158-469: Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles —eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical productions, including leading roles, from the early 1990s until his death in 2014. He was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time in a 2022 readers' poll by Empire magazine. Hoffman studied acting at New York University 's Tisch School of
316-541: A Tony Award for Best Author , the New York Drama Circle Critics' Award , and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards. The play was performed 742 times. In 1949, Miller exchanged letters with Eugene O'Neill regarding Miller's production of All My Sons . O'Neill had sent Miller a congratulatory telegram; in response, he wrote a letter that consisted of
474-466: A boom operator , described by David Fear of Rolling Stone as a "complete, unabashed loser", who attempts to seduce Wahlberg's character. Warmly received by critics, the film grew into a cult classic , and has been cited as the role in which Hoffman first showed his full ability. Fear commended the "naked emotional neediness" of the performance, adding that it made for compulsive viewing. Hoffman later expressed his appreciation for Anderson when he called
632-581: A delicatessen to become a professional actor. Hoffman continued playing small roles throughout the early 1990s. After appearing in Joey Breaker and the critically panned teen zombie picture My Boyfriend's Back , he had a more notable role playing John Cusack 's wealthy friend in the crime comedy Money for Nothing . In 1994, he portrayed an inexperienced mobster in the crime thriller The Getaway , starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger , and he subsequently appeared with Andy García and Meg Ryan in
790-566: A misanthropic black comedy about the lives of three sisters and those around them. He played Allen, a sexually frustrated loner who makes obscene phone calls to women; the character furiously masturbates during one conversation, producing what film scholar Jerry Mosher calls an "embarrassingly raw performance". Jake Coyle of the Associated Press rated Allen as "one of the creepiest characters in American movies", but critic Xan Brooks highlighted
948-574: A Golden Globe nomination for his performance in The Savages . He next appeared in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead , the final film by veteran director Sidney Lumet , where he played a realtor who embezzles funds from his employer to support his drug habit. Mosher comments that the character was one of the most unpleasant of Hoffman's career, but that his "fearlessness again revealed the humanity within
1106-517: A Play . In 2004, he appeared as the crude, has-been actor friend of Ben Stiller 's character in the box-office hit Along Came Polly . Reflecting on the role, People said it proved that "Hoffman could deliver comedic performances with the best of them". A turning point in Hoffman's career came with the biographical film Capote (2005), which dramatized Truman Capote 's experience of writing his true crime novel In Cold Blood (1966). Hoffman took
1264-412: A Play : one for Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train in 2001, and another for Our Lady of 121st Street in 2003. In a 2008 interview, Hoffman opined that "switching hats" between acting and directing helped him improve in both roles. David Mamet 's comedy State and Main , about the difficulties of shooting a film in rural New England , was Hoffman's first film role of 2000 and had a limited release. He had
1422-485: A Salesman . Within six weeks, he completed the rest of the play, one of the classics of world theater. Death of a Salesman premiered on Broadway on February 10, 1949, at the Morosco Theatre , directed by Elia Kazan , and starring Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman , Mildred Dunnock as Linda, Arthur Kennedy as Biff, and Cameron Mitchell as Happy. The play was commercially successful and critically acclaimed, winning
1580-687: A brutally frank CIA officer in Charlie Wilson's War (2007), a priest accused of child sexual abuse in Doubt (2008), and the charismatic leader of a Scientology -type movement in The Master (2012). While he mainly worked in independent films , including The Savages (2007) and Synecdoche, New York (2008), Hoffman also appeared in Hollywood blockbusters, such as Twister (1996) and Mission: Impossible III (2006). He played Plutarch Heavensbee in
1738-595: A complex character that Hoffman described as a "mass of contradictions". The same year, from April to August, he appeared with Vanessa Redgrave , Brian Dennehy , and Robert Sean Leonard in a Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill 's Long Day's Journey into Night . Director Robert Falls later commented on the dedication and experience that Hoffman brought to his role of alcoholic Jamie Tyrone: "Every night he ripped it up to an extent that he couldn't leave [the role]. Phil carried it with him." Hoffman received his second Tony Award nomination, this time for Best Featured Actor in
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#17331144083001896-455: A crisis when one is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease . The drama received favorable reviews, and Stephen Holden of The New York Times called Hoffman's performance "exceptional". In 2013, Hoffman joined the popular Hunger Games series in its second film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire , where he played gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee . The film finished as the 10th-highest grossing in history to that point, and Hoffman became recognizable to
2054-464: A deeply flawed character" as he appeared naked in the opening sex scene. The film was received positively by critics as a powerful and affecting thriller. Mike Nichols 's political film Charlie Wilson's War (2007) gave Hoffman his second Academy Award nomination, again for playing a real individual— Gust Avrakotos , the CIA officer who worked with Congressman Charlie Wilson (played by Tom Hanks ) to aid
2212-538: A deeply psychological role. Critics were divided in their response to the "ambitious and baffling" film. Sonny Bunch of The Washington Times found it "impressionistic, inaccessible, and endlessly frustrating", likening Hoffman's character to "God, if God lacked imagination". Conversely, Roger Ebert named it the best film of the decade and considered it one of the greatest of all time, and Robbie Collin , film critic for The Daily Telegraph , believes Hoffman gave one of cinema's best performances. Hoffman's second role of
2370-555: A documentary about the 2000 U.S. elections . He assumed the position of a "politically informed and alienated Generation-Xer " who seeks to be educated in U.S. politics, but ultimately reveals the extent of public dissatisfaction in this area. In 2002, Hoffman was given his first leading role (despite joking at the time "Even if I was hired into a leading-man part, I'd probably turn it into the non-leading-man part") in Todd Louiso 's tragicomedy Love Liza (2002). His brother Gordy wrote
2528-421: A few paragraphs detailing his gratitude for the telegram, apologizing for not responding earlier, and inviting Eugene to the opening of Death of a Salesman . O'Neill replied, accepting the apology, but declining the invitation, explaining that his Parkinson's disease made it difficult to travel. He ended the letter with an invitation to Boston , a trip that never occurred. In 1952, Elia Kazan appeared before
2686-615: A great duty to "express the vitality and the nuances" of the writer. During filming, he stayed in character constantly so as not to lose the voice and posture: "Otherwise," he explained, "I would give my body a chance to bail on me." Capote was released to great acclaim, particularly regarding Hoffman's performance. Many critics commented that the role was designed to win awards, and indeed Hoffman received an Oscar , Golden Globe , Screen Actors Guild Award , BAFTA , and various other critics' awards. In 2006, Premiere listed his role in Capote as
2844-421: A high standard was a challenge: "The job isn't difficult. Doing it well is difficult." In an earlier interview with The New York Times , he explained how deeply he loved acting but added, "that deep kind of love comes at a price: for me, acting is torturous, and it's torturous because you know it's a beautiful thing ... Wanting it is easy, but trying to be great—well, that's absolutely torturous." This struggle
3002-467: A joint Volpi Cup Award at the Venice Film Festival for their performances, and Hoffman was also nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award and a SAG Award for the supporting role. A Late Quartet was Hoffman's other film release of 2012, where he played a violinist in a string quartet whose members (played by Christopher Walken , Catherine Keener , and Mark Ivanir ) face
3160-609: A judge found Miller guilty of contempt of Congress in May 1957. Miller was sentenced to a fine and a prison sentence, blacklisted from Hollywood , and disallowed a US passport. In August 1958, his conviction was overturned by the court of appeals, which ruled that Miller had been misled by the chairman of the HUAC. Miller's experience with the HUAC affected him throughout his life. In the late 1970s, he joined other celebrities (including William Styron and Mike Nichols ) who were brought together by
3318-471: A lawyer and eventually a family court judge. His father, Gordon Stowell Hoffman, was a native of Geneva, New York , and worked for the Xerox Corporation . Hoffman had one brother, Gordy , and two sisters, Jill and Emily. His ancestry included Irish and German. Hoffman was baptized a Catholic and attended Mass as a child, but did not have a heavily religious upbringing. His parents divorced when he
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#17331144083003476-562: A likely drug overdose. Huston, who had also directed her in her first major role in The Asphalt Jungle in 1950, and who had seen her rise to stardom, put the blame for her death on her doctors as opposed to the stresses of being a star: "The girl was an addict of sleeping pills and she was made so by the God-damn doctors. It had nothing to do with the Hollywood set-up." In 1964, After
3634-573: A mainstream audience. Returning to independent films in 2007, Hoffman began with a starring role in Tamara Jenkins 's The Savages , where Laura Linney and he played siblings responsible for putting their dementia-ridden father ( Philip Bosco ) in a care home. Jake Coyle of the Associated Press stated that it was "the epitome of a Hoffman film: a mix of comedy and tragedy told with subtlety, bone-dry humor, and flashes of grace". Hoffman received
3792-582: A menacing figure because of his "long, angular face", which was easily recognized in public, although audiences rarely knew his name. Character actors can play a variety of types, such as the femme fatale , gunslinger , sidekick , town drunk , villain , hooker with a heart of gold , and many others. Prolific character actors, such as Margo Martindale , are rarely out of work, and they often have long careers that span decades. They are often highly esteemed by fellow actors. Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005)
3950-546: A more prominent supporting role that year in Almost Famous , Cameron Crowe 's popular coming-of-age film set in the 1970s music industry. Hoffman portrayed the enthusiastic rock critic Lester Bangs , a task by which he felt burdened, but he managed to convey the real figure's mannerisms and sharp wit after watching him in a BBC interview. The following year, Hoffman featured as the narrator and interviewer in The Party's Over ,
4108-465: A nearby apartment to protect their children from the effects of his relapse into substance abuse. He felt that keeping his personal life private was beneficial to his career: "The less you know about me the more interesting it will be to watch me do what I do". Hoffman was also discreet about his religious and political beliefs, but it is known that he voted for the Green Party candidate Ralph Nader in
4266-472: A new generation of film-goers. In January 2014, shortly before his death, he attended the Sundance Film Festival to promote two films. In Anton Corbijn 's A Most Wanted Man , a thriller based on John le Carré 's novel, Hoffman played a German intelligence officer. His performance was praised by Xan Brooks as one of "terrific, lip-smacking relish: full of mischief, anchored by integrity." The other
4424-787: A particular part or in a certain genre, such that the actor becomes so strongly identified with a particular type of role that casting directors and theatrical agents steer the actor to similar roles. Some character actors are known as "chameleons", able to play roles that vary wildly, such as Gary Oldman and Christian Bale . Many character actors tend to play the same type of role throughout their careers, like Harvey Keitel as tough, determined characters; Christopher Lloyd as eccentrics; Claude Rains as sophisticated, sometimes morally ambiguous men; Abe Vigoda as aging criminals; Fairuza Balk as moody goth girls; Doug Jones as non-human creatures; and Forest Whitaker as composed characters with underlying volatility. Ed Lauter usually portrayed
4582-654: A photographer documenting the production of The Misfits . The first of their two children, Rebecca , was born September 15, 1962. Their son Daniel was born with Down syndrome in November 1966. Against his wife's wishes, Miller had him institutionalized , first at a home for infants in New York City, then at the Southbury Training School in Connecticut. Though Morath visited Daniel often, Miller never visited him at
4740-478: A playwright was established. Years later, in a 1994 interview with Ron Rifkin , Miller said that most contemporary critics regarded All My Sons as "a very depressing play in a time of great optimism" and that positive reviews from Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times had saved it from failure. In 1948, Miller built a small studio in Roxbury, Connecticut . There, in less than a day, he wrote Act I of Death of
4898-413: A playwright. He enrolled in a playwriting seminar with the influential Professor Kenneth Rowe , who emphasized how a play was built to achieve its intended effect, or what Miller called "the dynamics of play construction". Rowe gave Miller realistic feedback and much-needed encouragement, and became a lifelong friend. Miller retained strong ties to his alma mater through the rest of his life, establishing
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Misplaced Pages Continue
5056-568: A real family of her own and was eager to join the family of her new husband. Monroe began to reconsider her career and the fact that trying to manage it made her feel helpless. She admitted to Miller, "I hate Hollywood . I don't want it any more. I want to live quietly in the country and just be there when you need me. I can't fight for myself any more." Monroe converted to Judaism to "express her loyalty and get close to both Miller and his parents", writes biographer Jeffrey Meyers. She told her close friend, Susan Strasberg : "I can identify with
5214-501: A relationship with costume designer Mimi O'Donnell, whom he had met in 1999 when they were both working on the Hoffman-directed play In Arabia We'd All Be Kings . They lived in New York City and had a son, Cooper , and two daughters. While some reports stated Hoffman and O'Donnell separated in late 2013, O'Donnell later said she and Hoffman were both committed to their relationship, but he had moved out of their longtime residence to
5372-564: A review in the New Republic , called After the Fall "a three and one half hour breach of taste, a confessional autobiography of embarrassing explicitness ... There is a misogynistic strain in the play which the author does not seem to recognize. ... He has created a shameless piece of tabloid gossip, an act of exhibitionism which makes us all voyeurs ... a wretched piece of dramatic writing." That year, Miller produced Incident at Vichy . In 1965, he
5530-403: A struggle and a fight to tackle. That's what interests me." The journalist Jeff Simon described Hoffman as "probably the most in-demand character actor of his generation", but Hoffman said he never took it for granted that he would be offered roles. Although he worked hard and regularly, he was humble about his acting success: an anecdote went that when asked by a friend in the early 2000s if he
5688-484: A wide range of roles. Joel Schumacher once said of him in 2000, "The bad news is that Philip won't be a $ 25-million star. The good news is that he'll work for the rest of his life". The Aiken Standard of South Carolina referred to him as an "anti-star", whose real identity remained "amorphous and unmoored". Hoffman was acutely aware that he was often too unorthodox for the Academy voters. He remarked, "I'm sure that people in
5846-534: A writer and filmmaker, completed a documentary about her father's life, Arthur Miller: Writer . Minor planet 3769 Arthurmiller is named after him. In the 2022 Netflix film Blonde , Miller was portrayed by Adrien Brody . The Arthur Miller Foundation was founded to honor the legacy of Miller and the New York City Public School education. Its mission is "Promoting increased access and equity to theater arts education in our schools and increasing
6004-427: Is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation. While all actors play "characters", the term character actor is often applied to an actor who frequently plays a distinctive and important supporting role. In another sense, a character actor may also be one who specializes in minor roles. A character actor may play a variety of characters in their career, often referred to as a "chameleon", or may be known for playing
6162-517: Is that?' I thought to myself: My God, this actor is fearless," she said. "He's done what we all strive for — he's given this awful character the respect he deserves, and he's made him fascinating." In recognition of his work in Magnolia and The Talented Mr. Ripley , Hoffman was named the year's Best Supporting Actor by the National Board of Review . Following a string of roles in successful films in
6320-551: Is the only person—human being I have ever known that I could love not only as a man to which I am attracted to practically out of my senses—but he is the only person—as another human being that I trust as much as myself... During the filming of the 1961 film The Misfits , which Miller wrote the script for, Miller and Monroe's marriage dissolved. Monroe obtained a " Mexican divorce " from Miller in January 1961. In February 1962, Miller married photographer Inge Morath , who had worked as
6478-662: Is the only theater in the world that bears his name. Miller's letters, notes, drafts and other papers are housed at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Miller is also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame . He was inducted in 1979. In 1993, he received the Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech. In 2017, his daughter, Rebecca Miller,
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Misplaced Pages Continue
6636-553: Is to create a sustainable theater education model to disseminate to teachers at professional development workshops. Miller donated thirteen boxes of his earliest manuscripts to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin in 1961 and 1962. This collection included the original handwritten notebooks and early typed drafts for Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , All My Sons , and other works. In January, 2018,
6794-599: Is to provide arts education in the New York City school system . Its current chancellor is Carmen Farina, a prominent proponent of the Common Core State Standards Initiative . The Master Arts Council includes Alec Baldwin , Ellen Barkin , Bradley Cooper , Dustin Hoffman , Scarlett Johansson , Tony Kushner , Julianne Moore , Michael Moore , Liam Neeson , David O. Russell , and Liev Schreiber . Miller's son-in-law, Daniel Day-Lewis , has served on
6952-464: The Chicago Tribune felt that the character had been interpreted poorly. Hoffman admitted that he found the role difficult, but he nevertheless earned his third Tony Award nomination. Hoffman collaborated with Paul Thomas Anderson for the fifth time in The Master (2012), where he turned in what critic Peter Bradshaw considered the most memorable performance of his career. Set in 1950s America,
7110-460: The Hunger Games series (2013–2015), in one of his final roles. The feature Jack Goes Boating (2010) marked his debut as a filmmaker. Hoffman was also an accomplished theater actor and director. He joined the off-Broadway LAByrinth Theater Company in 1995, where he directed, produced, and appeared in numerous stage productions. Hoffman received Tony Award nominations for his performances in
7268-520: The Afghan Mujahideen in their fight against the Soviet Union . Todd McCarthy wrote of Hoffman's performance: "Decked out with a pouffy '80s hairdo, moustache, protruding gut and ever-present smokes ... whenever he's on, the picture vibrates with conspiratorial electricity." The film was a critical and commercial success, and along with his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor , Hoffman
7426-453: The Broadway revivals of Sam Shepard 's True West (2000), Eugene O'Neill 's Long Day's Journey into Night (2003), and Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman (2012). Hoffman struggled with drug addiction as a young adult and relapsed in 2012 after many years of sobriety. In February 2014, he died of combined drug intoxication . Remembered for bringing nuance, depth, and humanity to
7584-742: The Chicago Tribune, Studs Terkel remarked, "In reading [the Theater Essays ] ... you are exhilaratingly aware of a social critic, as well as a playwright, who knows what he's talking about." In 1983, Miller traveled to China to produce and direct Death of a Salesman at the People's Art Theatre in Beijing . It was a success in China and in 1984, Salesman in Beijing , a book about Miller's experiences in Beijing,
7742-595: The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Kazan named eight members of the Group Theatre , including Clifford Odets , Paula Strasberg , Lillian Hellman , J. Edward Bromberg , and John Garfield , who in recent years had been fellow members of the Communist Party . Miller and Kazan were close friends throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, but after Kazan's testimony to the HUAC,
7900-640: The Jews . Everybody's always out to get them, no matter what they do, like me." Soon after Monroe converted, Egypt banned all of her movies. Away from Hollywood and the culture of celebrity, Monroe's life became more normal; she began cooking, keeping house, and giving Miller more attention and affection than he had been used to. Later that year, Miller was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee , and Monroe accompanied him. In her personal notes, she wrote about her worries during this period: I am so concerned about protecting Arthur. I love him—and he
8058-703: The John Steinbeck "In the Souls of the People" Award , which is given to those who capture "Steinbeck’s empathy, commitment to democratic values, and belief in the dignity of people who by circumstance are pushed to the fringes." In 2001, he received the National Book Foundation 's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. On May 1, 2002, he received Spain's Principe de Asturias Prize for Literature as "the undisputed master of modern drama". Later that year, Ingeborg Morath died of lymphatic cancer at
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#17331144083008216-625: The Joseph Papp Public Theater in a Mark Wing-Davey production of Caryl Churchill 's The Skriker . Following this, based on his work in Scent of a Woman , he was cast by writer–director Paul Thomas Anderson to appear in his debut feature Hard Eight (1996). Hoffman had only a brief role in the crime thriller, playing a cocksure young craps player, but it began the most important collaboration of his career. Before cementing his creative partnership with Anderson, Hoffman appeared in one of
8374-630: The LAByrinth Theatre Company honored his memory by holding a candlelight vigil, and Broadway dimmed its lights for one minute. Three weeks after Hoffman's death, Katz established the American Playwriting Foundation in Hoffman's memory. With the money received from a libel lawsuit against the National Enquirer which inaccurately claimed that Hoffman and Katz were lovers, the foundation awards an annual prize of $ 45,000 to
8532-607: The Monica Lewinsky investigation to the Salem witch hunt . Miller had asserted a parallel between the examination of physical evidence on Lewinsky's dress and the examinations of women's bodies for signs of the "Devil's Marks" in Salem. Hitchens scathingly disputed the parallel. In his memoir, Hitch-22 , Hitchens bitterly noted that Miller, despite his prominence as a left-wing intellectual, had failed to support author Salman Rushdie during
8690-789: The National Medal of Arts . He was honored with the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award for a Master American Dramatist in 1998. In 2001, the National Endowment for the Humanities selected him for the Jefferson Lecture , the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities . His lecture, "On Politics and the Art of Acting", analyzed political events (including the U.S. presidential election of 2000 ) in terms of
8848-697: The Prince of Asturias Award in 2002, and the Jerusalem Prize in 2003, and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize in 1999. Miller was born in the Harlem area of Manhattan Island, the second of three children of Augusta (Barnett) and Isidore Miller. He was born into a Jewish family of Polish-Jewish descent. His father was born in Radomyśl Wielki , Galicia (then part of Austria-Hungary , now Poland), and his mother
9006-633: The Soviet Union after he campaigned for the freedom of dissident writers . Throughout the 1970s, he spent much of his time experimenting with the theatre, producing one-act plays such as Fame and The Reason Why , and traveling with his wife, producing In the Country and Chinese Encounters with her. Both his 1972 comedy The Creation of the World and Other Business and its musical adaptation, Up from Paradise , were critical and commercial failures. Miller
9164-665: The University of Michigan . After graduation ( c. 1936 ), he worked as a psychiatric aide and copywriter before accepting faculty posts at New York University and University of New Hampshire . On May 1, 1935, he joined the League of American Writers (1935–1943), whose members included Alexander Trachtenberg of International Publishers , Franklin Folsom , Louis Untermeyer , I. F. Stone , Myra Page , Millen Brand , Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett . Members were largely either Communist Party members or fellow travelers . At
9322-412: The independent film Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole . After this, he adopted his grandfather's name, Seymour, to avoid confusion with another actor. More film roles promptly followed, with appearances in the studio production My New Gun , and a small role in the comedy Leap of Faith , starring Steve Martin . Following these roles, he gained attention playing a spoiled private school student in
9480-498: The "arts of performance". It drew attacks from some conservatives such as Jay Nordlinger , who called it "a disgrace"; and George Will , who argued that Miller was not a legitimate "scholar". In October 1999, Miller received The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize , given annually to "a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life". Additionally in 1999, San Jose State University honored Miller with
9638-666: The 2000 presidential election. He also donated to Al Franken 's senate campaign and the Democratic National Committee . In a 2006 interview with 60 Minutes , Hoffman revealed he had engaged in drug and alcohol misuse during his time at New York University, saying he had used "anything I could get my hands on. I liked it all." Following his graduation in 1989, he entered a drug rehabilitation program at age 22, and remained sober for 23 years. However, he relapsed in 2012, and admitted himself to drug rehabilitation for about ten days in May 2013. On February 2, 2014, Hoffman
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#17331144083009796-606: The 2014 documentary That Guy Dick Miller ; with a prime example of a "that guy" actor being John Carroll Lynch . Over the course of an acting career, an actor can sometimes shift between leading roles and supporting roles. Some leading actors, as they get older, find that access to leading roles is limited by their age. Sometimes character actors have developed careers based on specific talents needed in genre films, such as dancing, horsemanship, acrobatics, swimming ability, or boxing. Many up-and-coming actors find themselves typecast in character roles due to an early success with
9954-456: The 35th-greatest movie performance of all time. After the film, several commentators began to describe Hoffman as one of the finest, most ambitious actors of his generation. Hoffman received his only Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his supporting role in the HBO miniseries Empire Falls (2005), about life in a New England town. He ultimately lost to castmate Paul Newman. In 2006, he appeared in
10112-658: The Arts . He gained recognition for his supporting work, notably in Scent of a Woman (1992), Boogie Nights (1997), Happiness (1998), The Big Lebowski (1998), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Almost Famous (2000). He began to occasionally play leading roles, and for his portrayal of the author Truman Capote in Capote (2005), won the Academy Award for Best Actor . Further Oscar nominations came for playing
10270-531: The Bridge , a play where a longshoreman outs his co-workers motivated only by jealousy and greed. He sent a copy of the initial script to Kazan and when the director asked in jest to direct the movie, Miller replied "I only sent you the script to let you know what I think of stool-pigeons ." In The Crucible , which was first performed at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway on January 22, 1953, Miller likened
10428-434: The Bridge , opened on Broadway in a joint bill with one of Miller's lesser-known plays, A Memory of Two Mondays . The following year, Miller revised A View from the Bridge as a two-act prose drama, which Peter Brook directed in London. A French-Italian co-production Vu du pont , based on the play, was released in 1962. The HUAC took an interest in Miller himself not long after The Crucible opened, engineering
10586-407: The Bullstoi Ensemble acting troupe. He received a drama degree in 1989. After graduating, Hoffman worked in off-Broadway theater and made additional money with customer service jobs. He made his screen debut in 1991, in a Law & Order episode called " The Violence of Summer ", playing a man accused of rape . He made his film debut the following year, when he was credited as "Phil Hoffman" in
10744-411: The Fall was produced, and is said to be a deeply personal view of Miller's experiences during his marriage to Monroe. It reunited Miller with his former friend Kazan; they collaborated on the script and direction. It opened on January 23, 1964, at the ANTA Theatre in Washington Square Park amid a flurry of publicity and outrage at putting a Monroe-like character, Maggie, on stage. Robert Brustein, in
10902-404: The Mass, Hoffman's body was taken to be cremated, with his ashes given to his partner and children. He left his fortune of around $ 35 million to Mimi O'Donnell in his October 2004 will, trusting her to distribute money to their children. Hoffman's death was lamented by fans and the film industry and was described by several commentators as a considerable loss to the profession. On February 5, 2014,
11060-486: The Oscar-winning Al Pacino film Scent of a Woman (1992). Hoffman auditioned five times for his role, which The Guardian journalist Ryan Gilbey says gave him an early opportunity "to indulge his skill for making unctuousness compelling". The film earned US$ 134 million worldwide and was the first to get Hoffman noticed. Reflecting on Scent of a Woman , Hoffman later said, "If I hadn't gotten into that film, I wouldn't be where I am today." At this time, he quit his job in
11218-428: The Ransom Center announced the acquisition of the remainder of the Miller archive, totaling over 200 boxes. The full archive opened in November, 2019. Christopher Bigsby wrote Arthur Miller: The Definitive Biography based on boxes of papers Miller made available to him before his death in 2005. The book was published in November 2008, and is reported to reveal unpublished works in which Miller "bitterly attack[ed]
11376-497: The US State Department's denying him a passport to attend the play's London opening in 1954. When Miller applied in 1956 for a routine renewal of his passport , the House Un-American Activities Committee used this opportunity to subpoena him to appear before the committee. Before appearing, Miller asked the committee not to ask him to name names, to which the chairman, Francis E. Walter (D-PA) agreed. When Miller attended
11534-466: The University of Michigan, Miller first majored in journalism and wrote for the student newspaper, The Michigan Daily , and the satirical Gargoyle Humor Magazine . It was during this time that he wrote his first play, No Villain . He switched his major to English , and subsequently won the Avery Hopwood Award for No Villain. The award led him to consider that he could have a career as
11692-458: The actor he wanted for it was unavailable. The low-key film had a limited release, and was not a high earner, though it received many positive reviews. However, Dave Edwards of the Daily Mirror remarked that "Hoffman's directing debut delivers a film so weak I could barely remember what it was about as I left", while critic Mark Kermode appreciated the cinematic qualities that Hoffman brought to
11850-511: The actor remained impressive, but had not delivered a testing performance on the level of his work in Capote . The film critic David Thomson believed that Hoffman showed indecisiveness at this time, unsure whether to play spectacular supporting roles or become a lead actor who is capable of controlling the emotional dynamic and outcome of a film. Hoffman's profile continued to grow with the new decade, and he became an increasingly recognizable figure. Despite earlier reservations about directing for
12008-501: The actor's comedic ability. In a very different film, Hoffman was next seen with Anthony Hopkins in the high-budget thriller Red Dragon , a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs , portraying the meddlesome tabloid journalist Freddy Lounds . His fourth appearance of 2002 came in Spike Lee 's drama 25th Hour , playing an English teacher who makes a devastating drunken mistake. Both Lee and
12166-399: The actor's particular talent was to "take thwarted, twisted humanity and ennoble it". "The more pathetic or deluded the character," writes Gilbey, "the greater Hoffman's relish seemed in rescuing them from the realms of the merely monstrous." When asked in 2006 why he undertook such roles, Hoffman responded, "I didn't go out looking for negative characters; I went out looking for people who have
12324-563: The age of 78. The following year, Miller won the Jerusalem Prize . In December 2004, 89-year-old Miller announced that he had been in love with 34-year-old minimalist painter Agnes Barley and had been living with her at his Connecticut farm since 2002, and that they intended to marry. Miller's final play, Finishing the Picture , opened at the Goodman Theatre , Chicago, in the fall of 2004, with one character said to be based on Barley. It
12482-640: The author of an unproduced play. Katz named this the "Relentless Prize" in honor of Hoffman's dedication to the profession. He would later remember Hoffman with a poem published in The Guardian in December 2014. In tribute, actress Cate Blanchett dedicated her BAFTA trophy to Hoffman when she received the award for Blue Jasmine on February 16. Years later, at the 90th Academy Awards , Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri actor Sam Rockwell dedicated his win for Best Supporting Actor to Hoffman. Hoffman
12640-491: The best films of the 2000s. The drama Owning Mahowny (2003) gave Hoffman his second lead role, starring opposite Minnie Driver as a bank employee who embezzles money to feed his gambling addiction . It was based on the true story of Toronto banker Brian Molony , who committed the largest fraud in Canadian history. , Hoffman met with Molony to prepare for the role and help him play the character as accurately as possible. He
12798-405: The big corporations that run Hollywood don't know quite what to do with someone like me, but that's OK. I think there are other people who are interested in what I do." Most of Hoffman's notable roles came in independent films, including particularly original ones, but he also featured in several Hollywood blockbusters. He generally played supporting roles, appearing in both dramas and comedies, but
12956-405: The book, he wrote extensively in detail about his experiences with Monroe. During the early 1990s, Miller wrote three new plays: The Ride Down Mt. Morgan (1991), The Last Yankee (1992), and Broken Glass (1994). In 1996, a film adaptation of The Crucible starring Daniel Day-Lewis , Paul Scofield , Bruce Davison and Winona Ryder was released. Miller spent much of 1996 working on
13114-449: The case. Miller began work on writing the screenplay for The Misfits in 1960, directed by John Huston and starring Monroe. It was during the filming that Miller's and Monroe's relationship hit difficulties, and he later said that the filming was one of the lowest points in his life. Monroe was taking drugs to help her sleep and other drugs to help her wake up, arriving on the set late, and having trouble remembering her lines. Huston
13272-454: The crime thriller Montana and the romantic comedy Next Stop Wonderland , both of which were commercial failures, before working with the Coen brothers in their dark comedy The Big Lebowski . Hoffman had long been a fan of the directors, and relished the experience of working with them. Appearing alongside Jeff Bridges and John Goodman , Hoffman played Brandt, the smug personal assistant of
13430-466: The current board of directors since 2016. The foundation celebrated Miller's 100th birthday with a one-night performance of his seminal works in November 2015. The Arthur Miller Foundation currently supports a pilot program in theater and film at the public school Quest to Learn, in partnership with the Institute of Play. The model is being used as an in-school elective theater class and lab. Its objective
13588-478: The cusp of stardom". Hoffman had begun to be recognized as a theater actor in 1999, when he received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor for the off-Broadway play The Author's Voice . This success continued with the 2000 Broadway revival of Sam Shepard 's True West , where Hoffman alternated roles nightly with co-star John C. Reilly , making 154 appearances between March and July 2000. Ben Brantley of The New York Times felt that it
13746-498: The director "incomparable". That wasn't easy. It's hard to sit in your boxers and jerk off in front of people for three hours. I was pretty heavy, and I was afraid that people would laugh at me. Todd said they might laugh, but they won't laugh at you. He saw what we were working for, which was the pathos of the moment. Sometimes, acting is a really private thing that you do for the world. Continuing with this momentum, Hoffman appeared in five films in 1998. He had supporting roles in
13904-570: The era. The film had a mixed reception, with some critics such as Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian suspicious of it as Oscar bait , but Hoffman gained second consecutive Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Oscars, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes, and was also nominated by the Screen Actors Guild . On stage in 2009, Hoffman played Iago in Peter Sellars ' futuristic production of Othello (with
14062-491: The family lost almost everything and moved to Gravesend, Brooklyn . According to Peter Applebome , they moved to Midwood . As a teenager, Miller delivered bread every morning before school to help the family. Miller later published an account of his early years under the title "A Boy Grew in Brooklyn". After graduating in 1932 from Abraham Lincoln High School , he worked at several menial jobs to pay for his college tuition at
14220-453: The film did not initially have an American release. He played Max, a depressed New Yorker with Asperger syndrome , while Toni Collette voiced Mary—the Australian girl who becomes his pen pal . Continuing with animation, Hoffman then worked on an episode of the children's show Arthur and received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program . Later in
14378-458: The film featured Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a nascent Scientology-type movement who brings a troubled man ( Joaquin Phoenix ) under his tutelage. Hoffman was instrumental in the project's development, having been involved with it for three years. He assisted Anderson in the writing of the script by reviewing samples of it, and suggested making Phoenix's character, Freddie Quell,
14536-565: The film had a limited release and earned only US$ 210,000. Later in 2002, Hoffman starred opposite Adam Sandler and Emily Watson in Anderson's critically acclaimed fourth picture, the surrealist romantic comedy-drama Punch-Drunk Love (2002), where he played an illegal phone-sex "supervisor". Drew Hunt of the Chicago Reader saw the performance as a fine example of Hoffman's "knack for turning small roles into seminal performances" and praised
14694-475: The film's lead Edward Norton were thrilled to work with Hoffman, and Lee confessed that he had long wanted to do a picture with the actor, but had waited until he found the right role. Hoffman considered his character, Jakob, to be one of the most reticent characters he had ever played, a straight-laced "corduroy-pants-wearing kind of guy." Roger Ebert promoted 25th Hour to one of his "Great Movies" in 2009, and along with A. O. Scott , considered it to be one of
14852-488: The film, and stated that he showed potential as a director. In addition to Jack Goes Boating , in 2010 Hoffman also directed Brett C. Leonard 's tragic drama The Long Red Road for the Goodman Theatre in Chicago . Steven Oxman of Variety described the production as "heavy handed" and "predictable", but "intriguing and at least partially successful". Hoffman next had significant supporting roles in two films, both released in
15010-598: The greatest films of all time, and it was a personal favorite of Hoffman's. One of the most critically and commercially successful films of Hoffman's career was The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), which he considered "as edgy as you can get for a Hollywood movie". He played a "preppy bully" who taunts Matt Damon 's Tom Ripley in the thriller, a character which Jeff Simon of The Buffalo News called "the truest upper class twit in all of American movies". Hoffman's performance won praise from Meryl Streep , another of his cinematic idols: "I sat up straight in my seat and said, 'Who
15168-399: The hearing, to which Monroe accompanied him, risking her own career, he gave the committee a detailed account of his political activities. Reneging on the chairman's promise, the committee demanded the names of friends and colleagues who had participated in similar activities. Miller refused to comply, saying "I could not use the name of another person and bring trouble on him." As a result,
15326-416: The injustices of American racism long before it was taken up by the civil rights movement". In his book Trinity of Passion , author Alan M. Wald conjectures that Miller was "a member of a writer's unit of the Communist Party around 1946", using the pseudonym Matt Wayne, and editing a drama column in the magazine The New Masses . In 1999, the writer Christopher Hitchens attacked Miller for comparing
15484-541: The journalist Joan Barthel. Barthel's coverage of the highly publicized Barbara Gibbons murder case helped raise bail for Gibbons' son Peter Reilly, who had been convicted of his mother's murder based on what many felt was a coerced confession and little other evidence. Barthel documented the case in her book A Death in Canaan , which was made as a television film of the same name and broadcast in 1978. City Confidential , an A&E Network series, produced an episode about
15642-498: The last third of 2011. In Bennett Miller 's Moneyball , a sports drama about the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, he played the manager Art Howe . The film was a critical and commercial success, and Hoffman was described as "perfectly cast" by Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post , but the real-life Art Howe accused the filmmakers of giving an "unfair and untrue" portrayal of him. Hoffman's second film of
15800-409: The late 1990s, Hoffman had established a reputation as a top supporting player who could be relied on to make an impression with each performance. His film appearances were likened by David Kamp of GQ to "discovering a prize in a box of cereal, receiving a bonus, or bumping unexpectedly into an old friend". According to Jerry Mosher, as the year 2000 began, "it seemed Hoffman was everywhere, poised on
15958-404: The lead role of an advertising executive. Plans for a full season were put on hold following his death. The role was later passed on to Steve Coogan . Hoffman rarely mentioned his personal life in interviews, stating in 2012 that he would "rather not because my family doesn't have any choice. If I talk about them in the press, I'm giving them no choice. So I choose not to." For 14 years, he was in
16116-456: The majority of his scenes. His two remaining scenes were rewritten to compensate for his absence. The film was released in November 2015. Hoffman was also preparing for his second directorial effort, a Prohibition -era drama titled Ezekiel Moss , which was to star Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal . In addition, he had filmed a pilot episode for the Showtime series Happyish , in which he played
16274-401: The money, but said, "ultimately my main goal is to do good work. If it doesn't pay well, so be it." He kept himself grounded and invigorated as an actor by attempting to appear on stage once a year. Hoffman occasionally changed his hair and lost or gained weight for parts, and he went to great lengths to reveal the worst in his characters. But in a 2012 interview, he confessed that performing to
16432-521: The more lucrative offer to work as a scriptwriter for 20th Century Fox . However, Congress , worried about possible Communist infiltration, closed the project in 1939. Miller began working in the Brooklyn Navy Yard while continuing to write radio plays , some of which were broadcast on CBS . In 1940, Miller married Mary Grace Slattery. The couple had two children, Jane (born September 7, 1944) and Robert (May 31, 1947 – March 6, 2022). Miller
16590-439: The most imposing actor with whom he had appeared, and he felt that working with the veteran performer profoundly improved his own acting. Hoffman's ability to avoid clichés in playing such a delicate role was noted by critics, and Roger Ebert said it confirmed him as "one of the best new character actors". He was rewarded with his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Hoffman then reunited with Paul Thomas Anderson, where he
16748-572: The murder, postulating that part of the reason Miller took such an active interest (including supporting Reilly's defense and using his own celebrity to bring attention to Reilly's plight) was because he had felt similarly persecuted in his run-ins with the HUAC. He sympathized with Reilly, whom he firmly believed to be innocent and to have been railroaded by the Connecticut State Police and the Attorney General who had initially prosecuted
16906-547: The number of students receiving theater arts education as an integral part of their academic curriculum." Its other initiatives include certification of new theater teachers and their placement in public schools, increasing the number of theater teachers in the system from the current estimate of 180 teachers in 1800 schools, supporting professional development of all certified theater teachers, and providing teaching artists, cultural partners, physical spaces, and theater ticket allocations for students. The foundation's primary purpose
17064-498: The pair's friendship ended. After speaking with Kazan about his testimony, Miller traveled to Salem, Massachusetts , to research the witch trials of 1692 . He and Kazan did not speak to each other for the next ten years. Kazan later defended his own actions through his film On the Waterfront , in which a dockworker heroically testifies against a corrupt union boss. Miller would retaliate against Kazan's work by writing A View from
17222-634: The pathos that Hoffman brought to the role. Happiness was controversial but widely praised, and Hoffman's role has been cited by critics as one of his best. His final 1998 release was more mainstream, appeared as a medical student in the Robin Williams comedy Patch Adams . The film was critically panned, but one of the highest-grossing of Hoffman's career. In 1999, Hoffman starred opposite Robert De Niro as drag queen Rusty Zimmerman in Joel Schumacher 's drama Flawless . Hoffman considered De Niro
17380-453: The previous month. He was surrounded by his companion (the painter Agnes Barley), family, and friends. His body was interred at Roxbury Center Cemetery in Roxbury. Within hours of her father's death, Rebecca Miller, who had been consistently opposed to the relationship with Barley, ordered her to vacate the home she shared with Arthur. Miller's writing career spanned over seven decades, and at
17538-661: The protagonist instead of Dodd. A talented dancer, Hoffman was able to showcase his abilities by performing a jig during a surreal sequence; Bradshaw called it an "extraordinary moment" that "only Hoffman could have carried off." The Master was praised as an intelligent and challenging drama, and Drew Hunt of the Chicago Reader also felt that it contained Hoffman's finest work: "He's inscrutable yet welcoming, intimidating yet charismatic, villainous yet fatherly. He epitomizes so many things at once that it's impossible to think of [Dodd] as mere movie character". Hoffman and Phoenix received
17696-525: The romantic drama When a Man Loves a Woman . He then played an uptight police deputy who gets punched by Paul Newman —one of Hoffman's acting idols—in the drama Nobody's Fool . Still considering stage work to be fundamental to his career, Hoffman joined the LAByrinth Theater Company of New York City in 1995. This association lasted the remainder of his life; along with appearing in multiple productions, he later became co-artistic director of
17854-415: The same actor. In contrast to leading actors , they are generally seen as less glamorous. While a leading actor often has the physical attractiveness considered necessary to play the love interest , a character actor typically does not. In fact, some character actors are known for their unusual looks. For example, Chicago character actor William Schutz's face was disfigured in a car accident when he
18012-479: The same type of roles. Character actor roles are more substantial than bit parts or non-speaking extras . The term is used primarily to describe television and film actors, as opposed to theater actors. An early use of the term was in the 1883 edition of The Stage , which defined a character actor as "one who portrays individualities and eccentricities". Actors with a long career history of playing character roles may be difficult for audiences to recognize as being
18170-643: The school and rarely spoke of him. Miller and Inge remained together until her death in 2002. Miller's son-in-law, actor Daniel Day-Lewis , is said to have visited Daniel frequently and to have persuaded Miller to meet with him. Miller died on the evening of February 10, 2005 (the 56th anniversary of the Broadway debut of Death of a Salesman ) at age 89 of bladder cancer and heart failure , at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut . He had been in hospice care at his sister's apartment in New York since his release from hospital
18328-480: The screen, his first release of the 2010s was also his first as a film director. The independent drama Jack Goes Boating was adapted from Robert Glaudini 's play of the same name, which Hoffman had starred in and directed for the LAByrinth Theater Company in 2007. He originally intended to only direct the film, but decided to reprise the main role of Jack—a lonely limousine driver looking for love—after
18486-459: The screenplay. Mr. Peters' Connections was staged Off-Broadway in 1998, and Death of a Salesman was revived on Broadway in 1999 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The 1999 revival ran for 274 performances at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, starring Brian Dennehy as Willy Loman. Once again, it was a large critical success, winning a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. In 1993, Miller received
18644-510: The script, which Hoffman had seen at their mother's house five years earlier, about a widower who starts sniffing gasoline to cope with his wife's suicide. He considered it the finest piece of writing he had ever read, "incredibly humble in its exploration of grief", but critics were less enthusiastic about the production. A review for the BBC wrote that Hoffman had finally been given a part that showed "what he's truly capable of", but few witnessed this as
18802-404: The situation with the House Un-American Activities Committee to the witch hunt in Salem in 1692 . Though widely considered only somewhat successful at the time of its release, The Crucible is Miller's most frequently produced work throughout the world. It was adapted into an opera by Robert Ward in 1961. Earlier in 1955, a one-act version of Miller's verse drama , titled A View from
18960-480: The spring of 2012, Hoffman made his final stage appearance, starring as Willy Loman in a Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman opposite Andrew Garfield . Directed by Mike Nichols , the production ran for 78 performances and was the highest-grossing show in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre 's history. Many critics felt that Hoffman, at 44, was too young for the role of 62-year-old Loman, and Chris Jones of
19118-799: The substances on the same day, or whether any of the substances had remained in his system from earlier use, was not reported." A funeral Mass was held at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Manhattan on February 7, 2014, and was attended by many of his close friends and former co-stars, including Amy Adams , Cate Blanchett , Ellen Burstyn , Louis C.K. , Ethan Hawke , Laura Linney , Julianne Moore , Paul Thomas Anderson , Mike Nichols , Joaquin Phoenix , John C. Reilly , Michelle Williams , Jake Gyllenhaal , Diane Sawyer , Ben Stiller , Meryl Streep , Diane Keaton , Marisa Tomei , Brian Dennehy , Sam Rockwell , Josh Hamilton , Justin Theroux and Chris Rock . After
19276-476: The summer blockbuster Mission: Impossible III , playing the villainous arms dealer Owen Davian opposite Tom Cruise . A journalist for Vanity Fair stated that Hoffman's "black-hat performance was one of the most delicious in a Hollywood film since Alan Rickman 's in Die Hard ", and he was generally approved of for bringing gravitas to the action film. With a gross of nearly US$ 400 million, it exposed Hoffman to
19434-452: The theater company with John Ortiz , and directed various plays over the years. Hoffman's only film appearance of 1995 was in the 22-minute short comedy The Fifteen Minute Hamlet , which satirized the film industry in an Elizabethan setting. He played the characters of Bernardo, Horatio , and Laertes alongside Austin Pendleton 's Hamlet . Between April and May 1996, Hoffman appeared at
19592-547: The time of his death, he was considered one of the 20th century's greatest dramatists. After his death, many respected actors, directors, and producers paid tribute to him, some calling him the last great practitioner of the American stage, and Broadway theatres darkened their lights in a show of respect. Miller's alma mater, the University of Michigan , opened the Arthur Miller Theatre in March 2007. Per his express wish, it
19750-646: The time: "We were attracted to the fact that he was genuinely serious about what he was doing. Even then, he was passionate." Hoffman applied for several drama degree programs and was accepted to New York University 's (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts . Between graduating from Fairport High School and beginning the program, he continued his training at the Circle in the Square Theatre 's summer program. Hoffman had positive memories of his time at NYU, where he supported himself by working as an usher . With friends, he co-founded
19908-434: The title role by John Ortiz ), which received mixed reviews. Ben Brantley, theatre critic of The New York Times , found it to be "exasperatingly misconceived", remarking that even when Hoffman is attempting to "manipulate others into self-destruction, he comes close to spoiling everything by erupting into genuine, volcanic fury". Hoffman also did his first vocal performance for the claymation film Mary and Max , although
20066-404: The title role for a project that he co-produced and helped bring to fruition. Portraying the idiosyncratic writer proved highly demanding, requiring significant weight loss and four months of research—such as watching video clips of Capote to help him affect the author's effeminate voice and mannerisms. Hoffman stated that he was not concerned with perfectly imitating Capote's speech, but he did feel
20224-569: The titular character. Although it was only a small role, he said it was one for which he was most recognized, in a film that has achieved cult status and a large fan base. Between March and April 1998, Hoffman made 30 appearances on stage at the New York Theatre Workshop in a production of Mark Ravenhill 's Shopping and Fucking , portraying an ex-heroin addict. Hoffman took an unflattering role in Todd Solondz 's Happiness (1998),
20382-611: The university's Arthur Miller Award in 1985 and the Arthur Miller Award for Dramatic Writing in 1999, and lending his name to the Arthur Miller Theatre in 2000. In 1937, Miller wrote Honors at Dawn , which also received the Avery Hopwood Award. After his graduation in 1938, he joined the Federal Theatre Project , a New Deal agency established to provide jobs in the theater. He chose the theater project despite
20540-451: The versatile roles he inhabited, Hoffman was described in his New York Times obituary as "perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation". Philip Hoffman was born on July 23, 1967, in the Rochester suburb of Fairport, New York . His mother, Marilyn O'Connor (née Loucks), came from nearby Waterloo and worked as an elementary school teacher before becoming
20698-462: The year came opposite Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in John Patrick Shanley 's Doubt , where he played Father Brendan Flynn—a priest accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old African-American student in the 1960s. Hoffman was already familiar with the play and appreciated the opportunity to bring it to the screen; in preparing for the role, he talked extensively to a priest who lived through
20856-478: The year was George Clooney 's political drama The Ides of March , in which he played the earnest campaign manager to the Democratic presidential candidate Mike Morris (Clooney). The film was well-received and Hoffman's performance, especially in the scenes opposite Paul Giamatti —who played the rival campaign manager—was positively noted. Hoffman's work on the film earned him his fourth BAFTA Award nomination. In
21014-545: The year's biggest blockbusters, Twister , playing a grubby, hyperactive storm chaser alongside Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton . According to a People survey of Twitter and Facebook users, Twister is the film with which Hoffman is most popularly associated. He then reunited with Anderson for the director's second feature, Boogie Nights , about the Golden Age of Pornography . The ensemble piece starred Mark Wahlberg , Julianne Moore , and Burt Reynolds ; Hoffman played
21172-525: The year, he played a brash American disc jockey opposite Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans in Richard Curtis 's British comedy The Boat That Rocked (also known as Pirate Radio )—a character based on Emperor Rosko , a host of Radio Caroline in 1966. He also had a cameo role as a bartender in Ricky Gervais 's The Invention of Lying . Reflecting on Hoffman's work in the late 2000s, Mosher writes that
21330-416: Was God's Pocket , the directorial debut of actor John Slattery , in which Hoffman played a thief. In November 2014, nine months after his death, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 , was released, in which he had a major role. It was dedicated in his memory. At the time of his death, Hoffman was filming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 , the fourth film in the series, and had already completed
21488-459: Was a lifelong enthusiast. He remembered that productions of Quilters and Alms for the Middle Class , the latter starring a teenaged Robert Downey Jr. were also particularly inspirational. At the age of 14, Hoffman suffered a neck injury that ended his sporting activity, and he began to consider acting. Encouraged by his mother, he joined a drama club, and initially committed to it because he
21646-527: Was a native of New York whose parents also arrived from that town. Isidore owned a women's clothing manufacturing business employing 400 people. He became a well respected man in the community. The family, including Miller's younger sister Joan Copeland , lived on West 110th Street in Manhattan, owned a summer house in Far Rockaway, Queens , and employed a chauffeur. In the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ,
21804-417: Was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater . Among his most popular plays are All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953), and A View from the Bridge (1955). He wrote several screenplays, including The Misfits (1961). The drama Death of a Salesman is considered one of the best American plays of the 20th century. Miller
21962-469: Was an unusually articulate commentator on his own work. In 1978, he published a collection of his Theater Essays , edited by Robert A. Martin and with a foreword by Miller. Highlights of the collection included Miller's introduction to his Collected Plays , his reflections on the theory of tragedy, comments on the McCarthy Era, and pieces arguing for a publicly supported theater. Reviewing this collection in
22120-484: Was attracted to a female member. Acting gradually became a passion for Hoffman: "I loved the camaraderie of it, the people, and that's when I decided it was what I wanted to do." At the age of 17, he was selected to attend the 1984 New York State Summer School of the Arts in Saratoga Springs , where he met his future collaborators Bennett Miller and Dan Futterman . Miller later commented on Hoffman's popularity at
22278-529: Was confirmed by the author John le Carré , who met Hoffman during the adaptation of his novel A Most Wanted Man . While praising the actor's intelligence and intuition, le Carré acknowledged the burden that Hoffman felt: "It was painful and exhausting work, and probably in the end his undoing. The world was too bright for him to handle." Character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric or interesting characters in supporting roles , rather than leading ones. The term
22436-556: Was determined not to conform to "movie character" stereotypes, and his portrayal of addiction won approval from the Royal College of Psychiatrists . Roger Ebert assessed Hoffman's performance as "a masterpiece of discipline and precision," but the film earned little at the box office. Hoffman's second 2003 appearance was a small role in Anthony Minghella 's successful Civil War epic Cold Mountain . He played an immoral preacher,
22594-525: Was elected the first American president of PEN International , a position which he held for four years. A year later, he organized the 1966 PEN congress in New York City. He also wrote the penetrating family drama The Price , produced in 1968. It was his most successful play since Death of a Salesman . In 1968, Miller attended the Democratic National Convention as a delegate for Eugene McCarthy . In 1969, Miller's works were banned in
22752-596: Was exempted from military service during World War II because of a high school football injury to his left kneecap. In 1944 Miller's first play was produced: The Man Who Had All the Luck won the Theatre Guild's National Award. The play closed after four performances with disastrous reviews. In 1947, Miller's play All My Sons , the writing of which had commenced in 1941, was a success on Broadway (earning him his first Tony Award , for Best Author ) and his reputation as
22910-508: Was five years old, but his appearance after reconstructive surgery helped him to be distinctive to theater audiences. Generally, the names of character actors are not featured prominently in movie and television advertising on the marquee , since a character actor's name is not expected to attract film audiences. Some character actors have been described as instantly recognizable despite their names being little known. They are colloquially referred to as "that guy", or "that guy" actors, as in
23068-600: Was found dead in the bathroom of his Manhattan apartment by his friend, playwright and screenwriter David Bar Katz. He was 46 years old. Although friends stated that Hoffman's drug use was under control at the time, detectives searching the apartment found heroin and prescription medication at the scene and revealed that he had a syringe in his arm. Hoffman's death was officially ruled an accident caused by "acute mixed drug intoxication , including heroin , cocaine , benzodiazepines , and amphetamine ". Michael Schwirtz of The New York Times said, "Whether Hoffman had taken all of
23226-539: Was given an atypically virtuous role in the ensemble drama Magnolia . The film, set over one day in Los Angeles, features Hoffman as a nurse who cares for Jason Robards ' character, who is dying of cancer. The performance was approved of by the medical industry, and Jessica Winter of the Village Voice considered it Hoffman's most indelible work, likening him to a guardian angel. Magnolia has been included in lists of
23384-428: Was having any luck in his career, he quietly replied, "I'm in a film, Cold Mountain , that has just come out." Patrick Fugit , who worked with Hoffman on Almost Famous , recalled the actor was intimidating but an exceptional mentor and influence in "a school-of-hard-knocks way", remarking that "there was a certain weight that came with him". Hoffman admitted that he sometimes appeared in big-budget studio films for
23542-447: Was held in high regard within both the film and theater industries, and he was often cited in the media as one of the finest actors of his generation. In a 2022 readers' poll by Empire magazine, he was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time. With his being overweight, one writer considered Hoffman to be "too pudgy to look romantic or heroic"; however, the actor said he was grateful for his appearance, as it made him believable in
23700-448: Was nine, and the children were raised primarily by their mother. Hoffman's childhood passion was sports, particularly wrestling and baseball, but at age 12, he attended a stage production of Arthur Miller 's All My Sons and was transfixed. He recalled in 2008, "I was changed—permanently changed—by that experience. It was like a miracle to me". Hoffman developed a love for the theater, and proceeded to attend regularly with his mother, who
23858-434: Was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award . The year 2008 contained two significant Hoffman roles. In Charlie Kaufman 's enigmatic drama Synecdoche, New York , he starred as Caden Cotard, a frustrated dramatist who attempts to build a scale replica of New York inside a warehouse for a play. Hoffman again showed his willingness to reveal unattractive traits, as the character ages and deteriorates, and committed to
24016-515: Was noted for his ability to make small parts memorable. Peter Bradshaw, film critic for The Guardian , felt that "Almost every single one of his credits had something special about it". David Fear of Rolling Stone wrote that Hoffman "added heft to low-budget art films, and nuance and unpredictability to blockbuster franchises. He was a transformative performer who worked from the inside out, blessed with an emotional transparency that could be overwhelming, invigorating, compelling, devastating." Hoffman
24174-587: Was often in the public eye, particularly during the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. During this time, he received a Pulitzer Prize for Drama , testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee , and married Marilyn Monroe . In 1980, he received the St. Louis Literary Award from the Saint Louis University Library Associates. He received the Praemium Imperiale prize in 2001,
24332-562: Was praised for his versatility and ability to fully inhabit any role, but specialized in playing creeps and misfits: "his CV was populated almost exclusively by snivelling wretches, insufferable prigs, braggarts and outright bullies" writes the journalist Ryan Gilbey. Hoffman was appreciated for making these roles real, complex and even sympathetic; while Todd Louiso, director of Love Liza , believed that Hoffman connected to people on screen because he looked like an ordinary man and revealed his vulnerability. Xan Brooks of The Guardian remarked that
24490-405: Was published. Around the same time, Death of a Salesman was adapted into a television film starring Dustin Hoffman as Willy Loman. The film was broadcast on CBS, and garnered an audience viewership of 25 million. In late 1987, Miller's autobiographical work, Timebends , was published. Before it was published, it was well known that Miller would not talk about Monroe in interviews; however, in
24648-461: Was reportedly based on his experience during the filming of The Misfits , though Miller insisted the play was a work of fiction with independent characters that were no more than composite shadows of history. In June 1956, Miller left his first wife, Mary Slattery, whom he had married in 1940, and wed film star Marilyn Monroe . They met in 1951, had a brief affair, and remained in contact. Monroe had just turned 30 when they married; she never had
24806-480: Was the best stage performance of Hoffman's career, calling him "brilliant", and the actor earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play . The following year, Hoffman appeared with Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman , and John Goodman in a Delacorte Theater production of Chekhov 's The Seagull —although Brantley felt that this performance was less fully realized. As a stage director, Hoffman received two Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Director of
24964-492: Was unaware that Miller and Monroe were having problems in their private life. He recalled later, "I was impertinent enough to say to Arthur that to allow her to take drugs of any kind was criminal and utterly irresponsible. Shortly after that I realized that she wouldn't listen to Arthur at all; he had no say over her actions." Shortly before the film's premiere in 1961, Miller and Monroe divorced after five years of marriage. Nineteen months later, on August 5, 1962, Monroe died of
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