RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman — Page 2

I understand why Lionsgate had to put a statement out, but the production standing of Mockingjay really needs to not be so central to this discussion. A father and husband died, and he meant a lot to a lot of people in the industry, not just to a popular YA adaptation.

I was on the elliptical at the gym when it came on the news. Needless to say, I came to a screeching halt.

A fine, brilliant actor who I have no doubt would have been turning in great performances into his 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond.

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A fine, brilliant actor who I have no doubt would have been turning in great performances into his 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond.

I agree. Aside from being sad that he lost his battle with the addiction, I am mourning the loss of countless performances that might have been.

I'm glad his work was preserved on film, and he will be remembered for it.

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Updated On: 2/2/14 at 06:43 PM

So, so, so, sad.

Did anyone here see Philip Seymour Hoffman as world-famous theater director Will Toffman on 'Arthur', the children's animated series?

His performance is, characteristically, brilliant on many levels: deeply serious, wonderfully tongue-in-cheek. Really and truly nuanced. I was so impressed that he brought so much to such a (seemingly) insignificant role. I don't think he was capable of anything other than giving himself over completely to a role.

So f***ing SAD.

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Kristin Johnston posted this on her FB page....

I wrote this about Philip Seymour Hoffman on twitter. I was lucky enough to meet him my 1st day at NYU.

"Thank you for all your kind words about Phil. Sadly, after being sober for years & years, he relapsed & has been grappling with his addiction for last few yrs. I wish I could say I was shocked, but all I feel is a mixture of terrible grief, sad resignation & a powerful rage.

Many, many people die from this disease. Like them, Phil didn't want to die. He fought hard to get clean. He had a family he loved, many friends who adored him & a career he was proud of.

But addiction doesn't care about that.

I feel that part of the problem might have been his shyness & his deep need for privacy, which prevented him from being able to be open with others about it.

Whatever the reason, his brilliant work will live on. From my very 1st acting class at NYU to the last time I saw him about a year ago, he was always the sweetest, shyest, loveliest man.

Much love to his family

Kristen"

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The good ones always die young...

R.I.P.

finebydesign- It's an interesting question that I think would be better off in a separate thread. But I think Amy Nicholson's piece on Jonathan Brandis is good reading for the issue of when celebrities succumb to addiction publicly and privately being related to gender.

http://www.laweekly.com/publicspectacle/2013/11/12/jonathan-brandis-how-life-after-teen-stardom-can-take-a-wrong-turn

But when exactly did a PSH have a public episode like any of those women listed? I say that as a huge fan of Amy Winehouse who was crushed at her death and never saw her as a joke and was always disturbed when people made her a punch-line.

Four people arrested in connection with Hoffman's drugs.

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Drug policy in this country needs to be radically changed. On the other hand, for-profit healthcare for the majority of Americans is just too radical for some people.

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Thanks Addy for linking that article.

Addiction is scary. I have an addictive personality. My father was an alcoholic - - - it killed him. My eldest brother was a heroin addict for the majority of his young adult life - - - he is now, thank God, sober. My youngest brother deals with addiction and so do I. It's scary and it's a struggle.

It's hard for me to fully understand the power of an addiction. I can't imagine the struggle, and the fear and the determination that addicts must deal with.

For all of you who are struggling, and have loved ones who struggle, I just want to say that I hope you all have someone to reach out to. I know that the work never ends.

I'm so glad to hear of the people who you love who are recovering and living a clean and sober life. I wish them - and you - continued strength!

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Updated On: 2/5/14 at 02:44 PM

Some of us right here may have our own addictions. I'm talking about addiction to food, liquor, shopping, gambling, hoarding, and others.

All of those addictions might not be as lethal as drug addiction (alcohol can be), but they all ruin your life.

I know what I'm talking about, having an addiction of my own. I understand how hard it is to give something up.

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The NYT has assembled a narrative of Philip Seymour Hoffman's 'last days'. It is, by turns, interesting and heart-breaking. It includes this:

"At Sundance, a magazine publisher who did not immediately recognize him asked him what he did. Mr. Hoffman replied, “I’m a heroin addict.”

While it is pure hearsay, it rings so true to me. I can think of so many times during my years as a highly(ish)-functional addict when people would ask what I "did" and my spontaneous and immediate thought would be "I do crystal, how about you?"

It always made me smile to myself because even I could recognize that it was A)True B)Grotesque and C)that the impulse to say it was the proverbial "cry for help". If he did say it, it strikes me the same way: true, grotesque and a desperate cry for help.

I thought long and hard about Jordan's comment that it was "a shame he couldn't get the help he needed in time". Obviously he COULD get help--he had access to every kind of help there is. But it's true--he didn't find the type of help that he NEEDED--and we can't ever know what form that would have taken.

I keep thinking, too, of something said to me at the funeral of a friend who committed suicide: "Mental Illness is a disease, and sometimes it's a fatal one." We don't blame ourselves for not being able to "save" people who die of Cancer, nor do we blame Cancer's victims.

We need to learn to give the same absolution in situations like this.



Link to NYT article

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Updated On: 2/6/14 at 11:18 AM