RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
The news about Philip Seymour Hoffman made many people stop and draw a breath. Hoffman was discovered dead yesterday.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
He was 46, the winner of an Oscar for his portrayal of the writer Truman Capote.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "CAPOTE")
MONTAGNE: Hoffman could not have sounded more different when he played a rock journalist in "Almost Famous."
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, IN "ALMOST FAMOUS")
INSKEEP: He was a versatile actor. But more than that, Philip Seymour Hoffman made people feel the depth of his characters. Hoffman grew up near Rochester, N.Y. Early in his career, he acted in "Scent of a Woman," supporting Al Pacino.
MONTAGNE: He was in the Coen brothers' film "The Big Lebowski."
INSKEEP: In the movie "Doubt," he played a priest. A nun, played by Meryl Streep, questioned his relationship with a schoolboy.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "DOUBT")
MONTAGNE: Hoffman was found dead Sunday morning in a New York apartment. Police are investigating a possible drug overdose. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.