RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

[dougb]

Very sad - an outstanding actor. A huge loss.

Doug

[Inuyasha]

They're saying he OD'd. Not sure what to say. Guy had it all but threw it all away for the needle. I know addiction is nothing to scoff off, but man, is it that hard of a life when you have fortune and fame? Must be a different mindset.

Professionaly he was an excellent actor. That's all I can judge him on. So a sad loss. RIP.

[Diablo25]

They're saying he OD'd. Not sure what to say. Guy had it all but threw it all away for the needle. I know addiction is nothing to scoff off, but man, is it that hard of a life when you have fortune and fame? Must be a different mindset.

My thoughts exactly. I enjoyed his work but he took his own life with a ridiculous habit. I spent very little energy reacting to this news.

[pk500]

Dude was a superb actor. But the only difference between this and Cobain was the vehicle of expression and the suicidal weapon of choice.

[LAking]

This loss is particularly sad. PSH was one of the best actors of the last 20 years (roughly). Really sad that he had relapsed into drug use even after being clean for 23 years. He will be missed.

[RobVarak]

Lots of wonderful ink has been spilled in the wake of this event. This is probably my favorite write up. It's by David Carr, a man who know whereof he speaks.

https://medium.com/p/35b8b00ce82c

I was struck by this passage:

And then something changed and he used. Everyone is surprised when that happens to someone famous, but it happens routinely everywhere else. Rooms of recovery are full of stories of people with long-term recovery who went back out and some of them, as a matter of mathematics and pharmacology, don’t make it back. Chemical dependency does not change — have one and you might die — and recovery does not change — have none and you might live. Addicts live in the middle of that and the hole that they once tried to fill with chemicals always remains, pushed back on a daily basis. Addiction, whether you believe it is a disease or not, is a pirate, constantly on patrol and looking for a weakness so it can climb aboard.

It's short and worth a read.

[greggsand]

I have a friend who has drug issues despite being a vp in a major corp. he was fine for years then one random Tuesday afternoon, he literally walked out of meeting & decided to start again. Hoffman fought it for 23 years. I really believe everyone has a different constitution when it comes to vices. I'd never judge anyone for their collapse because I have no idea what they're going through.

[sportdan30]

Lots of wonderful ink has been spilled in the wake of this event. This is probably my favorite write up. It's by David Carr, a man who know whereof he speaks.

https://medium.com/p/35b8b00ce82c

I was struck by this passage:

And then something changed and he used. Everyone is surprised when that happens to someone famous, but it happens routinely everywhere else. Rooms of recovery are full of stories of people with long-term recovery who went back out and some of them, as a matter of mathematics and pharmacology, don’t make it back. Chemical dependency does not change — have one and you might die — and recovery does not change — have none and you might live. Addicts live in the middle of that and the hole that they once tried to fill with chemicals always remains, pushed back on a daily basis. Addiction, whether you believe it is a disease or not, is a pirate, constantly on patrol and looking for a weakness so it can climb aboard.

It's short and worth a read.

Thanks for the link. A really touching read.

[RobVarak]

They're saying he OD'd. Not sure what to say. Guy had it all but threw it all away for the needle. I know addiction is nothing to scoff off, but man, is it that hard of a life when you have fortune and fame? Must be a different mindset.

I have just the opposite belief. I can't imagine anything worse than fame if you're an addict, have a mental health issue or are dealing with any sort of chronic problem like that.

[skinsfan]

They're saying he OD'd. Not sure what to say. Guy had it all but threw it all away for the needle. I know addiction is nothing to scoff off, but man, is it that hard of a life when you have fortune and fame? Must be a different mindset.

I have just the opposite belief. I can't imagine anything worse than fame if you're an addict, have a mental health issue or are dealing with any sort of chronic problem like that.

Being surrounded by sycophants and enablers and having fairly unlimited resources can be disastrous in that situation.