The outpouring of love towards, and eloquent words written about, Philip Seymour Hoffman in the wake of his death has been heartwarming. He was a brilliant actor who was taken from us far too soon. I was fortunate enough to see Mr. Hoffman in person when Capote played TIFF in 2005. Despite the standing ovation he received that night for his performance, he came across as a humble actor who simply wanted to contribute to the art of cinema. So in this sombre time, let us celebrate his life by revisiting and cherishing his numerous contributions to the world of film. Today’s short is a humorous take on Tom Stoppard’s play that, in its levity, shows the versatility of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Directed by Tom Louiso, whom most will know from his role in High Fidelity, The Fifteen Minute Hamlet features Hoffman playing several roles: Bernardo, Horatio and Laertes. Hoffman and Louiso would reunite again in 2002 for Louiso’s feature length debut Love Liza, a film where Hoffman gives one of his many blistering performances.

The Fifteen Minute Hamlet
Director: Todd Louiso / USA/ 1995/ 22 Minutes
Starring: Austin Pendleton, Ernest Perry Jr., Philip Seymour Hoffman, Todd Louiso, Angie Phillips, Paul Ben-Victor and Xander Berkeley