Every actor Philip Seymour Hoffman gave career-changing advice: “He was ferocious”
In the film industry, greatness is an indisputable quality that is attributed to very few people, with audiences collectively agreeing that only a select few can be considered true greats.
From the likes of Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Daniel Day-Lewis and Robert De Niro, there are only a small number of people who are included within this elite category, revered for their forensic approach to their craft after delivering some of the most emotionally complex performances of all time.
However, perhaps the most respected of all actors is the great Philip Seymour Hoffman, who added colour and depth to each world he was a part of, no matter how small the role. Films like Almost Famous, Boogie Nights and The Talented Mr Ripley are infused with new life and authenticity through his presence, with the tiniest and most insignificant moments becoming magnificent through the way he delivers a single line or interacts with the space around him.
Whether it be his impassioned rants as Lester Bangs in Almost Famous or his morally ambiguous portrayal of a priest suspected of sexual assault in Doubt, the actor is indisputably one of the best of all time, something that is only highlighted through the endless praise that has continued to this day and the many actors who have shared stories about how he impacted their own careers and creative philosophies.
Hoffman starred alongside many other great actors over the years, but always managed to be the scene-stealer, with the likes of Jeremy Strong, Ethan Hawke and Jennifer Lawrence describing his lasting influence. Hawke had the privilege of working with him in Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, describing the process of working with him by saying, “Philip played so many second guys to the left or the third cop or waiter number four. I never played those parts. But what he learned to do was maximise every opportunity, maximise every line. He didn’t let one line go. Phil didn’t take one line for granted. He was ferocious, and I started thinking I need to play more character parts because of that.”
Hoffman was known for playing supporting roles, rarely playing leading characters and being drawn to the outcasts and misfits that don’t quite fit in with the central cast, and building a reputation through his ability to do so. This is also something that Jeremy Strong has done in recent years, with the actor giving a devastating performance as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice alongside Sebastian Stan.
When discussing his career, Strong explained how it had been heavily influenced by Hoffman, describing their encounter while working together on The Master. Strong said, “I remember having a conversation with Phil Hoffman when he was getting ready to do The Master. And I started going on and on about L. Ron Hubbard. And eventually [he] was like, ‘No. You’re doing work as an actor to find an essence in yourself. You’re not trying to play, you’re not doing an impersonation.’”
This is certainly why both Strong and Hoffman’s performances feel so vulnerable, with both actors discovering and revealing some hidden part of themselves and baring all as they find common ground with the character they are playing, no matter how ugly and unlikeable. They can make you feel pity for truly despicable human beings, somehow giving them an innocence and making you see a part of them that would be hidden by anyone else.
Hoffman had a huge influence on cinema, with his presence being felt in modern performances as his singular approach rings true throughout the stories being told today.
