Philip Seymour Hoffman is an award-winning actor, best known for his performances in films such as Scent of a Woman, Charlie Wilson’s War, and his Oscar-winning portrayal in Capote.
Born in Rochester, New York on July 23, 1967, to parents of Irish descent, Hoffman started performing in school plays. He took up drama at the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. His first screen appearance was as a defendant in a 1991 episode of Law & Order, before appearing in a string of films the next year, the most important being Scent of a Woman, which he credits for jumpstarting his acting career.
Most of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s early roles were for supporting characters with idiosyncratic personalities. These include the 1996 film Hard Eight and the following year’s Boogie Nights. In 1998, he earned a Chlotrudis Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in the film Happiness. In 2002, he appeared in Love Liza, his first lead acting role. The next year, he played the lead in Owning Mahowny, a performance that earned him a Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, however, won widespread acclaim for his performance as writer Truman Capote in the 2005 film Capote. Among the many acting plums he received for that role were an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award, all for best actor. He was again nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for best supporting actor, for his portrayal of CIA officer Gust Avrakotos in the 2008 film Charlie Wilson’s War.
He continues playing supporting roles, however, in films such as Cold Mountain, Along Came Polly and Mission: Impossible III. He also continues acting for stage, earning two Tony nominations: one, for the 2000 Broadway play True West; and the other, for the 2003 revival Long Day’s Journey into Night.