Veteran actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment on February 2, after apparently overdosing on heroin. Hoffman, 46, appeared to have numerous bags of heroin in the residence, a needle found in his arm by police and some empty envelops seeming to suggest Hoffman had injected too much heroin and overdosed. The actor had been known to struggle with substance abuse; Hoffman’s latest attempt at rehabilitation last year only lasted ten days. His funeral was just a few days ago, where friends and admirers paid respects to the man. And in writing about Hoffman, I would like to both remember his work and to address the drug addiction.
While not fawned over by girls like some male actors, Hoffman commanded serious respect and renown for his abilities. Hoffman has played in various movies, switching between lead, support, and villain roles. More recent roles include the calculating Plutarch Heavensbee in “The Hunger Games” movie series, naysayer Art Howe in “Moneyball,” and his most acclaimed role as Truman Capote in the eponymous biopic. Some of my personal favorites of his include the scheming business man Dean Trumbell in “Punch-Drunk Love,” nurse Phil Parma in “Magnolia,” Big Lebowski assistant Brandt in “The Big Lebowski,” and porn actor Scotty J. in “Boogie Nights.” Just looking at the number and variation of roles listed can give you a good idea about the prolific and transitory nature of Hoffman, able to shift between characters and personalities with ease. A quiet man, many people don’t usually associate Hoffman as a movie star, as both his attitude and clothing suggest a more laid back and mellow person than what most people usually associate with an award winning movie star. For all intents and purposes, Hoffman was a talented man, whose performances could captivate and shift with incredible ease.
That said, we come to the issue of drug abuse. Increasingly, the private lives of celebrities are becoming more accessible. While it’s no surprise to learn that some celebrities use drugs as normal people do, the circumstances are much different. There’s the problem that most, if not all celebrities, face little consequences for using illegal drugs. While the mental and physical health problems make themselves evident, legally there doesn’t seem to be any backlash, meaning no reason to stop. Hoffman, as stated earlier, struggled with addiction all his life, since he was 22. And while we usually applaud those who struggle against their addictions, at the end of the day those who either do not seek help or refuse to commit to rehabilitation almost always end up dying. Again, while their deaths are sad, we cannot gloss over their addictions as a tragic flaw, forgetting the deep and distressing lives they really live and cannot escape. These people, Hoffman included, have struggled all their lives, but they don’t win in the end. And while we celebrate their lives, we must constantly remind ourselves of the dangers of addiction, especially to illegal drugs that are known to ruin lives. Moreover, celebrity deaths such as Hoffman’s should press us to crack down harder on addiction. No more half-hearted rehab attempts or interventions, no more TV shows glorifying the hardships and struggles without actually solving the issue. If a regular person uses drugs, illegal ones especially, the ramifications are much more punishing, which seems to prevent more needless deaths. The addictions can only be addressed if the people involved want help, and if we can help provide the assistance; otherwise, the cycle of celebrity overdoes will only continue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/movies/philip-seymour-hoffman-actor-dies-at-46.html?_r=0