Philip Seymour Hoffman

Widely recognized as one of the strongest stage and film actors of his generation, Philip Seymour Hoffman delivered knockout supporting roles in films like "Boogie Nights" (1997), "Magnolia" (1999) and "Almost Famous" (2000), before breaking out with an Oscar-winning lead as the famed author in "Capote" (2005). The co-creative director of New York's LAByrinth theater company brought theater-trained sensibilities and a fearless approach to some of cinema's most uncomfortably realistic portrayals, battling dark human urges, addictions, and moral conflicts with powerful if unflattering vulnerability. That was not to overlook Hoffman's considerable comedic talents, expressed in finely nuanced characterizations of a loyal assistant in "The Big Lebowski" (1997), a blocked screenwriter in "State and Main" (2000), a desperate former child actor in "Along Came Polly" (2004), and a maturity-challenged college professor in "The Savages" (2007). He even made the occasional blockbuster action thriller, playing the villain to Tom Cruise's hero in "Mission: Impossible III" (2006). Still, Hoffman was most comfortable in more dramatically challenging films, delivering quality turns in "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (2007) and Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York" (2008) before receiving well-deserved acclaim for his performance as the embattled Father Flynn in "Doubt" (2008). With standout supporting turns in "Moneyball" (2011) and "The Hunger Games" franchise, Hoffman solidified his standing as one of the best and most versatile actors working in Hollywood. His death via heroin overdose at the age of 46 stunned the acting community as well as his legion of fans.