Philip Seymour Hoffman

Highest Rated: 95% Mary and Max (2009)

Lowest Rated: 14% My Boyfriend's Back (1993)

Birthday: Jul 23, 1967

Birthplace: Fairport, New York, USA

One of the most original, versatile, and steadily employed actors in Hollywood, Philip Seymour Hoffman made a name for himself playing some of the most dysfunctional characters in movie history. Although he had been acting for years, most audiences were first introduced to the actor in the award-winning Boogie Nights, where he played a nebbishy soundman with a jones for Mark Wahlberg's Dirk Diggler. Imbuing his character with both humor and poignant complexity, Hoffman was one of the more memorable aspects of an unforgettable film.Born in Fairport, NY, in 1968, Hoffman trained at New York's Tisch School of Drama. Before breaking into film, he did a host of theater work, performing in New York, Chicago, and on a European tour. He made his film debut in the 1992 film Scent of a Woman, a critically acclaimed picture starring Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell. Roles in a number of films of varying quality followed, including My New Gun (1992) and When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). The actor then nabbed a sizable role in Jan de Bont's 1996 tornado thriller Twister and the same year began an ongoing working relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson by appearing in his directorial debut Hard Eight. The crime drama, which also starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson, received positive critical attention, although it didn't create more than a minor blip at the box office. However, Hoffman's next feature and second collaboration with Anderson, Boogie Nights (1997), was both a critical and financial success, scoring a host of Academy Award nominations and simultaneously reviving the careers of some of its stars, such as Burt Reynolds and Mark Wahlberg, while providing a breakthrough for others, such as Heather Graham and Hoffman himself. He next appeared in the Robin Williams comedy Patch Adams (1998), and the same year starred in two critically acclaimed independent films, Todd Solondz's Happiness and Brad Anderson's Next Stop Wonderland. The prolific actor added an appearance in The Big Lebowski (also 1998) to his already impressive resumé. In addition to his burgeoning acting career, Hoffman won favorable notices for his directing debut with the off-Broadway In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings. Hoffman came into his own with three notable performances in 1999. He reunited with Paul Thomas Anderson to play empathic hospice nurse Phil Parma, one of the emotional anchors in Magnolia. His portrayal of upper-crust snob Freddie Miles in The Talented Mr. Ripley earned him strong notices from many critics. Hoffman's peers awarded him with a Screen Actors Guild nomination for his role as a cross dresser in Flawless opposite Robert De Niro. He returned to the Broadway stage with fellow Anderson regular John C. Reilly to play very different brothers in Sam Shepard's True West. They took a risk by switching the lead roles every three days. Their hard work earned critical raves, and each was nominated for a Tony award. In 2000, Cameron Crowe cast Hoffman as Crowe's childhood hero Lester Bangs in Almost Famous, and David Mamet tapped him to be part of the impressive ensemble in State and Main.Hoffman maintained his status as one of the most respected and hardest-working actors in the new decade by delivering an excellent supporting turn in Red Dragon as an unctuous tabloid reporter. That same year he co-starred in Spike Lee's 25th Hour, and played the bad guy for old collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson in the offbeat romantic comedy Punch-Drunk Love. 2002 also saw the release of Love Liza, a very low-budget film scripted by Hoffman's brother and directed by actor Todd Louiso that starred Phil as a grieving husband addicted to huffing gas fumes. The next year found Hoffman starring as a gambling addict in the small scale Canadian drama Owning Mahowny, and turning in a memorable supporting performance as an amoral preacher in the big screen adaptation of Cold Mountain. Hoffman was in theaters again at the beginning of 2004 as the best friend in the Ben Stiller c

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

RATING	TITLE	CREDIT	BOX OFFICE	YEAR
70%	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2	Plutarch Heavensbee	$254.7M	2015
68%	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1	Plutarch Heavensbee	$295.5M	2014
86%	A Most Wanted Man	Gunter Bachmann	$14.1M	2014
31%	Lullaby	Uncle Percy	—	2014
37%	God's Pocket	Mickey Scarpato Producer	$97.5K	2014
89%	The Hunger Games: Catching Fire	Plutarch Heavensbee	$336.7M	2013
36%	Salinger	Actor	$0.6M	2013
No Score Yet	Ezekiel Moss	Director	—	2013
77%	A Late Quartet	Robert Gelbart (Violin)	$1.5M	2012
84%	The Master	Lancaster Dodd	$15.9M	2012
84%	The Ides of March	Paul Zara Philip	$41M	2011
94%	Moneyball	Art Howe	$75.7M	2011
68%	Jack Goes Boating	Executive Producer Director Jack	$0.4M	2010
62%	Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked)	The Count	$8.1M	2009
56%	The Invention of Lying	Jim the Bartender	$18.5M	2009
80%	I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale	Actor	—	2009
95%	Mary and Max	Max Jerry Horowitz	—	2009
80%	Doubt	Father Brendan Flynn	$33.5M	2008
68%	Synecdoche, New York	Caden Cotard	$3.1M	2008
82%	Charlie Wilson's War	Gust	$66.7M	2007
89%	The Savages	Jon Savage	$6.5M	2007
88%	Before the Devil Knows You're Dead	Andy	$7M	2007
70%	Mission: Impossible III	Owen Davian	$133.5M	2006
No Score Yet	Making Capote: Concept to Script	Actor	—	2006
No Score Yet	Truman Capote: Answered Prayers	Actor	—	2006
90%	Capote	Truman Capote Executive Producer	$28.4M	2005
No Score Yet	Empire Falls	C.B. Whiting/Charlie Mayne	—	2005
52%	Strangers with Candy	Henry	$2M	2005
26%	Along Came Polly	Sandy Lyle	$87.9M	2004
71%	Cold Mountain	Veasey	—	2003
79%	Owning Mahowny	Dan Mahowny	$0.8M	2003
78%	25th Hour	Jakob Elinsky	—	2003
80%	Punch-Drunk Love	Dean Trumbell	$17.9M	2002
68%	Red Dragon	Freddy Lounds	$93M	2002
53%	Love Liza	Wilson Joel	—	2002
56%	The Party's Over	Actor	—	2001
86%	State and Main	Joseph	$5.8M	2000
89%	Almost Famous	Lester Bangs	$31.8M	2000
83%	The Talented Mr. Ripley	Freddie Miles	—	1999
83%	Magnolia	Phil Parma	—	1999
43%	Flawless	Rusty Zimmerman	—	1999
23%	Patch Adams	Mitch	—	1998
81%	Happiness	Allen	—	1998
75%	Next Stop Wonderland	Sean	—	1998
No Score Yet	Montana	Duncan	—	1998
82%	The Big Lebowski	Brandt	—	1998
No Score Yet	Culture	Actor	—	1998
93%	Boogie Nights	Scotty	—	1997
57%	Twister	Dusty	—	1996
83%	Hard Eight	Young Craps Player	—	1996
No Score Yet	The Fifteen Minute Hamlet	Actor	—	1995
91%	Nobody's Fool	Officer Raymer	—	1994
71%	When a Man Loves a Woman	Gary	—	1994
No Score Yet	The Yearling	Buck Forrester	—	1994
No Score Yet	Szuler (Cheat)	Actor	—	1994
33%	The Getaway	Frank Hansen	—	1994
No Score Yet	Money for Nothing	Cochran	—	1993
14%	My Boyfriend's Back	Chuck Bronski	—	1993
No Score Yet	Joey Breaker	McCall	—	1993
88%	Scent of a Woman	George Willis Jr.	—	1992
60%	Leap of Faith	Matt	—	1992
50%	My New Gun	Chris	—	1992
No Score Yet	Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole	Actor	—	1991

TV

RATING	TITLE	CREDIT	YEAR
57%	666 Park Avenue 2012-2013	Roger Easton	2012
No Score Yet	Sunday Morning 2011-2018	Appearing	2012
No Score Yet	Blue Bloods 2010	Lawyer	2010
No Score Yet	Arthur 1996	Voice	2009
No Score Yet	The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 1999-2015	Guest	2008 2005
No Score Yet	The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 1992-2014	Guest	2006
No Score Yet	Law & Order 1990-2010	Eddie Feldman Steven B. Hanauer, hypnotherapist	1993 1991

QUOTES FROM Philip Seymour Hoffman CHARACTERS

Caden Cotard

I will be dying and so will you, and so will everyone here. That's what I want to explore. We're all hurtling towards death, yet here we are for the moment, alive. Each of us knowing we're going to die, each of us secretly believing we won't.

Rusty Zimmerman

On her knees at church begging Jesus, Mary, Joseph and every goddamned saint in heaven to forgive her for giving birth to Cruella de Fag. And being a slave to my father before he died. You would have loved each other. He thought Archie Bunker was a flaming Liberal.

Rusty Zimmerman

You could never be as stupid as I think you are.

Rusty Zimmerman

What are you, channeling Jesse Helms?

Lancaster Dodd

If you leave me now, in the next life you will be my sworn enemy. And I will show you no mercy.

Lancaster Dodd

What honor do you have?

Charlie Wilson	You did a hell of a job for the son of a soda pop maker.
Gust Avrakotos	"We'll see", said the Zen master.

Caden Cotard

Hazel, what do you think of this title? Unknown, Unkissed and Lost?

Max Jerry Horowitz

You are my friend, my only friend.

Dean Trumbell

Fuck you. You're a pervert. Think you can be a pervert and not pay for it?

Reverend Veasey

Thank you. I was gonna do a grievous thing.

Max Jerry Horowitz

Dr Bernard Hazelhof says it is good to have goals but not stupid ones like mine.

Plutarch Heavensbee	This is the revolution, and you are the mockingjay.
Plutarch Heavensbee	This is the revolution and you are the Mockingjay.

Freddie Miles	How's the peeping Tommy
Freddie Miles	How's the peeping, Tommy
Freddie Miles	How's the peeping, Tommy?

President Snow	Her entire species must be... eradicated.
President Snow	Her entire species must be eradicated.
Plutarch Heavensbee	Her species, sir?
President Snow	The other victors. Because of her, they all pose a threat. Because of her, they all think they're invincible.

President Snow	Her entire species must be eradicated.
Plutarch Heavensbee	Her species, sir?
President Snow	The other victors. Because of her, they all pose a threat. Because of her, they all think they're invisible.
President Snow	The other victors. Because of her, they all pose a threat. Because of her, they all think they're invincible.

President Snow	(on Katniss Everdeen) She has become a big kind of hope for them. She has to be eliminated. What do you think?
President Snow	She has become a big kind of hope for them. She has to be eliminated. What do you think?
Plutarch Heavensbee	I agree. She should die, but in the right way and the right time.

Max Jerry Horowitz

Jurors are outstanding members of the community who haven't murdered anybody.

Max Jerry Horowitz

Did you know that turtles can breathe through their anuses?

Freddie Quell	What do you do?
Lancaster Dodd	I am a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist and a theoretical philosopher. But above all, I am a man, a hopelessly inquisitive man, just like you.

Sister Aloysius Beauvier	What happened in the rectory?
Father Brendan Flynn	Happened?
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	Hmm.
Father Brendan Flynn	Nothing happened, I had a talk with the boy.
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	What about?
Father Brendan Flynn	Private matter.
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	He's twelve years old, what could be private?

Lancaster Dodd

I would like to talk to you today about cold feet, and narrow minds. People with cold feet cannot move forward. People with narrow minds cannot move side to side.

Lancaster Dodd	Are you thoughtless in your remarks?
Freddie Quell	No.
Lancaster Dodd	Is your life a struggle?
Lancaster Dodd	Is your behavior erratic?
Lancaster Dodd	Are you unpredictable?
Freddie Quell	[farts and laughs]

Lancaster Dodd

What a horrible young man you are. This is acting like an animal. A dirty animal that eats its own feces when hungry.

Dan Mahowny

Double or nothing?

Lancaster Dodd

Your fear of capture and imprisonment is from millions of years ago. You are not there. You are asleep.

Lester Bangs	They made you feel cool. And hey, I met you. You are not cool.
William Miller	I know. Even when I thought I was, I knew I wasn't. I'm glad you were home.
Lester Bangs	I'm always home. I'm uncool.

Lancaster Dodd	"I want to get you on a slow boat to China, all by yourself, alone."
Lancaster Dodd	I want to get you on a slow boat to China, all by yourself, alone.

Lancaster Dodd

I have unlocked, and discovered, a secret. A secret to living in these bodies that we hold.

Lancaster Dodd	If we are not helping him, then it is we who have failed him.
Lancaster Dodd	If we are not helping him, then it is we who are failing him.

Lancaster Dodd	Leave your worries for a while. They'll be here when you get back.
Lancaster Dodd	Leave your worries for a while. They'll be there when you get back.

Truman Capote	"...and I will never get over it."
Truman Capote	...and I will never get over it.

Lancaster Dodd

If we meet again, in the next life, you will be my sworn enemy and I will show you no mercy.

Lancaster Dodd

If you figure out a way to live without a master, any master, be sure to let the rest of us know, for you would be the first in the history of the world.

Lancaster Dodd	What we will do now will urge you toward existence.
Lancaster Dodd	What we will do now will urge you toward existence, within a group, a society, a family.

Lester Bangs

You CANNOT make friends with the rock stars. That's what's important. If you're a rock journalist - first, you will never get paid much. But you will get free records from the record company. And they'll buy you drinks, you'll meet girls, they'll try to fly you places for free, offer you drugs... I know. It sounds great. But they are not your friends. These are people who want you to write sanctimonious stories about the genius of the rock stars, and they will ruin rock and roll and strangle everything we love about it.

Lancaster Dodd

Man is not an animal. We are not a part of the ANIMAL kingdom.

Father Brendan Flynn	Where's your compassion?
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	Nowhere you can get at it
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	Nowhere you can get at it.

Reverend Veasey	Hey! Look at this! This is a good saw.
Inman	It's not yours. You take it, you make us another enemy. You are a Christian- don't you know your commandments?
Reverend Veasey	You'll find the good Lord very flexible on the subject of property. We could do a lot with this saw...

Earl Partridge	You know, those child breeding hips...
Phil Parma	[Nods and smiles]
Phil Parma	[nods and smiles]

Lancaster Dodd	You seem so familiar to me.
Freddie Sutton	Wha what do you do?
Freddie Quell	Yeah, what do you do?
Lancaster Dodd	I am a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a theoretical philosopher... but above all I am a man. Hopelessly Inquisitive man, just like you.
Lancaster Dodd	I do many, many things. I am a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a theoretical philosopher, but, above all, I am a man. A hopelessly inquisitive man, just like you.

Lester Bangs

Of course I'm home. I'm uncool.

Max Jerry Horowitz	I cannot understand how being honest can be.... improper
Max Jerry Horowitz	I cannot understand how being honest can be... improper.

Bunny Lebowski	I'll suck your cock for a thousand dollars.
Brandt	Ah... Ha... ha... HA! Yes, we're all very fond of her.
Bunny Lebowski	Brandt can't watch, though. Or it's an extra hundred.
The Dude	Okay... just give me a minute. I gotta go find a cash machine...

Max Jerry Horowitz

The reason I forgive you is because you are not perfect. You are imperfect. And so am I. All humans are imperfect. Even the man outside my apartment who litters. When I was young, I wanted to be anybody but myself. Dr. Bernard Hasselhoff said if I was on a desert island, then I would have to get used to my own company. Just me… and the coconuts. He said I would have to accept myself: my warts and all. And that we don’t get to choose our warts. They are a part of us and we have to live with them. We can however, choose our friends. And I am glad I have chosen you. Dr. Bernard Hasselhoff also said that everyone’s lives are like a very long sidewalk. Some are well paved. Others, like mine, have cracks, banana skins and cigarette butts. Your sidewalk is like mine, but probably not as many cracks. Hopefully, one day our sidewalks will meet and we can share a can of condensed milk. You are my best friend. You are my only friend.

Caden Cotard

Max Jerry Horowitz

When I was young, I invented an invisible friend called Mr Ravioli. My psychiatrist says I don't need him anymore, so he just sits in the corner and reads.

Sandy Lyle	LET IT RAIN!!!!
Sandy Lyle	LET IT RAIN!

Sandy Lyle	Best Man is in the house. (Slips and falls)
Sandy Lyle	Best Man is in the house. [slips and falls]

Sandy Lyle	RAIN DROPS!!!!
Sandy Lyle	RAIN DROPS!

Sandy Lyle	OLD SCHOOL!!!
Sandy Lyle	OLD SCHOOL!

Sandy Lyle	RAINDANCE!!!
Sandy Lyle	RAIN DANCE!

Art Howe	Do you agree with this?
Peter Brand	100% Do you want the door open or closed?
Peter Brand	100 percent. Do you want the door open or closed?

Scotty	Im such an Idiot!!!!!!!!!
Scotty	I'm such an idiot!

Phil Parma

Frogs are falling from the sky.

The Count	I plan on broadcasting from this boat till the day i die......and a few days after that."
The Count	I plan on broadcasting from this boat till the day I die... and a few days after that.

Father Brendan Flynn	Where's your compassion?
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	Nowhere you can get at it.

Father Brendan Flynn	You have no right to act on your own. You have taken vows; obedience being one. You answer to us. You have no right to step outside the church
Father Brendan Flynn	You have no right to act on your own. You have taken vows; obedience being one. You answer to us. You have no right to step outside the church.
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	I will step outside the church! If that's what needs to be done, though the door should shut behind me, I will do what needs to be done!

Paul Zara Philip

...and Ida, I am going to go take a shit.

Sandy Lyle	did u spank her
Reuben Feffer	yeah i tried but i dont think she liked it
Sandy Lyle	well... some women find it offensive

Sandy Lyle	i just sharted
Sandy Lyle	I just sharted.
Reuben Feffer	i dont know what that means
Reuben Feffer	I don't know what that means.
Sandy Lyle	i tried to fart and a little shit came out i sharted alright now lets go
Sandy Lyle	I tried to fart and a little shit came out. I just sharted. Now let's go.

Max Jerry Horowitz	Unfortunately, in America, babies are not found in cola cans. I asked my mother when I was four, and she said they came from eggs laid by rabbis. If you aren't Jewish, they're laid by Catholic nuns. If you're atheist, they're laid by dirty, lonely prostitutes.
Max Jerry Horowitz	Unfortunately, in America, babies are not found in cola cans. I asked my mother when I was four, and she said they came from eggs laid by rabbis. If you aren't Jewish, they're laid by Catholic nuns. If you're an atheist, they' re laid by dirty, lonely prostitutes.

Andy Hanson

You sure I'm your son!

Sandy Lyle	Dude, No. This is serious, I just sharted.
Sandy Lyle	Dude, no. This is serious. I just sharted.

Lester Bangs

You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest, and unmerciful.

Lester Bangs

The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool.

Father Brendan Flynn	I can fight you.
Sister Aloysius Beauvier	You will lose.

Paul Zara Philip	It doesn't matter what you thought, it matters what you did, it matters what you didn't do.
Paul Zara Philip	It doesn't matter what you thought. It matters what you did. It matters what you didn't do.

Hank Hanson	You're a prick.
Andy Hanson	I always was.

Dex	You don't look happy. Mind if I call you "Groucho"?
Andy Hanson	No, I don't mind.

Connie	In a bathtub, I imagined I was with you.
Jack	You took a bath?

Jack	Don't worry, I'm a good swimmer.
Connie	I knew you'd be good.

Max Jerry Horowitz

Do you have a favourite-sounding word? My top-five are "ointment," "bumblebee," "Vladivostok," "banana," and "testicle."

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Philip Seymour Hoffman

Photos

Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

TV

QUOTES FROM Philip Seymour Hoffman CHARACTERS

News & Interviews for Philip Seymour Hoffman