MaidenNZ

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead in New York. Cause of death is believed to be drug overdose. The actor was found with a needle in his arm and apparent heroin was found at the scene. He was 46... *****!

MaidenNZ

"Hoffman spoke candidly over the years about past struggles with drug addiction. After 23 years sober, he admitted in interviews last year to falling off the wagon and developing a heroin problem that led to a stint at a rehabilitation facility".

23 years sober...omg. Looks like I can never take sobriety for granted. Relapse seems to happen at any stage of sobriety....

DoubleBarrel

This is horribly sad. I was a huge fan of his work. He did more films than you would imagine in his 46 years, and was a stage actor too. Check out his imdb page, there were things I had forgotten him in because of his tendency to disappear into a character.

oak

I was just reading about his death, which made me want to come read these forums. thanks for posting about him.

It is sad. And scary because he was sober for so long before relapsing. It is often hard for me to really believe that any relapse could end in death. But of course it could.

TDInstall

"Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead in New York. Cause of death is believed to be drug overdose. The actor was found with a needle in his arm and apparent heroin was found at the scene. He was 46... *****!"

Without the hyperlink, this is a fairly amusing post. I suppose we should be celebrating the man, so the apparent joy at the end of your comment is valid

caboblanco

this guy was my favorite dramatic actor along with Pacino. he looked much older then his actual age. I hope his death wakes some people up

KissMyTiara

Sad. But I would question 23 years sober and then boom. It's usually a creeping thing.

DoubleBarrel

I've been thinking about his a lot today. Still bums me out quite a bit.
It's certainly a reminder that we are literally just a day away from going right back to disease, insanity and perhaps death.

freshstart57

He will be sadly missed, a great man and a fabulous actor. But I don't think he OD'd after 23 years of sobriety. Instead, it is reported that he went to rehab a year ago and then admitted to recurring drug use a year before that. So it seems that this was an ongoing struggle for the man.

Bostonsportsfan

I think he was sober for a 23 stint, but slipped up in the last few years.

FlyerFan

Sadly nobody cares when a regular civilian dies of overdose, in fact many times I hear people say "oh what a loser that person was anyway" but when it's somebody famous they're like "oh what a shame!"

DoPerdition

I have heard people say "Oh well, why be said, he did it to himself."

That just makes me even more sad. No one wants to die like that and no one tries to be a herion addict. They try desperately to kick the addiction. Some manage it but many do not. It is always sad IMO. It doesn't negate all the great work he did and it won't comfort his three children at night anymore than any other reason. Also frustrating when the same people who say such things are five beers in on a "light" drinking night.

I say that if a few people can learn the importance of keeping sobriety a priority, even after several decades, then PSH will not have died in vain. I am grateful for the reminder and very sorry for his family. The world lost a talent far too soon. Whatever other art he might have given us is lost forever now. That is always sad.

JustODAAT

I've also been so sad...and then sadder to see the reaction.

I truly believe he was a great, great artist who gave us so much for many many years. And he achieved 23 years of sobriety. Yet some people talk about him because he's garbage because he lost the battle in the end.

I really don't know how to process it.

PhaseTwo

I saw an interview a couple years ago where he was asked if he used drugs or alcohol. His response was something like " No I don't, but I wish I could just one day" Crazy stuff, another example that the 'one day at a time' preached in AA is no joke.

lovesymphony

I had a friend die from alcoholism. When I met him he was sober EXCEPT for a drink "here and there" he said. He was actually working at a place called Green Oaks, counseling other people with addictions. When his wife and he got a divorce a year later he started calling my husband drunk and slurring every other day. He died from falling while drunk then taking pain killers with alcohol. From what I could tell, he hadn't been working on his own problem enough, probably thinking he was cured and couldn't get drunk again.

The relapses that kill people after 20 years are probably for the same reason--After so much sober time goes by, they figure they have control over alcohol.

Notimetoloose

I am still so very saddened by his passing, you know it was the day before he died, I was looking at a portrait of him on IMDB and just thinking what a wonderful performance presence he has.

Initially I didn't like him as an actor, I found his style aloft and slightly entitled/arrogant but he grew on me and I would find myself lost in his performances, he created so much depth and reality to his characters.

He was a brilliant artist.

There appears to be some sort of correlation between our great artist / performers the creative geniuses and substance abuse.
Amy Winehouse and Heath Ledger come instantly to mind.

They give so much of themselves in their performances and allow themselves to be so vulnerable and we are entertained and the benefactors of the wonderful work.

He will be greatly missed.

jdooner

I think that is a great fallacy. I believe most comedians think they need to be tortured souls to be good and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy (Greg Giraldo, Sam Kinison, Chris Farley, Jon Belushi). I think there is a manic side of an artist that comes from imbalance but I am not sure that is needed.