Philip Seymour Hoffman was an Irish-American film actor. In 2005, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of famed writer Truman Capote in Capote. Some of the most notable films in his filmography include Magnolia, Cold Mountain, Punch-Drunk Love, 25th Hour, and Scent of a Woman.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was born on July 23, 1967, in Fairport, New York, United States. He was one of four children of executive Gordon S. Hoffman and judge Marilyn O'Connor. He had two sisters, Jill Hoffman and Emily Hoffman, and a brother named Gordy Hoffman. His parents divorced when he was nine years old.

In 1989, Hoffman graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Following graduation, he underwent treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, an issue he struggled with during the early years of his career.

His acting career began in 1990 with a role in the television series Law & Order. After appearing in films such as Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole, Szuler, My New Gun, and Leap of Faith, he had the opportunity to act alongside Al Pacino in the Oscar-winning film Scent of a Woman. Although his role was small, the film played a key role in bringing Hoffman to public attention. At the time, he was working as a grocery store stock clerk and could not have anticipated the career-defining opportunities that followed.

Hoffman became known for his remarkable ability to portray challenging and often unsettling characters, particularly in supporting roles. He collaborated with acclaimed directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson, The Coen Brothers, Cameron Crowe, Spike Lee, David Mamet, Robert Benton, Todd Solondz, and Anthony Minghella. Among them, Paul Thomas Anderson became one of his most frequent collaborators, casting him in Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love.

He appeared in a wide range of successful productions, including When a Man Loves a Woman, Twister, The Big Lebowski, Patch Adams, Flawless, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Almost Famous. In 1999, while working on the play Arabia We'd All Be Kings, Hoffman met costume designer Mimi O'Donnell, with whom he began a long-term relationship.

In 2002, Hoffman starred in his first leading role in Love Liza, written by his brother Gordy Hoffman. The same year, he appeared in Red Dragon, the third film featuring the Hannibal Lecter character, as well as in Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. He followed this with another leading performance in Owning Mahowny.

After appearing in the Oscar-winning film Cold Mountain alongside Nicole Kidman and Jude Law, and the box-office hit Along Came Polly, Hoffman delivered the performance that would define his career in Capote. His portrayal of Truman Capote earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, along with a total of 42 awards from various international festivals.

Film critic Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal later praised Hoffman’s performance, stating that he had never seen an actor so completely transform into a real-life figure, capturing Capote’s voice, mannerisms, and psychological complexity with extraordinary precision.

In the years that followed, Hoffman appeared in major films such as Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Charlie Wilson's War, Synecdoche, New York, and Doubt, the latter alongside Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. He continued to receive critical acclaim for his consistency and depth as an actor.

Hoffman lived with his partner Mimi O'Donnell from 1999 and had three children: Cooper Alexander Hoffman (born 2003), Tallulah (born 2006), and Willa (born 2008). In 2013, he appeared in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Woody Harrelson.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment on February 2, 2014, at the age of 46.

Awards:

2005 – BAFTA Awards – Best Actor (Capote)
2005 – Academy Awards – Best Actor (Capote)
2005 – Golden Globe Awards – Best Actor – Drama (Capote)
2005 – Screen Actors Guild Awards – Best Actor – Motion Picture (Capote)

Filmography:

1991 – Law & Order
1991 – Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole
1992 – Szuler
1992 – My New Gun
1992 – Leap of Faith
1992 – Scent of a Woman
1993 – Joey Breaker
1993 – My Boyfriend's Back
1993 – Money for Nothing
1994 – The Getaway
1994 – The Yearling
1994 – When a Man Loves a Woman
1994 – Nobody's Fool
1995 – The Fifteen Minute Hamlet
1996 – Hard Eight
1996 – Twister
1997 – Boogie Nights
1998 – The Big Lebowski
1998 – Happiness
1998 – Patch Adams
1999 – Flawless
1999 – Magnolia
1999 – The Talented Mr. Ripley
2000 – Almost Famous
2002 – Love Liza
2002 – Punch-Drunk Love
2002 – Red Dragon
2002 – 25th Hour
2003 – Owning Mahowny
2003 – Cold Mountain
2004 – Along Came Polly
2005 – Capote
2006 – Mission: Impossible III
2007 – Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
2007 – Charlie Wilson's War
2008 – Synecdoche, New York
2008 – Doubt
2011 – Moneyball
2012 – The Master
2013 – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
2014 – A Most Wanted Man
2014 – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
2015 – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

Source: Biyografiler.com