The B-Side Ep. 168 – Philip Seymour Hoffman

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. 

Today we talk about maybe the greatest actor who ever lived: Philip Seymour Hoffman. But seriously, did Hoffman ever give a bad performance?

We talk about it! Conor and I are back and our Philip Seymour Hoffman B-Sides are Leap of Faith, Owning Mahowny, Pirate Radio, and Jack Goes Boating. We go through his whole filmography, spot-checking the crucial moments throughout his career.

We briefly discuss his Oscar-winning performance in Capote, his iconic supporting turn in Along Came Polly, and his Oscar-nominated role in Charlie Wilson’s War. There’s also an admiration at the power he wielded with silence, and an examination into why The Master is his acting masterpiece.

Additionally, we remain astonished by the career of John Patrick Shanley (writer/director of Doubt), we celebrate the upcoming Greenland 2: Migration, and the ability of Richard Curtis to squeeze earnest sentimentality out of garish manipulation.

There’s also chat about Seth Rogen, who lost out to Hoffman for the role of The Count in Pirate Radio and was approached by Hoffman to star in Jack Goes Boating, until Hoffman played the role himself. Rogen discussed these things himself on a recent Blank Check podcast episode.

Listen below and subscribe here. Be sure to give us a follow on Bluesky at @tfsbside.bsky.social. Enjoy!