Rachael Dowd: A Northwest Dweeb: Remembering Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman has been one of my favorite actors for as long as I can remember. He has played so many crucial roles throughout the years especially as Lester Bangs in Almost Famous.

I did a post last year about my love for Almost Famous (you can read it here). It has been the most influential movie on my life and it helped shape what I wanted to do and who I am today. That movie will forever remind me of your younger years with my dad and wanting so badly to go around the world with a band and be a part of that scene.

Almost Famous would not have been the same without Hoffman. Lester Bangs is, in a sense, the sense of reason for William Miller, the main character. If you have never seen this movie, I HIGHLY suggest you take a couple of hours to watch it. If you google "Almost Famous Megavideo", you will most likely find a link to the UNCUT movie that is so much better and more fulfilling than the version that was released to the masses.

I cannot express enough how influential Philip Seymour Hoffman's character has been to me.

When I found out that he had passed, it hit me a lot harder than I thought it would. I had friends and family texting me to see if I already knew and I did a lot of reflecting. I didn't even have to open the article to know that he died due to drugs - it was no secret that he has had substance abuse problems in the past. I didn't expect this to happen though, especially with his three kids in the picture.

Sometime soon, I am going to sit down and watch every single one of his movies. If you have never seen a film he has been in, pick one and watch. It could be any one, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because Philip made each character his own and he will truly captivate you in matter what movie he is in. I promise.