Philip Seymour Hoffman
One of my favorite actors is Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was a master of close emotion. He was able to show (or hide) every conceivable emotion on camera. I never got a chance to see him on stage, but I’m sure he was amazing there as well. He disappeared into every role he took. He was a masterclass in acting. He was in so many different kinds of films, but my favorite ones were “The Master” and “Almost Famous”.
“The Master” is a case study in cults. Hoffman plays a charismatic leader of a cult who is able to pull people in before they realize what’s happening. There’s a scene that I love the most. It’s an interview between him and Joaquin Phoenix. There is a strong command of this scene as two accomplished and talented performers play against each other. I study this scene regularly.
The other film, “Almost Famous”, takes place in the record industry during the beginning of music related media. My favorite scene takes place during a phone call that Lester Bangs is having with his protégé. I’ve used it as a monologue for auditions. The script is incredible. The performance rock solid.
It’s people like him that inspire me to do more with less. I have two stage performances that I’m incredibly proud of. The first is a scene that began as an original monologue by written and directed by Hazel Paraoan. This was a directing course where I was asked to be a scene partner for the actor cast for the scene. I had very few lines. However, this was dialogue. My actions fed into her performance. It is one of the best things I’ve ever been involved with. The actor’s name is Starring Ariel Stahle.
I was able to act and direct a scene from “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. The ability to convey emotions between the words is an important skill for any actor to have. My scene partners are masters of this. Sharon Spence and Christopher Fredrick are able to work with me as Big Daddy to take this scene and portray a family cracked by poor communication, however ironic that statement seems.