James Lipton: Philip Seymour Hoffman Was the ‘Greatest Actor of His Generation’

we look back on ░░░░░░░░ actor s life and ░░░░░░░░ and we can t ░░░░░░░░ you enough for being ░░░░░░░░ because i think a ░░░░░░░░ of us around this ░░░░░░░░ share your opinion that ░░░░░░░░ seymour hoffman was the ░░░░░░░░ actor of his generation ░░░░░░░░ question he was on ░░░░░░░░ show on inside the ░░░░░░░░ studio in the year ░░░░░░░░ before anybody knew he ░░░░░░░░ the greatest actor of ░░░░░░░░ generation i saw him ░░░░░░░░ the stage in true ░░░░░░░░ with riley they alternated ░░░░░░░░ the roles it was ░░░░░░░░ tour de force of ░░░░░░░░ i had never seen ░░░░░░░░ called bravo and said ░░░░░░░░ have the greatest actor ░░░░░░░░ all and can i ░░░░░░░░ him on the show ░░░░░░░░ she said yes we ░░░░░░░░ him before he did ░░░░░░░░ famous things he has ░░░░░░░░ i recognized it instantly ░░░░░░░░ the stage and everything ░░░░░░░░ was happened was confirmed ░░░░░░░░ brando was the greatest ░░░░░░░░ of his generation and ░░░░░░░░ is next certainly philip ░░░░░░░░ hoffman is the finest ░░░░░░░░ of his generation and ░░░░░░░░ was taken away from ░░░░░░░░ by the goddamn drugs ░░░░░░░░ was it about hoffman ░░░░░░░░ made him the greatest ░░░░░░░░ of this generation stanisski ░░░░░░░░ you can t teach ░░░░░░░░ but you can technique ░░░░░░░░ is what you bring ░░░░░░░░ the table and technique ░░░░░░░░ what you taught what ░░░░░░░░ learned when he was ░░░░░░░░ my show 14 years ░░░░░░░░ we talked endlessly about ░░░░░░░░ and he knew everything ░░░░░░░░ needed to know when ░░░░░░░░ put that together with ░░░░░░░░ innate talent which he ░░░░░░░░ in his generation then ░░░░░░░░ get the genius he ░░░░░░░░ the sad thing is ░░░░░░░░ way they burned out ░░░░░░░░ turned his back on ░░░░░░░░ was the greatest career ░░░░░░░░ his time nicholson has ░░░░░░░░ vanished and now drugs ░░░░░░░░ taken philip away from ░░░░░░░░ i m afraid that ░░░░░░░░ destiny frowns on that ░░░░░░░░ of genius or seems ░░░░░░░░ i hate it i ░░░░░░░░ it i hate it ░░░░░░░░ he s gone when ░░░░░░░░ heard the news yesterday ░░░░░░░░ stopped he was so ░░░░░░░░ and kind with the ░░░░░░░░ of the actor drama ░░░░░░░░ spent hours after i ░░░░░░░░ finished with them teaching ░░░░░░░░ he said when i ░░░░░░░░ him if couldn t ░░░░░░░░ you couldn t do ░░░░░░░░ you re doing and ░░░░░░░░ questioned if you couldn ░░░░░░░░ do what you re ░░░░░░░░ what would you he ░░░░░░░░ he would like to ░░░░░░░░ a teacher i said ░░░░░░░░ re a teacher every ░░░░░░░░ he stepped in front ░░░░░░░░ a camera he was ░░░░░░░░ us there s got ░░░░░░░░ be a very small ░░░░░░░░ an infinitesimally small list ░░░░░░░░ actors with the range ░░░░░░░░ philip seymour to go ░░░░░░░░ mission impossible to doubt ░░░░░░░░ boogie nights are there ░░░░░░░░ with that range have ░░░░░░░░ been others with similar ░░░░░░░░ few in the 30s ░░░░░░░░ used to talk about ░░░░░░░░ character actor it meant ░░░░░░░░ entirely different it meant ░░░░░░░░ who always played the ░░░░░░░░ thing it was lionel ░░░░░░░░ it was always lionel ░░░░░░░░ that was a character ░░░░░░░░ it came to mean ░░░░░░░░ else it would someone ░░░░░░░░ would go role to ░░░░░░░░ and vanish and dustin ░░░░░░░░ and philip seymour did ░░░░░░░░ he devoured the character ░░░░░░░░ delivered it to us ░░░░░░░░ what i like best ░░░░░░░░ acting is the risk ░░░░░░░░ it the actors i ░░░░░░░░ admire like brando like ░░░░░░░░ make me nervous why ░░░░░░░░ i can never anticipate ░░░░░░░░ i can never outguess ░░░░░░░░ what they do is ░░░░░░░░ entirely their own invention ░░░░░░░░ at first it seems ░░░░░░░░ and in the end ░░░░░░░░ seems inevitable that is ░░░░░░░░ acting that s my ░░░░░░░░ of great and he ░░░░░░░░ that to the acting ░░░░░░░░ degree he always fooled ░░░░░░░░ and in the end ░░░░░░░░ always satisfied me my ░░░░░░░░ stella said the talent ░░░░░░░░ in the choice his ░░░░░░░░ were exquisite his choices ░░░░░░░░ totally unexpected his choices ░░░░░░░░ completely his own his ░░░░░░░░ were unique to him ░░░░░░░░ the whole wide world ░░░░░░░░ was without question the ░░░░░░░░ actor of his generation ░░░░░░░░ m sure no one ░░░░░░░░ his generation would argue ░░░░░░░░ me about that and ░░░░░░░░ was a dream of ░░░░░░░░ person kind and generous ░░░░░░░░ he was a wrestler ░░░░░░░░ college he was all ░░░░░░░░ of odd things he ░░░░░░░░ from rochester he said ░░░░░░░░ was the only liberal ░░░░░░░░ in rochester in a ░░░░░░░░ community he lived a ░░░░░░░░ that was blessed and ░░░░░░░░ cursed by his addiction ░░░░░░░░ hate drugs i consider ░░░░░░░░ a liberal person on ░░░░░░░░ issues on drugs i ░░░░░░░░ very conservative i ve ░░░░░░░░ been abused by anyone ░░░░░░░░ or drugged and i ░░░░░░░░ they cheat themselves and ░░░░░░░░ rob us and in ░░░░░░░░ end drugs have taken ░░░░░░░░ us someone who ...