Manchester actor and comedian Steve Coogan is the latest star to pay tribute to the American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman describing his untimely death as ‘a great tragedy’.
The 46-year-old father of three was found in his New York home on Sunday morning after dying of a suspected heroin overdose.
Coogan joined an impressive list of peers who expressed their praise and sadness at Hoffman’s passing.
Speaking to the BBC at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards on Sunday evening Coogan said: “It’s a great tragedy; he’s a hugely gifted actor and certainly someone who I have looked up to and admired and it’s a great, great loss, and my thoughts go out to him and his family.
“It’s very sad because his career was sort of brief really. He came on the scene and raised the bar for everyone. He was a true artist.”
Hoffman won an Oscar for best actor in 2005, for his leading role in Capote, and received supporting actor nominations for his roles in Charlie Wilson’s War, Doubt and The Master.
Other notable films Hoffman featured in include The Big Lebowski, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Boogie Nights and Almost Famous.
Coogan, who was up for nominated British Actor of the Year at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, added: “I think he’ll be held up for character actors, he showed what was possible.
“He was incredibly watchable, and very sad because he always did brilliant performances, and everything he was in he lit up the screen.”
The actor was currently working on the last instalment of the dystopian book adaptations, The Hunger Games, in which he played the role of Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee.
Image courtesy Emre budu via YouTube, with thanks
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