There Was More to Philip Seymour Hoffman Than Just Acting

Philip and his longtime partner, Mimi O'Donnell, had three children together, Cooper, Tallulah, and Willa. He spoke enthusiastically about parenting in a 2010 interview with George Stroumboulopoulos, saying: "It's an amazing thing, this desire to hold onto that youth because you see it going. That's what's great about kids, though I have to say, everything that became old and kind of morose like holidays or birthdays or summertime, now is all great again. We just went through a Summer with our kids. It's an incredible thing. Remember Summer when you were a kid? You become an adult, and Summertime is work. All of a sudden, kids! It's like, oh, Summer! We're going to go the beach! It's pretty amazing — it's a beautiful thing. It isn't easy to love something as much as you love a child — it's like looking into the sun. It's intense."

Philip first went to rehab at the age of 22 and had reportedly been sober for 23 years since. He spoke openly about his drug use and desire to get sober in a 2006 interview with 60 Minutes. In May 2013, it was reported that he underwent a 10-day stint in rehab after abusing prescription pills and heroin. Philip's friend, screenwriter David Katz, who discovered Philip's dead body, told The New York Times that he "saw him last week, and he was clean and sober, his old self. I really thought this chapter was over."

Philip met costume designer Mimi when he was 30 years old, and the two went on to have three children together. Philip reportedly had plans to meet his children at a nearby park on the day of his death. His family released a statement following the news: "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone. This is a tragic and sudden loss, and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving. Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers."

Philip worked with director, writer, and producer Paul Thomas Anderson on five films, but it was their friendship, rather than their working relationship, that was most important to Philip. In an interview with Peter Travers in 2012, Philip shared that he and Paul "became fast friends" when they met on the set of Hard Eight in the '90s and that Paul had since written many parts for him. He added: "Ultimately, what's happened is that our friendship is a priority, and I think that happened a long time ago. So if I was never in another Paul Thomas Anderson movie, I'd be fine. I've already been in five of them. I've been given a lot from him, and I've given a lot to his films, and it's very pleasurable, and it's been a great thing. But our friendship that's been born out of that, I think is very important to me and I'd rather keep that at the forefront."

Some of Philip's most memorable roles include Boogie Nights, Capote, Magnolia, and The Master, though he was featured in more than 50 other films throughout his career, which also included theater work and directing. He actually got his start in 1991 with a small part on an episode of Law & Order.

Philip took home the Academy Award for best actor for his work in Capote in 2005. It was his first time being nominated at the Oscars, but he went on to get three more nods from the Academy before his death. Philip won countless other awards throughout his long career, including a Golden Globe, SAG, two Independent Spirit Awards, and a BAFTA.