Philip Seymour Hoffman Found Dead

UPDATE: The New York Post is now reporting that Hoffman was found in his apartment with a needle in his arm, the cause of death an apparent drug overdose.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Academy Award winner (Capote) and four time Oscar nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead this morning in his apartment in New York. He was 46.

Manhattan police are investigating Hoffman’s death, but have not yet released a suspected cause. Hoffman did have a history of drug and alcohol abuse, but had reportedly been clean for 20 years before an episode last May involving prescription painkillers and heroin. Hoffman had checked himself into a rehab facility following the relapse.

Hoffman was at Sundance last month promoting two films: A Most Wanted Man and God’s Pocket. Both films have distributors, but do not yet have U.S. release dates. Projects now in varying states of limbo include Mockingjay parts 1 and 2, where Hoffman was reprising his role as gamesmaker Plutarch Heavensbee, and Ezekiel Moss, a midwestern drama still in development which Hoffman had been attached to direct. Hoffman was a partner at Coopers Town Productions, which produced both Capote and God’s Pocket. 

Hoffman will be remembered as an enduring and immensely capable character actor who tackled roles as varied as an uptight medical student (Patch Adams) to a freewheeling radio DJ (Pirate Radio), the mousy Truman Capote (Capote) to the demonstrative Lancaster Dodd (The Master) among many, many others. Never afraid to go toe to toe with other big name actors, Hoffman consistently brought out the best in his co-stars. He appeared in more than 50 feature films in his prolific 20+ years on the big screen. He will certainly be missed.