Acclaimed American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman
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When news of acclaimed actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death broke earlier this month, it quickly gripped the American public, and left it stunned by such a tragedy. Hoffman was pronounced dead on the morning of February 2nd, 2014, of an apparent heroin overdose. The actor was just 46 years old.
Now, friends, family, fellow actors and countless fans are left to grieve the loss of such a profound talent, of a dear friend and father. Some people argue that it is irrational to mourn the death of a stranger, as Hoffman’s fans are doing. Somehow though, many of them feel that they did know the late actor, or were somehow connected to him because of the roles he played. The characters that he created in films like Capote (2005), Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), and The Master (2012), just three exemplary roles he breathed nuance and passion into in his extensive filmography.
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As Bilge Ebiri for New York Magazine muses, “Maybe it was the vulnerability he brought to even his most disposable roles – the fact that, even at their worst, there was something to these characters, something in them we recognized in ourselves. Maybe that’s why this bewildering, tragic death hurts so much: because he feels like someone we knew, even if we only knew him from a movie screen.” Hoffman was indeed known for the way he was able to transform the most mundane characters into ones with immense depth. Or as Ebiri explains, “He didn’t transform into [his roles], he consumed them – in the best, most brilliant way possible.”
In the wake of his death, many have speculated as to why such an acclaimed actor would experience such an untimely demise. When a prominent public figure or celebrity dies in tragic, unclear, circumstances, many people experience a strong reaction, and want to force the blame upon anyone else who might be responsible. In this instance, Hoffman’s drug dealers are facing public scrutiny, but as legal analyst Kendall Coffey explains, it’s unlikely that anyone will be prosecuted. A similar scenario involves the late actress Brittany Murphy, whose unexpected 2009 death is still being investigated at her parents’ request.
Other prominent artists and public figures that encountered untimely deaths include Heath Ledger, Cory Monteith, John Belushi, Chris Farley, and Marilyn Monroe. Fans have also deeply mourned the losses of musicians Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain, all of who died at only 27 years old. If there is one good thing that can come from the passing of someone as famous as Philip Seymour Hoffman, it’s the subsequent dialogue about drug abuse that occurs. As the actor told friend and colleague Aaron Sorkin, “If one of us dies of an overdoes, probably 10 people who were about to won’t.”
Why do you think Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death hits so close for fans?