Philip Seymour Hoffman: The interviews
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman poses with the best actor Oscar he won for his work in "Capote" at the 78th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 5, 2006. Credit: AP
As Philip Seymour Hoffman fans and lovers of cinema continue to grapple with the actor's tragic death yesterday, I figured it would be valuable to look at a few of his TV interviews over the last few years. Not that these will help with "understanding" -- impossible -- but they at least will let you watch him explain his craft, and how it related to his life.
Hoffman was not a regular on the talk show circuit, as you might imagine. Like James Gandolfini, whose death last summer also shocked the world, he was a New Yorker who protected his privacy and who understood that the city -- a kindred soul, I would imagine -- helped him to protect it.
Here are a few interviews, beginning with a good one from George Stroumboulopoulos, on the CBC (from whence Strombo came.)
Also, you may want to watch this full half-hour interview from BAFTA, which was taped nearly three years ago. I've provided a brief clip below. The whole interview is quite good.
The last one here was recorded two years ago -- Rolling Stone's critic, Peter Travers, does the honors. Newsday app readers, please go to Newsday.com/tvzone to watch the clips.
