This is a fucking travesty, and not just for the man himself and his family and friends.
Hoffman was one of the greatest actors of his generation and one of the greatest ensemble actors of all time. The sheer unbridled talent of the man was staggering. I can't think of a single role where he didn't damn near own every scene he was in, and all because of his instinct as opposed to a shtick or histrionic grab for attention. He was the kind of actor that another actor would be a fool NOT to study or steal from, and most of whom can barely dream to aspire to.
I didn't know about the previous hoax or how bad his demons were recently--although I had known about his previous drug problems--but this blindsided me. I actually sat for 5 minutes looking at the internet trying to judge whether my eyes were playing tricks on me. At 46, the man had decades of mindblowing performances left to give.
With Hoffman, we've lost another talent like James Gandolfini, and with equal surprise, the only difference being that people knew and appreciated what Hoffman was by the time of his death.
I'm still rattled and unsteady from this.
