Philip Seymour Hoffman with Capote director Bennett Miller. Photo by Brian Brooks

What awful news. Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead Sunday morning in his West Village apartment.

Philip Seymour Hoffman won an Academy Award for his role in Bennett Miller's biographical film Capote, which screened at the New York Film Festival in 2005. He also received three Oscar nominations and three Tony Award nominations for his theater work. He quickly received recognition for his big screen roles beginning with Scent of a Woman in 1992, Twister in 1996, Boogie Nights (1997) and The Big Lebowski (1998).  He received Oscar nominations for his supporting work in Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Doubt (2008) and The Master (2012).

His numerous other acclaimed roles include The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Almost Famous (2000), 25th Hour (2002), The Savages (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Moneyball (2011) and The Ides of March (2011). Hoffman also appeared in studio movies Mission: Impossible III and the recent The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. He stars in two films that premiered at the recent Sundance Film Festival including A Most Wanted Man and God's Pocket.


Philip Seymour Hoffman with Catherine Keener at the New York Film Festival. Photo by Godlis.

A Most Wanted Man director Anton Corbijn released this statement Sunday: “Hearing that Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away came as much as a shock to me as to anyone else i’d imagine. We spent some time together only 2 weeks ago and he seemed in a good place despite some issues he had to deal with. He was not only the most gifted actor i ever worked with (and judging by the legacy he leaves behind i am certain i share this with most if not all directors who were fortunate enough to work with him), he had also become an incredibly inspiring and supportive friend. i am so terribly sad as i find it impossible to comprehend what happened today and to collect my thoughts properly. I have to think about Mimi and the children and i wish them much strength coping with the loss of this truly great man as a father and partner.”

On the stage, Hoffman appeared in the Off-Broadway play The Author's Voice as well as Broadway's True West in 2000, which lead to a Tony nomination. He also received another nomination for Long Day's Journey into Night in 2003. In 2012, he starred in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. The performance won praise from the New York Times, which called him, “one of the finest actors of his generation…”

His family said Sunday through a spokesperson: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support. This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving.”

Philip Seymour Hoffman's partner and mother of their three children is Mimi O'Donnell. She is the artistic director of the Labyrinth Theater Company in the West Village.

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