Philip Seymour Hoffman Will Be Honored at the Berlin Film Festival

The passing of legendary actor Philip Seymour Hoffman this week came as a big shock to everyone. To say he was a good actor would be to undermine just how talented the man was. His impact can be felt across all genres. From his stunning portrayal of Truman Capote to managing to be the one interesting thing about the movie Twister, not only was be a great actor, but even when he starred in less than stellar films, his presence on-screen made them stellar. So you can imagine all the world breathed a collective gasp when his body was found this week in his apartment, dead from a heroin overdose. Well, take comfort in knowing the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman will be honored at the Berlin Film Festival this week.

The Berlin Film Festival decided Philip Seymour Hoffman will be honored for his amazing body of work and all that the artist contributed to film. I, for one, really was blown away by him in Magnolia. The Paul Thomas Anderson epic about branching lives in L.A and how fate can bring the strangest of us together in the strangest of ways. His part was one of many, but he stood out for how raw and honest his performance felt. That is the thing about Hoffman. He never felt like he was acting. It just seemed like he was who he was portraying.

Philip Seymour Hoffman will be honored at the Berlin Film Festival today, as they will be showing a full screening of Capote. The movie that snagged Hoffman the Oscar for best actor in 2006. Truth is, you could have an entire film festival dedicated to this guy’s work alone. He was an absolute master of his craft, and his passing left an empty hole that will not be filled anytime soon.

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)