In Memoriam - My Five Favourite Philip Seymour Hoffman Performances

July 23, 1967 - February 2, 2014

With the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman happening twelve days ago, I've let the immediate sadness set in, and decided to revisit his extensive filmography. For those of you that know me, you know that Hoffman was one of my favourite actors, and one whose performances I constantly looked forward to. Actors like him and James Gandolfini gave hope to fat talented shlubs like myself. I'd go so far as to say that he was easily in the league of an actor such as Daniel Day-Lewis, because when was the last time Hoffman gave a bad performance? The answer is never, because he was constantly sublime. Tell me another actor with this much talent. Some might say Christian Bale or Joaquin Phoenix, who are both great. But not as great.

I'm also not going with the obvious choices of Capote and Almost Famous, because most people know those. Let's shine a light on other performances. These are by no means what I consider to be his best performances, simply one that I really enjoyed. I realize this intro is far more somber than my usual intros, but I'm currently watching The Social Network and am incredibly engrossed in it. So buckle up, fuckers.

I want to start by giving special notice to performances that didn't make this list, but it was really hard narrowing this to five performances. Every time I thought I had it, I went "Oh fuck, I forgot about that one! He was great in that." So here's some extra love, in the form of five performances that were close, but didn't make the cut:

Jacob Elinsky (25th Hour)

Brandt (The Big Lebowski)

Father Brendan Flynn (Doubt)

Phil Parma (Magnolia)

Andy Hanson (Before The Devil Knows You're Dead)

Paul Zara (The Ides of March)

If there is something that he was great at doing, it was appearing world weary, powerful and smart. His performance as Paul Zara is no exception to that rule, as he goes toe-to-toe with dreamboat Ryan Gosling and dreamyacht George Clooney, and outshines both, giving a nuanced well acted performance. His character has been around the block when it comes to elections, and Hoffman conveys it with every subtlety, from the way he enters a room, to the way he speaks to those around him, and, especially, in the way he reactions to the way he is being spoken to. When a character of his importance is being berated, he does not take it lightly, and Hoffman does a great job at listening and reacting, instead of trying to get his Oscar scene in. It's not a performance that would stir any kind of awards buzz, though it is not one I'd soon forget. 

Warning spoilers ahead in this clip:

Scotty J. (Boogie Nights)

If there's one thing I truly loved about his approach to acting, it's that he was never afraid to look silly or odd in a performance. Often times, actors become obsessed with making sure every shot of them shows off their good side, but it felt like Hoffman intentionally wanted people to see he was just a regular guy. His performance as Scotty J. in Boogie Nights is wonderful because it showcases a softer side to him. I'm not referring to that fantastic midriff he's showing off, but instead to the more emotionally fragile characters he wasn't necessarily known for. Scotty J. can't help but be in love with Dirk Diggler, and when he makes his feelings known, he is crushed, resulting in Hoffman showing off both humour and heartbreak simultaneously. You can't help but feel awful for the guy, but the way he says "I wanna know if you like me? Can I kiss you? Do you like my car?" offers up some great moments. And yes, I know most people who don't know who Paul Thomas Anderson is will remember this movie for Mark Wahlberg wearing a massive fake dong. 

Gust Avrakotos (Charlie Wilson's War)

If you're getting the sense that I like performances where Philip Seymour Hoffman is commanding, you are right. His performance in Charlie Wilson's war is brilliant in it's utter absurdity. He knows how valuable an asset he is. He knows what he does sometimes is wrong, but it has to be done. And he knows he's kind of a piece of shit. But the fact that Hoffman makes you know all this without saying it, and delivers each line with such fantastic conviction, that makes me remember this performance so long after seeing the film. Also, facing off against Tom Hanks and Roger Sterling himself John Slattery, and chewing the living fuck out of the scenery, as they watch, makes me wish we could see another performance like this again. He may not be the biggest guy, but he will be the toughest and meanest son-of-a-bitch you've met.

Lancaster Dodd (The Master)

Any other year, this wins a god damn Oscar. But because he already had one to his name, and Christoph Waltz knows how to speak Tarantino dialogue perfectly, this brilliant performance went unrewarded. There's a great simmering anger and tension underneath the facade of Lancaster Dodd, and this performance runs the gamete of a performers talent. Scene to scene, he can be fatherly, loving, mesmerizing, bitter, stubborn, hateful and unwavering, and perfectly compliments Joaquin Phoenix's Freddy perfectly. While I wasn't overwhelmed with The Master as a film, the performances across the board are amazing, and Hoffman shows a level of performance that justifies why he was one of my true acting inspirations. He also gets a sink handjob from Amy Adams, which is a giant fuck you to Superman, which I'm weirdly okay with. And the way he says "pig fuck!" makes my downstairs tingle.

  Owen Davian (Mission: Impossible III)

You wanna know how awesomely meta his performance in this gets? At one point, he has to play his character, secretly being played by Tom Cruise in disguise. It's a testament to his talent that while you're watching, you forget the technology to make Tom Cruise into him doesn't exist, and instead, he's playing the part perfectly. This was a big risk for Hoffman, being that it was his first role right after his Oscar win for Capote, and most people were probably looking for another Oscar piece. And it's a shame that he wasn't nominated here (yes, I'm totally serious), because he's leaps and bounds the best part of this movie. He's a villain you are actually afraid of. How many times do you see the villain in an action movie and just wait for him to die? Every time. But Hoffman gives such a great scene chewing turn here, that you genuinely wonder how he will lose. And the way he threatens people in here is so great. It's so conversational and calm that it makes it all the more effective. His performance here is so wonderful that it elevates Tom Cruise to give his best performance in the series, and a very strong one for the kind of movie it is. I really love what he does here.

There you have it. I know some people will argue with me about the choices, but I truly don't care. If you made it through the entire article, kudos to you, because I know it's super long. But I do appreciate it. Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the main reasons my looks have never deterred me when it came to acting, and his passing genuinely leaves me very heartbroken. Hopefully some day, people will give him the due he really deserved. And you know what, since I've already included a ton of videos (which I hope you watched all of), let's include his Oscar win in the mix too, because it really is great. Until next time, kids!