

Not sure about my favorite roles of his, but he was great in Capote, had a nice spot in The Invention of Lying and I was looking forward to seeing him in Catching Fire. And yes, he was terrific as Bangs in Almost Famous.

 

[lovecraft68]

I always have mixed emotions with things like this.

One hand addiction is a terrible thing and no one wants to live the way most addicts do.

On the other hand people like him have access to resources and help the poor crack head down the street could never dream of.

But because he is famous he will be mourned as a tragic loss.

meanwhile the cemetery's are full of marker less graves for the average addict that is not a tragedy because they couldn't act sing or make anyone laugh.

So is it too bad to see any life wasted, yes.

Do I see this as tragic because he was in movies?

No, I feel more for the drug addict hooking on the corner and freezing the cold whom no one will ever remember.

Who people on very boards like this or in r/l would call a disgusting loser.

But this guy is tragic?

I've buried too many friends and family members who lacked the money to get proper help to mourn this man or his ilk.

I have no pity for privileged users.

He punched his own card.

 

[Saxon_Hart]

I always have mixed emotions with things like this.

One hand addiction is a terrible thing and no one wants to live the way most addicts do.

On the other hand people like him have access to resources and help the poor crack head down the street could never dream of.

But because he is famous he will be mourned as a tragic loss.

meanwhile the cemetery's are full of marker less graves for the average addict that is not a tragedy because they couldn't act sing or make anyone laugh.

So is it too bad to see any life wasted, yes.

Do I see this as tragic because he was in movies?

No, I feel more for the drug addict hooking on the corner and freezing the cold whom no one will ever remember.

Who people on very boards like this or in r/l would call a disgusting loser.

But this guy is tragic?

I've buried too many friends and family members who lacked the money to get proper help to mourn this man or his ilk.

I have no pity for privileged users.

He punched his own card.

I don't mourn the loss of an addict, but I did enjoy his talent and what he had to share with the world. I mourn the loss of that talent. I enjoyed his acting.

 

[sr71plt]

Yes, his talent--and not just having it, but also demonstrating it. I'm not aware that he took anyone else out with him when he passed on, so I won't go looking for a reason to bad mouth him on this thread.

(Fun comparisons here on what was posted to me when I regretted Peter O'Toole's passing but said I wasn't as impressed with his acting as others were.)

 

[patientlee]

I honestly don't know who he is.

Yes. I live under a rock.

ETA: OK. I saw Twister. I know who he is now. I gotta get out more.

 

[lovecraft68]

Yes, his talent--and not just having it, but also demonstrating it. I'm not aware that he took anyone else out with him when he passed on, so I won't go looking for a reason to bad mouth him on this thread.

Actually I'm bad mouthing the people who are idiotic enough to think his life was worth more than your typical addicts. Or mine or yours for that matter.

I mentioned any lost life is a waste, but you don't read everything I type.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I always have mixed emotions with things like this.

One hand addiction is a terrible thing and no one wants to live the way most addicts do.

On the other hand people like him have access to resources and help the poor crack head down the street could never dream of.

But because he is famous he will be mourned as a tragic loss.

meanwhile the cemetery's are full of marker less graves for the average addict that is not a tragedy because they couldn't act sing or make anyone laugh.

So is it too bad to see any life wasted, yes.

Do I see this as tragic because he was in movies?

No, I feel more for the drug addict hooking on the corner and freezing the cold whom no one will ever remember.

Who people on very boards like this or in r/l would call a disgusting loser.

But this guy is tragic?

I've buried too many friends and family members who lacked the money to get proper help to mourn this man or his ilk.

I have no pity for privileged users.

He punched his own card.

I've seen folks put down the bottle and syringe, and never go back. I put down my cigarettes 4 July 2001, and never smoked again. There are medical studies about heroin addiction where the addict was told pills exist for painless cures, and they never had a problem withdrawing tho the pills were flavorless gelatin. The detox people believed the pills were real. I had my wisdom teeth pulled with no pain or discomfort via hypnosis. The dentist said, RELAX, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THE PAIN PART RIGHT NOW, I GOTTA POKE AND PROD FIRST, JUST SOME PRESSURE IS ALL YOU SHOULD FEEL.

 

[PennLady]

I always have mixed emotions with things like this.

One hand addiction is a terrible thing and no one wants to live the way most addicts do.

On the other hand people like him have access to resources and help the poor crack head down the street could never dream of.

But because he is famous he will be mourned as a tragic loss.

meanwhile the cemetery's are full of marker less graves for the average addict that is not a tragedy because they couldn't act sing or make anyone laugh.

And that in itself is a tragedy, I doubt anyone would say differently.

However, couldn't you go far enough back with just about anyone, famous or not, and say that at some point they had a choice *not* to start with whatever substance they became addicted to? Not everyone has access to the same resources, I'll agree, but most people (most, not all, I realize) could have said "no" to that first pill, smoke, whatever.

We don't know what happened. This could have been an accidental overdose, as I believe was the case with Heath Ledger, or it could have been something else entirely, like a stroke. Because he has had drug issues, it's certainly natural to bring that up as a possibility.

Is his death more or less tragic than anyone else's? No. However, he was a famous and talented actor and as most of us have said, we will miss seeing him do his job, because he was so good at it.

I also think situations like this highlight just how difficult addictions are to fight, no matter who you are, how much money you have or what rehabs you go to.

Surely it *is* a tragic loss to his family; I understand he had three children.

 

[sr71plt]

In the realm of two-faced, I'll note that Peter O'Toole had a drug problem too (alcohol is a drug).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...e-Last-of-the-hard-drinking-hell-raisers.html

 

[Bramblethorn]

I always have mixed emotions with things like this.

One hand addiction is a terrible thing and no one wants to live the way most addicts do.

On the other hand people like him have access to resources and help the poor crack head down the street could never dream of.

How much does that help, though? I know the media's not a reliable source on this, but it sure seems like expensive celebrity rehab isn't that effective, going by the number of frequent flyers out there.

I think some people bring their demons with them. Somebody from Layne Staley, singer of Alice in Chains - it's easy to look at them and say this guy was a massively successful rock star, he had money and talent, and he pissed it away on heroin and died at 34 weighing 86 pounds. But he said in interviews that the thing that pushed him to become a rock star was that his father left when he was eight, and he believed if he became famous his father would come back. I don't think any amount of money can fix that sort of pain.

(And then his father did show up, too late to help, and seems to have encouraged his drug habit.)

 

[StrangeLife]

I honestly don't know who he is.

Yes. I live under a rock.

ETA: OK. I saw Twister. I know who he is now. I gotta get out more.

And more recently Hunger Games...

http://s22.postimg.org/kzopczmbl/the_hunger_games_catching_fire_philip_seymour_ho.jpg



LC is right - he punched his own ticket - but still...

 

[PennLady]

According to this article at CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/02/showbiz/philip-seymour-hoffman-obit/index.html?hpt=hp_t1), it was heroin.

Sigh.

 

[Hypoxia]

OD'd on smack. What a dork. Doesn't matter how brilliant he was.

 

[3113]

OD'd on smack. What a dork. Doesn't matter how brilliant he was.

Um, yes, it does matter. He put out a body of work that remains, and that is what matters because any of us could die at any time from anything. If something happened to you tomorrow, all that would be left behind of you would be stupid comments like this, easily and quickly forgotten.

Not so of PSH. And so, yes, he matters. How we leave this world matters not at all—only what we did while we were here.

 

[SamScribble]

Um, yes, it does matter. He put out a body of work that remains, and that is what matters because any of us could die at any time from anything. If something happened to you tomorrow, all that would be left behind of you would be stupid comments like this, easily and quickly forgotten.

Not so of PSH. And so, yes, he matters. How we leave this world matters not at all—only what we did while we were here.

Good point.

 

[patientlee]

And more recently Hunger Games...

http://s22.postimg.org/kzopczmbl/the_hunger_games_catching_fire_philip_seymour_ho.jpg



LC is right - he punched his own ticket - but still...

Ok. I listened to Hunger Games on Netflix.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Wow what a shock! He was great in everything! He even nailed it as the villain in Mission Impossible Three.

first thing I ever saw him in.

I loved Mary and Max.

He did an amazing bit part in Red Dragon.

RIP

 

[walkerlong]

It is pretty sad. He could portray such a range of characters, from overtly creepy to vaguely unsettling. And anything in between.

 

[robertreams]

I first saw him as the bad guy, converted at the end in Patch Adams. I really love an actor that makes me hate them well. I hated Angela Lansbury for 25 years after I saw her as the Queen of Hearts in The Manchurian Candidate. Anyway, Heroin is such a fucked up thing. What a waste!

 

[Hypoxia]

OD'd on smack. What a dork. Doesn't matter how brilliant he was.

Um, yes, it does matter. He put out a body of work that remains, and that is what matters because any of us could die at any time from anything.

I'll disagree because I've had friends who died of overdoses. Some were quite brilliant. Once they removed themselves from the living, they no longer mattered, except as painful memories and poster children for how NOT to behave. Doesn't matter how brilliant one is in other areas -- injecting toxic substances is STUPID. Survival becomes a matter of luck, not intent, and any survivor is still a dumbass.