| Philip Seymour Hoffman Wrestles His Inner Devil - Page 2 |
| Written by Brad Balfour | ||||
| Monday, 22 October 2007 05:20 | ||||
Page 2 of 2
Q: How was it working with a great actor like Albert Finney [who worked with Lumet before in "Murder On The Orient Express"]--what did he bring onto the set?PSH: Albert Finney--what did he bring to the set with Sidney? Q: Or in the collaboration with Sidney? PSH: He was very relaxed with the whole idea of how quick Sidney worked. And he trusted that. He works very fast so he said "Oh yeah, that's what he does so don't worry about that." For us it was very quick. We had to let go of that, and trust that what you did was going to be good enough. 
Hoffman is shown here at the premiere for one of his very few TV roles, 2005's "Empire Falls"
In "Capote," Hoffman took on the role of a lifetimeâthe effeminate, effusive author who wrote the true crime novel "In Cold Blood"
Hoffman began his career in indie films such as "Boogie Nights" and "Happiness"âshown here is one of his few "nice guy" roles in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia"
Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei in "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
After a botched heist attempt, brothers Andy (Hoffman) and Hank (Hawke) must deal with the repurcussions of causing their own mother's death
PSH: Yeah, of course you want your movies to be seen. Q: But how important are awards? PSH: They are important to an extent; I think that a lot of movies that don't win awards get seen by a lot of people. So it depends on the film. I hope this film gets seen by a lot of people however that is helped, whether it wins awards or not, hope people will see it. This is a film that's not been out there for a while and is not out there now. Q: What do you count as turning points in your career, a lucky break that took your life in a different direction, that changed your life? PSH: I've had a lot people give me breaks. [When I did] "Scent of a Woman" I was 24; I auditioned for it six times and getting it. I remember working with Paul Thomas Anderson for the first time. I remember Joel Schumacher hired me to play opposite Robert De Niro in "Flawless" when I was not even 30. Those were all huge breaks. I remember doing "True West" on Broadway. Those were all opportunities that came along. Thank God I said yes to them. What makes all the difference is that I said "yes" at the time. Q: Was there ever a question at the time? PSH: Yeah, there was a lot of fear; it was a lot of responsibility. Q: How do you balance the film career with your work in theater? PSH: I just do what do when it has to be done if that makes sense. It's like there are plays I want act in, then it's a play I want to act in it so I say this is when i am available so if we can do it then and if it works out but if not you hopefully can find time. You do a film if you can do it. You still accept projects as they come and hopefully you can find time. That's really what it is about. It's not about, "I'll do three pictures then a play..." and then sit there in apartment waiting; you can't say "I'll be doing three pictures..." except there are no pictures to do. So the idea is that you still accept the jobs [as they cme]. I have a theater company and everyday i deal with theater company. Q: You are doing a film ["Synecdoche, New York"] with Charlie Kaufman ["Being John Malkovich," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Adaptation"] and he hasn't done a movie in several years--he's directing too. The person you play is a... PSH: A theater director... Q: Is Kaufman as eccentric as a director as he is as a writer? PSH: He's very bright guy, a very deep feeling guy, we finished shooting that a few months ago. Q: I guess you don't have consult with anyone for theater director job [Phil laughs]--was it like playing yourself or unplaying yourself--how did you negotiate that? PSH: Whew... I am playing someone else but there are aspects of it that I understand from myself. Yeah it's about a guy, directing theater who has kids, has been married a couple of times and that about as interesting as it sounds when I am talking about it [laughs]. But it's one best scripts I've read. Q: Do you have a desire to do comedy? PSH: Yeah, I think I do comedy all time. I try not [to]... I haven't ended up in a lot of just comedies [Hoffman's next film out, "The Savages" is a black dra-medy co-starring Laura Linney about dealing with a dying parent"]. But I liked "Along Came Polly." [Doing that] was a lot of fun.
|
