The tragic passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman this past Sunday has left the film community shocked. The world lost an incredibly gifted actor and director, who gave total devotion to his craft. While his troubled personal life was public knowledge, at age forty-six his passing was all too soon, with his best work still ahead of him. In this time of mourning, we honor Hoffman’s career and his contributions to film and theatre.
Hoffman’s natural talent as an actor first emerged while he was still in high school. While he was only seventeen he was selected to attend the New York State Summer School of the Arts in theatre drama. This was and still is a high honor for high school students aspiring to excel in the arts. Hoffman earned his BFA in drama while attending the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating from NYU in 1989, Hoffman maintained a relationship with the school during his acting career, inspiring many. Only weeks before his death, Hoffman met with a group of the Tisch faculty to learn more about the schools future plans for the Performing Arts Center.
As an actor, Hoffman’s greatest strength was his ability to find the character within himself. An incredibly skilled character actor, Hoffman was able to bring to life deeply flawed characters. Hoffman believed in “laying bare the things that make people tick”, and he made numerous touching performances. This process and painful attention to detail would ultimately take a toll on the gifted performer. When asked about his responsibility as an actor Hoffman replied:
“Actors are responsible to the people we play. I don't label or judge. I just play them as honestly and expressively and creatively as I can, in the hope that people who ordinarily turn their heads in disgust instead think, 'What I thought I'd feel about that guy, I don't totally feel right now.”
Hoffman had this to say about his profession as an actor:
“To have that concentration to act well is like lugging things up staircases in your brain. I think that's a thing people don't understand. It is that exhausting. If you're doing it well, if you're concentrating the way you need to, if your will and your concentration and emotional and imagination and emotional life are all in tune, concentrated and working together in that role, that is just like lugging weights upstairs with your head..And I don't think that should get any easier.”
The world has lost a gentle and talented man, an Academy Award winner, and an individual so passionate about their art and profession that they were willing to do anything in their power to bring their vision to life. Philip Seymour Hoffman will be truly missed.
Written by Jacob Smith Chamelin
Web Editor, Visions Film Festival & Conference
Wilmington, NC.
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