Philip Seymour Hoffman’s greatest ever role: Capote to Magnolia, vote for your favourite

As the entertainment world mourns the loss of one of acting’s true heavyweights, join the debate on his career highlights

Jenn Selby
Monday 03 February 2014 14:41 GMT
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Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeff Bridges in 'The Big Lebowski', 1998
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeff Bridges in 'The Big Lebowski', 1998 (PolyGram Filmed Entertainment)

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As the entertainment world mourns the loss of one of acting’s true heavyweights, join the debate on his career highlights

Tributes are continuing to pour in for the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead in his New York City apartment after suffering an apparent drug overdose.

The actor had a long history of substance abuse, made all the worse by a string of problems in his personal life, that ultimately led to his untimely death.

But his struggle behind closed doors cannot distract from the phenomenal versatility and sensitivity he displayed in the countless, often complex, roles he played on the silver screen.

Obvious career highlights include Capote, the biopic about writer Truman Capote, for which he won the Best Actor Oscar in 2006.

Then there’s the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed Magnolia, starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Blackman, in which he plays the nurse Phil Parma, who is sent on a desperate quest to find the estranged son of a dying cancer sufferer.

 

And let’s not forget 1999 drama The Talented Mr Ripley, in which he played Freddie Miles opposite Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon.

As we write this, in fact, we realise that there are so many great films, given a new sense of depth and complexity by the sheer addition of Hoffman’s heavyweight acting, it’s hard to pick one defining on-screen moment.

Which is where you come in: we want to know what your favourite Philip Seymour Hoffman movie is. Vote for your favourite in the poll below.

What is your favourite Philip Seymour Hoffman film?

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