Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final interview
Undoubtedly among the greatest actors of his generation, Philip Seymour Hoffman will always be a source of inspiration for anyone who aspires to make it in the industry. Having worked with incredibly talented filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Charlie Kaufman and the Coen brothers, Hoffman rose to the very top of Hollywood on the back of magical performances that will be written about for a long time to come.
Whenever Hoffman’s extensive legacy is brought up, one of the major points of discussion is always his untimely demise. In February 2014, the legendary actor passed away at the age of 46 due to complications caused by substance abuse. Hoffman, who had previously publicly spoken about his struggles with drugs and rehabilitation, succumbed to his previous addictions after years of sobriety and self-control.
Before his death, Hoffman worked on two projects titled God’s Pocket and A Most Wanted Man, which spoke to him and the position he was in during his final days. The actor’s last public appearance was on the red carpet at the Sundance Film Festival in January of the same year, where he opened up about his decision to star in his final movies.
When asked about his approach to his character in God’s Pocket, Hoffman revealed that he related to the film’s take on middle age: “Something about that he’s my age, I think he’s dealing with issues you have to do at middle age… you realise that some choices you made along the way, you have to shift or change, or else you just stay in the dark.”
Hoffman also spoke to AP about A Most Wanted Man: “I never read a John le Carré novel, you know, which now I feel like is a sin because the guy’s such a wonderful writer… There’s something about that story that spoke to me about where I am now in my life, I think. I don’t think it’s something you put into words, but I think I read it and saw myself in it somehow, about being in the middle of your life. It’s as much a story about that as all the other things it is about.”
From his comments, it’s clear that his last films touched him on an extremely personal level. The 2014 adaptation of John le Carré’s A Most Wanted Man featured Hoffman in a sprawling examination of the international machinations of the “war on terror”, providing him the perfect opportunity to display his talents one last time.
Watch the interview below.
