Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Top 8 roles

SINGAPORE — Philip Seymour Hoffman, the multiple award-winning actor and director was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Feb 2, Sunday. He was 46. The cause has apparently been drug overdose.

When the news officially broke, I mourned with a heavy heart at the loss of one of this generation’s greatest actors. I was surprised at how shocked, sad and upset I was upon hearing the news. I never got the chance to interview the man but I’ve always admired his under-the-radar work and incredible talent.

I was a huge fan for a long time and I wasn’t alone. His acting skills and range and his accomplishments have long been respected and coveted by his peers, both in Hollywood and Broadway. His extraordinary gift of embodying any role, big or small, and the empathy he drew from audiences with his performances always left me astounded.

“As an actor, Hoffman was an analyst of human frailty, and he showed us men, puffed-up and broken-down alike, who lived their lives half-hypnotised by their own drives and desires,” wrote the Telegraph’s Robbie Collin.

I couldn’t agree more — and it would now seem like he lived his life the same way.

From the looks of things, drugs has claimed one of my favourite actors of all time. It’s truly senseless and sad, but I’m also conflicted. The Internet has been flooded with PSH tributes worldwide, from esteemed Hollywood stars to your man on the street. But many have also taken to social media to ask: Why are we celebrating the life and achievements of a drug addict?

Many say that the most extraordinary people have dark sides that help fuel their gift. But it is also true that many well-adjusted people who are equally talented and successful have excelled despite their demons. I am in no position to argue either sides of the coin but I do know that being haunted by and dealing with your personal demons, no matter how talented, creative or successful you are, is the hardest thing we as human beings have ever had to cope with. And I think that no one person has the right to comment on the morality or worthiness of addicts.

Hoffman had a long battle with addiction, which he had always openly and publicly acknowledged. He was in rehab as recently as last May. For me, the tragedy here is the waste of a life, full stop. This one just so happens to be the death of a gifted man who clearly struggled with addiction most of his life.

The one thing I’m sure of is that Hoffman has always been all heart when it came to his performances — and I’ve listed down eight of my favourite Philip Seymour Hoffman roles.

Here’s to you, Phil. It’s been one heck of a cinematic ride.