Philip Seymour Hoffman

Season 6, Episode 613

Original Airdate: June 4, 2000

In each generation, it falls to two or three actors to define their time; in succession: Brando, Nicholson, DeNiro, Pacino, Streep and Sean Penn have left indelible imprints on their craft, and although the books are barely open on the emerging generation, there is one young actor who is virtually unrecognizable from one film to the next and unforgettable in every one them.

From the transgender Rusty in Flawless, to which the Screen Actors Guild honored him with an outstanding lead actor nomination, To his riveting portraits in Magnolia and The Talented Mr. Ripley, for each of which he won the national board review best supporting actor in the same year, to a gallery of startling portrayals in Scent of a Woman, The Big Lebowski, Happiness for which he received an independent spirit award nomination, Patch Adams, Twister and Boogie Nights his work in the theater has matched his filmwork stroke for brilliant stroke, reaching a pinnacle at this moment on Broadway where our guest is alternating in the two principle roles of Sam Shephard's True West, leading the New York Daily News critic who said that our guest is all set to become the most forceful actor of his generation Philip Seymour Hoffman.