Phillip Seymour Hoffman found dead

[Dubya61]

It was a suicide?

My opinion. I think most drug use (esp. heroin, etc.) should be considered attempted suicide.

[kevinpate]

It was a suicide?

Needle let in arm, several drug packets laying empty.

If it wasn't a suicide, he had no clue what he was up to.

As it wasn't his first rodeo, lack of knowledge seems unlikely.

Could be staged I suppose, but there are better ways to stage a suicide.

[BBatesokc]

Don't really know how anyone can make an assertion this was suicide based on the extremely limited amount of information any of us have to go on. Disregarding his state of mind (which none of us could know) and activities directly prior to his death and going strictly on some snippets in the media is wild guessing at best, IMO.

[BBatesokc]

My opinion. I think most drug use (esp. heroin, etc.) should be considered attempted suicide.

I feel the same way about smokers or those who frequent fast food restaurants then............

[Garin]

Needle let in arm, several drug packets laying empty.

If it wasn't a suicide, he had no clue what he was up to.

As it wasn't his first rodeo, lack of knowledge seems unlikely.

Could be staged I suppose, but there are better ways to stage a suicide.

they are saying now they found 70 packets near the body…..

[Mel]

He has been battling addictions problems for a long time. Perhaps the breakup with his longtime girlfriend and not being to have as much time with their kids drove him to a level of despair that few can understand. I don't know if he misjudged how much he could do now compared to how much he did when he was using regularly or He intended to check out. A bad hotshot will stop your heart almost instantly. Hence the needle in the arm. Addiction is a disease you have to fight 24/7. Your never "cured". You just count and bless the days your sober. I feel the most for those little'uns.

[gjl]

"Bleed my heart out" for him? He died - TODAY. Again, posting such glee, I hope you can look in the mirror and see one perfect human being. It may not be heroin, but there's something you've fought in your life. We all have. That's part of what makes us human. If I'm not allowed to publicly state sympathy on the day of a man's death without being attacked on the Internet then maybe he's in a better place than us all right now.

What specifically did I post that indicates glee. My lack of sympathy or empathy is not glee. It is simply lack of sympathy for a drug abuser. No more. No less. He had 3 children to live for and he chose heroin. You are the one that attacked me.

[RadicalModerate]

I thought that Phillip Seymour Hoffman was such a good actor--especially for his roles in The Big Lebowski and Capote--that I doubted the rumor that Woody Allen was seriously considering him for a leading role in a remake of The Gary Busey Story.

(these are "actors", people. Hollywood celebrities and so forth. they are not the characters they play. neither was John Wayne, Bob Hope or Bing Crosby.)

(in Medieval Times, jugglers, jesters, troubadours and minstrels would have been whining to the sovereign for equal press-time)

[soonerguru]

Best character actor of his generation. Heck, maybe best character actor, period.

[soonerguru]

Needle let in arm, several drug packets laying empty.

If it wasn't a suicide, he had no clue what he was up to.

As it wasn't his first rodeo, lack of knowledge seems unlikely.

Could be staged I suppose, but there are better ways to stage a suicide.

It's an overdose. He's an addict. With smack you never know what you're getting. I know two people who died of heroin overdoses in Norman.

Here's a good article from the New York Times on the varying strength and availability of heroin today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/ny...?smid=fb-share

[kevinpate]

they are saying now they found 70 packets near the body…..

Not what I read. I've seen different reports of 5-8 empty packs, and the report stating 5 empty near him noted another 65 loaded packs were located on the premises.

[RadicalModerate]

Best character actor of his generation. Heck, maybe best character actor, period.

Billy Bob Thornton or Bruce Dern might beg to disagree.
No . . . Different generation.
They would get their PR guy to kick one's ass to disagree.
(maybe we should "Ask Elvis" . . ? =)

(and don't neglect to remember Edward Everette Horton
who, rather than injecting heroin,
did voiceovers on
"Rocky and Bullwinkle Present: Fractured Fairy Tales.")

(apparently, some critics never experience TCM or that local PBS deal on Channel 14 =)

[RadicalModerate]

In all honesty, when I read the "OP/Headline" on this thread, for just a moment I confused Phillip S. Hoffman with the third guy in the triumvirate of acting excellence in "O! Brother Where Art Thou." (The one who was worried about his pal in the movie being turned into a toad.)

[RadicalModerate]

Best character actor of his generation. Heck, maybe best character actor, period.

Please permit me a rewrite for the script:
I agree with your premise if we substitute "worst" for "best" character actor.
In terms of real life. question mark?

[RadicalModerate]

In retrospect, I suppose that all of this could be used as a good argument for medicinal marijuana.
(well . . . with the right celebrity spokesperson it could be. =)

[soonerguru]

In retrospect, I suppose that all of this could be used as a good argument for medicinal marijuana.
(well . . . with the right celebrity spokesperson it could be. =)

Are you high?

[RadicalModerate]

Are you high?

On life. Real life.
(how about you?)
(since you asked)

[soonerguru]

On life. Real life.
(how about you?)
(since you asked)

Sorry, I was just reacting to your series of string-of-consciousness posts that have little to do with Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

[RadicalModerate]

Sorry, I was just reacting to your series of string-of-consciousness posts that have little to do with Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

I could be wrong, yet isn't it "'stream' of consciousness"?
(all of which had everything to do with P.S. Hoffman)

Which provides a perfect opening for the, as yet unasked, rhetorical question:

"Are you low?" =)

[hoya]

My understanding is that heroin users frequently overdose after a long period of sobriety. I had a client who died that way. He used to use a whole lot. Then he was sober for a few years. One night he decided to have a big party, just for old time's sake. He shot up just like he used to. Only thing was, in the meantime his tolerance had gone way back down. The amount it used to take to get him high was now fatal. Died in minutes.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman may have been in the same situation.

[betts]

Russell Brand: my life without drugs | Culture | The Guardian

I don't think we understand unless we've been there.

[kelroy55]

My understanding is that heroin users frequently overdose after a long period of sobriety. I had a client who died that way. He used to use a whole lot. Then he was sober for a few years. One night he decided to have a big party, just for old time's sake. He shot up just like he used to. Only thing was, in the meantime his tolerance had gone way back down. The amount it used to take to get him high was now fatal. Died in minutes.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman may have been in the same situation.

I may be wrong but I think I read somewhere he was new to using a needle so that may have been a factor as well. RIP

[Lord Helmet]

Addiction is just so sad. I can't imagine the kind of struggles addicts of all types must deal with. Be it drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, etc. I smoked for 10 years but quitting was actually really easy so I have no real frame of reference. I'll not judge because I don't know how it feels the HAVE to have something like that. No one that drinks their first beer thinks they're going to be an alcoholic. I'm certain Mr. Hoffman didn't think he was going to become an addict either. Its just so sad.