A great actor. Young, gifted, addicted and now, unhappily, dead.About three years ago some friends and I walked into the Elephant & Castle in the Village for a Saturday or Sunday morning brunch and talk. We were seated within sneezing distance. The intensity we'd seen on-screen was still apparent: he exuded a life force (and not because we were gawking fans). He was also a bit on edge as his friend / assistant reported on various appointments, messages, projects: his Obligation Brunch.
How we were smitten in his presence. What a loss.
This brief footage and commentary sums up what made him such a tremendous actor:
http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2014/feb/03/philip-seymour-hoffman-video-appreciation
