Last week we lost one of the best actors of his generation, Philip Seymour Hoffman, to drug addiction. After spending two decades of his life sober, Hoffman relapsed two years ago, eventually leading him to an overdose in his apartment. He was 46.
Hoffman gave pretty much amazing performances across the board: Almost Famous, The Master, Boogie Nights, Capote, 25th Hour — the list goes on and on. He disappeared into his roles like a modern-day Brando, and we should be thankful that we have so much of his amazing work to revisit.
Pretty much everyone in Hollywood has weighed in on Hoffman’s untimely death, admiring his acting talent as well as his kind-hearted personality. For those of us who didn’t know him, we can still watch him perform and be reminded that he was, and remains, one of the greats.
Boohoo: criticizing his disease
Unfortunately, some people have taken Hoffman’s death as an opportunity to criticize his addiction, calling his death “selfish” or “a waste” or wondering “how could he do that when he had children?” Those of us who haven’t lived with addiction — myself included — can’t possibly understand the challenges faced by those who suffer from it.
It’s a disease of the brain like any other, and living with addiction is a constant battle against the power of temptation. It’s why programs like Alcoholics Anonymous teach you to use the present tense when describing your problem: “I am an alcoholic”; “I am a drug addict.”
Hoffman was such a one, and after 20 years of sobriety, all it took was one misstep for him to lose everything he had worked so hard to achieve. We lost a brilliant actor to addiction the way we lose our friends, our loved ones, and our family to disease and illness. Rest in peace.
