Philip Seymour Hoffman
A serious post for a change. When the hoopla over the Stupid-bowl has died down, this weekend will be remembered as the time we lost Philip Seymour Hoffman. Much will be written about him but I think it's worth remembering two things.
Firstly, he was not a movie star like Tom Cruise or George Clooney. He was not classically handsome and died young but not in the same way as James Dean or Heath Ledger. Hoffman had both potential and substance. What he was was a truly great actor, one of the finest of his generation, alongside the likes of Sean Penn & Daniel-Day-Lewis (whose talents are also not always recognised). The fact that you have to think a little to remember his movies doesn't make his work any less brilliant- the opposite is true. He became his roles; he didn't 'play' them.
Secondly, the tributes that have come flooding in are often from people he worked with (in the theatre too where he was equally stunning and not a movie star with something to prove). In an age of celebrity, he shunned this aspect of the business, operating without an entourage, impressing all those who met him with his quiet dignity.
'A sad loss' is the standard media cliche but in acting and personal terms, we have lost one of the greats here.
If you liked this post, try the preceding 100 & tell your friends- spread the blog-love.
Firstly, he was not a movie star like Tom Cruise or George Clooney. He was not classically handsome and died young but not in the same way as James Dean or Heath Ledger. Hoffman had both potential and substance. What he was was a truly great actor, one of the finest of his generation, alongside the likes of Sean Penn & Daniel-Day-Lewis (whose talents are also not always recognised). The fact that you have to think a little to remember his movies doesn't make his work any less brilliant- the opposite is true. He became his roles; he didn't 'play' them.
Secondly, the tributes that have come flooding in are often from people he worked with (in the theatre too where he was equally stunning and not a movie star with something to prove). In an age of celebrity, he shunned this aspect of the business, operating without an entourage, impressing all those who met him with his quiet dignity.
'A sad loss' is the standard media cliche but in acting and personal terms, we have lost one of the greats here.
If you liked this post, try the preceding 100 & tell your friends- spread the blog-love.
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