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Philip Seymour Hoffman

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File:Capote poster.jpg
Hoffman in Capote

Philip Seymour Hoffman (born July 23 1967) is an American actor.

Personal life

Hoffman was born in Fairport, New York to a former Xerox executive and Marilyn O'Connor, a family court judge. His father was Protestant and his mother was Catholic, but he was not raised heavily in either religion.

He entered the prestigious undergraduate training program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and received his BFA in drama in 1989.

He is in a relationship with costume designer Mimi O´Donnell. The two had a son, Cooper Alexander, in 2003.

Film career

Hoffman made his film debut in 1991, and has established a successful film career playing supporting roles; notably, he has appeared in all four of Paul Thomas Anderson's feature films to date. He starred as "himself" in The Last Party, a documentary about the 2000 elections. He starred in Owning Mahowny in 2003 to solid reviews.

In addition to his film career, Hoffman has been recognized for his work in theater. He has twice been nominated for Broadway's Tony Award: as Best Actor (Play) in 2000 for a revival of Sam Shepard's True West, and for Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) in 2003 for a revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night. Hoffman has also distinguished himself as a director with Off-Broadway projects such as Rebecca Gilman's "Glory of Living," and Stephen Adly Guirgis's "Jesus Hopped the A Train" and "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot." Hoffman is Co-Artistic Director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company, along with actor John Ortiz.

In 2006 he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama for his performance as Truman Capote in Capote. For this role Hoffman was awarded Best Actor by at least 10 film critic associations, including the National Board of Review, Toronto Film Critics, and Los Angeles Film Critics. This was the second time Hoffman has ever played a homosexual, also having done it in the 1997 cult classic Boogie Nights.

In 2006, he will appear as the primary antagonist in Mission: Impossible III.

Selected filmography