Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the most acclaimed and versatile actors of his generation, died Sunday, February 2, at his apartment in Greenwich Village, New York. The 46-year old was reportedly found with a syringe in his left arm and plastic bags of what seemed to be heroin lying near his body. The police have confirmed his passing as due to a drug overdose.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was born in Fairport, New York, and went on to obtain his BFA in drama in 1989 at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. After a number of diverse supporting roles, Hoffman burst onto the scene with the revered 1997 film Boogie Nights. In the film about the ‘70s and ’80s L.A. porn scene, Hoffman stood out in a minor role as Scotty J, a closeted gay boom mic operator and lighting technician who has a rather creepy crush for the main character Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg). When Hoffman goes in for an unexpected kiss with Wahlberg, he is pushed back and retreats to his car where he cries and scolds himself for his stupidity. Hoffman’s initially unnerving character becomes wholly relatable in this moment as his situation devolves into an incredibly human portrait of heartbreak, a reminder of his unique ability to so easily inject humanity into all of his roles.

His scene-stealing supporting work would continue in a variety of films, but in the 2005 Capote, Hoffman would be thrust into arguably his most memorable leading man role as the famous author Truman Capote. In his Oscar-winning performance, Hoffman completely embodied the man, going beyond the surface of his mannerisms and portraying the famously self-absorbed writer with a dignity and depth that prevented the subject from ever simply becoming the caricature that Capote so often presented himself as. Such attention to detail and subtle capacity to further explore a character were threads that remained present in virtually all of his roles.

Throughout the next many years, his performances would continue to find great praise as he appeared in the 2007 film Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, the 2008 film Doubt, and especially the 2012 film The Master. That last movie would find Hoffman superbly playing the commanding and manipulative cult leader Lancaster Dodd who attempts to take in and teach the animalistic soldier and pupil Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix). The unforgettable role would earn Hoffman his fourth – and final – Oscar nomination. Also, his work on stage and on Broadway was just as equally celebrated, as he garnered three Tony award nominations throughout his career.

Like all great artists, Hoffman shall live on in his work. His extraordinary gift in finding the soul and understanding behind all of his roles, no matter how large or small, shall be admired for ages to come. His characters often existed in gray areas that suffered ethical and experiential anguish, constantly in some sort of fascinating and distinctly human battle that only he could present so subtly and engagingly. The purpose of his art was to show the audience the inner workings of the character and to make the viewer recognize, not simply sympathize, with him. Unfortunately, Hoffman’s best was perhaps yet to come, another actor’s life cut far too short. Hoffman is survived by his wife, Mimi O’Donnell, with whom he had a son and two daughters.