As we look ahead to the tabula rasa of the coming year, we mourn the loss of several artists whose work remains—thankfully—indelible.
Philip Seymour Hoffman An actor’s actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman excelled at finding the messy, contradictory truths of the characters he played. He seemingly had no vanity or artifice; he often presented himself in a raw, unattractive, and vulnerable state, in service of his characters. He was, in the truest sense, an everyman. His range was astonishing; he could be volatile, terrified, formidable of intellect, bullying, utterly in command. He brought a fierce intelligence to “Capote,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Boogie Nights,” “Happiness,” “Flawless,” and “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” among many other films. He did a fearless turn as Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman.” Hoffman was an actor, director, and consummate artist. He left us too soon.
Elaine Stritch The embodiment of the word “dame,” Elaine Stritch was brilliant, exuberant—a force. She came of age when American actors redefined what was beautiful, what was handsome, and what
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