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  1. Photograph: REX USA/Theo Kingma/Rex
    Photograph: REX USA/Theo Kingma/Rex

    “I admired Phil enormously as an actor before I was even working in films myself…before he was even as well-known as he became. I used to think, That guy’s more riveting than the lead actor of every film he’s in.… He steals every scene. He was fearless and his performances were totally free of vanity or caution. As he became widely appreciated and started becoming the ‘lead,’ it would have been easy for him to soften in some way, but he didn’t. He went the opposite direction—there was even more fierce integrity to his work. Anyone who takes acting seriously at all revered him for it. He set a standard that others aspired to. Making 25th Hour was one of the best creative experiences of my career, and working with him was a big part of that. Phil was truly unique as a performer and very original in the characterizations he created. You can only say those things about a very small handful of the greatest actors. For me, he’ll always be one of them.”—Edward Norton, actor; Norton also created a CrowdRise campaign in Hoffman's name benefiting the Labyrinth Theater Company

  2. Photograph: Carolyn Contino/BEImages
    Photograph: Carolyn Contino/BEImages

    “Phil was arguably the greatest actor of his generation. The loss of an artist of his stature rips a hole in the world, but the loss of one so young is unendurable. He was a huge spirit, whose values were as deep as his talent. He gave more to the Public than I can express and we will miss him terribly.”—Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater

  3. Photograph: Geraint Lewis/REX USA
    Photograph: Geraint Lewis/REX USA

    “It’s so hard to put into words the impact Philip had on me. What I can say is that with me, it was mostly about the work, the work. Craftsmanship, study habits, preparation, research, script analysis, beats, history of subject and of writer, ‘the play’s the thing,’ play your position greatly. He will forever live with me in the work. He was my friend, my mentor and the key that helps open the door to my own greatness. And after all, why not be great at this shit? Ha! If you see me onstage, you will see a piece of him.”—Ron Cephas Jones, actor

  4. Photograph: Richard Saker/REX USA
    Photograph: Richard Saker/REX USA

    “This planet is no damned place to have a heart, and Phil had the biggest, brokenest heart of anyone I have ever met. He was a beautiful person in a hideous world. Great actor, too.”—Shalom Auslander, author and creator of the Showtime series Happyish, in which Hoffman was set to star

  5. Photograph: Lauren Spinelli
    Photograph: Lauren Spinelli

    “In 1994, I ran into my old NYU buddy Phil Hoffman on the street. He had just finished filming Nobody’s Fool with Paul Newman. I was about to direct Troilus and Cressida at HERE and he asked if he could be in it, and I offered him the part of Achilles. His performance was fantastic. He brought his particular combination of fierce intelligence and open heart. In one scene, he and Hector (played by a woman in my production) faced off prebattle. One night, Hector got pissed at Phil’s aggressiveness and spat in his face. He just laughed and laughed. I spoke to them afterward, telling them this was all wrong for the scene. Phil apologized but, still laughing, said, ‘I was just psyched that I finally got to her.’ ”—Gary Upton Schwartz, director

  6. Photograph: Lauren Spinelli
    Photograph: Lauren Spinelli

    “I met Phil acting onstage together in Merchant of Venice. He went on to direct me in In Arabia We’d All Be Kings and Our Lady of 121st Street. As a friend and as a director he pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of…and then he pushed me some more. My capacity to love is greater, and now my ability to experience heartbreak has reached new heights.”—Portia, member, Labyrinth Theater Company

  7. Photograph: courtesy Goodman Theatre
    Photograph: courtesy Goodman Theatre

    “Phil was an incredibly generous man. Personally and artistically. He always made me feel like my ideas mattered—like I was a collaborator or peer, even though he was peerless in his ability to understand the messy complexity of human motivation. I find myself remembering one day in particular: We spent many hours teching the last few minutes of The Long Red Road by Brett C. Leonard at the Goodman [Theatre] in Chicago. He paced the stage, conducted the lights, demanded absolute perfection so Brett’s vision could be realized.”—Scott Illingworth, assistant director to Hoffman

  8.  “Three days after learning of my dear brother Phil’s death, I remain in total shock and disbelief. Only one thing makes sense to me: He made me a better man, he demanded each and every Labyrinth member to be greater than they could have ever imagined, and inspired so many more through his talent, spirit and generosity. My heart goes out to those who loved him and are in pain over this tragic loss…especially his family; Mimi and three beautiful children whom he adored.”—John Ortiz, cofounder, Labyrinth Theater Company

  9. Photograph: Monique Carboni
    Photograph: Monique Carboni

    “Phil showed up. If you were sick or had a death in the family, whatever, he was there. And if he couldn’t make it because of his busy film schedule, he would call and talk with you any time day or night. He would always say that—’Call me anytime’—and mean it. Then, as soon as he could, he would have a coffee with you and be there for you. Years ago, he was in rehearsals for a play (at the Public, I think), and after afull day of rehearsals he would jump on his bike and come run the sound for our little Off-Off Broadway show. That was him.

    During 9/11, we were all at our Summer Intensive in upstate New York. We were a few hours away from the city and grateful that we were alltogether when the tragedy hit. But one of our friends, Portia, was supposed to take a bus up that day, and needless to say she felt terrified and alone. Phil did not hesitate: He jumped in a van and got her. I will never forget that. We were all scared, and the impossibletask of trying to get into the city was beyond me, but that’s the kind of guy he was.  

    He would tease me like a brother until I got really mad at him, and then we’d crack up laughing. I always fell for it every time.

    One night when we were doing a show, Phil came into my dressing room and kind of cornered me and was relentless with his notes. He got me all worked up: I was crying and cursing him (after he left, of course), and my friend and fellow actor Liza Colon tried to calm me down‹but there wasn’t time, I had to go on stage. Needless to say, all my emotions were already on my sleeve and we had a great show that night. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was a night that a lot of big reviewers were there. Afterward, he came up to me and hugged me and told me all the great things any actor would dream of hearing. Of course, they meant infinitely more coming from him. He had done it all for me. He wanted me to get good reviews, and I did, and more importantly we all did.”—Elizabeth Canavan, member, Labyrinth Theater Company

The loss and the legacy of Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman's colleagues in film and theater reflect on the late actor's legendary career, and the impact his life had on those industries

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You'd be hard-pressed to find an actor who was more universally respected than Philip Seymour Hoffman; following his death on February 2, his colleagues in the film and theater industries took to Twitter and elsewhere to pay their respects to the actor. To get a fuller sense of Hoffman's legacy, we've gathered quotes from his peers—including colleagues at the Labyrinth Theater Company, where he directed several plays—that speak to how beloved the actor was, and how much he'll be missed.

To help continue Hoffman's work with the Labyrinth Theater Company, actor Edward Norton started a CrowdRise campaign, with funds raised benefiting the space; you can donate to that fund here.

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