# Philip Seymour Hoffman has died. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364 "2014-02-02T18:34:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Esco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de053/32.png) [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/101 "2014-02-03T14:44:01Z")
He left behind a wife and 3 kids. I just hope he had life insurance and that his insurance will cover this: > **[How Life Insurance Policies Work \[2025\] | InsuranceProviders.com](https://www.insuranceproviders.com/how-do-life-insurance-policies-work/)** > > A life insurance policy protects your loved ones from a total loss of income in the event you lose your life. Learn more about how life insurance policies work. > [@](#): > > **How does a drug overdose as an accident affect a policy payout?** > > An accidental drug overdose will not, in most cases, cancel a life insurance policy. However, it is important to note that there are some exceptions. The first exception is the two year waiting period. If the accidental drug overdose occurs before the two year waiting period, no benefits will be paid but premium amounts may be refunded to the beneficiary named on the policy. > > The second exception comes into play if an accidental death clause is part of the life insurance policy. This is very uncommon for individual policies but quite common for group policies through an employer or organization. If you have a policy with an accidental death clause, the life insurance policy will be canceled in the case of an accidental drug overdose. As with the suicide clause, an accidental death clause may have a time limit that affects the payout situation ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/102 "2014-02-03T14:59:23Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > There’s nothing “designer” about heroin. Please stop regurgitating your half-formed opinions from shitty tabloid websites And please stop presenting your disagreements with the opinions of others in ways that can be interpreted as personal attacks. **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/103 "2014-02-03T15:10:15Z")
Another example of why I am so anti-drug. We’ve lost too many celebrities to the idea that “it ain’t gonna kill ME.” ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/104 "2014-02-03T15:40:33Z")
> [@Esco](#): > > He left behind a wife and 3 kids. I just hope he had life insurance and that his insurance will cover this: > > [How Life Insurance Policies Work [2025] | InsuranceProviders.com](http://www.insuranceproviders.com/does-a-drug-overdose-cause-a-life-insurance-policy-to-be-canceled/) He wasn’t married to his partner but they had been together for about 15 years, I think. I would imagine he left behind plenty of money to take care of his kids, regardless of life insurance. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/105 "2014-02-03T15:53:12Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > He wasn’t married to his partner but they had been together for about 15 years, I think. I would imagine he left behind plenty of money to take care of his kids, regardless of life insurance. Yeah, according to Celebrity Net Worth (not sure how accurate they are), he was worth about $35mil - which doesn’t seem out of bounds given the size of some of the movies he’s been a big part of (Mission Impossible III, for example). ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/106 "2014-02-03T16:25:23Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve watched people die from Heroin for 40 years. I knew people doing it when I was in college. Hoffman is just another victim in a long, long line. People just never learn. I believe you when you say that you have watched people die from heroin for 40 years. As such, I also believe you likely have a good handle on what are the important issues here and what issues are not nearly as important - such as minor nitpicking issues that I won’t specify to avoid making insults or personal attacks. But I would question one thing and that is when you say, “People just never learn”. I bet you know full well that it may not really be an issue of people not knowing how dangerous this drug is. Once someone tries Heroin, there are some physiological processes that take place that just trump the intellect and I bet you know about this better than I do. So I would invite you to explain what happens to someone who tries H once and who knows full well just how life-threatening it is. Can you please explain how it is that so many of these people wind up dead? Do you really think it is a case of them not knowing or even forgetting just how life-threatening Heroin is? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/107 "2014-02-03T17:05:00Z")
Unexpected and sad! I really, really liked him. I’m not angry that he used drugs, everyone should have that right. But I am sad that he died so young because of his choices. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/108 "2014-02-03T17:30:20Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > **Owning Mahowny** is one of my favorite movies. I loved him in it. Did anyone else like this movie? I haven’t seen it mentioned here. This makes me so sad. ☹ Yes, that was a great one. What a shame. RIP, Phil. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/109 "2014-02-03T17:47:42Z")
I was very sad when I heard. A high school friend of my dated him briefly back in the mid-90s (or thereabouts). I messaged her on Facebook. She is upset and pissed off, but commented “he had his demons (obviously)”. A great loss to the entertainment community, and, from everything I’ve heard, a damn nice guy. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/110 "2014-02-03T17:55:38Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Another example of why I am so anti-drug. We’ve lost too many celebrities to the idea that “it ain’t gonna kill ME.” I wonder if there’s more to it than that. Maybe they know full well that it could kill them, but the addiction compels them to take that risk again and again. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/111 "2014-02-03T18:41:12Z")
His greatest role has got to be as Dusty in **Twister**. I’d post some links but lots of sites with his clips are at a crawl. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/112 "2014-02-03T19:01:40Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Per the. [Daily Mail](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2550694/The-troubled-months-tragic-Philip-Seymour-Hoffman-Oscar-winner-split-long-time-partner-refused-interviews-looked-ill-pale-Sundance.html) he had split from her last Autumn. Whole I usually believe the daily mail rather less than Pravda, on celeb news they are usually spot on. > > Might explain why he fell off the wagon. A fine talented actor. RIP. I think it’s more likely that she left because he was off the wagon given his stint in rehab in May. Either way it’s incredibly sad for her and their kids and a huge loss of talent for the rest of us. I really enjoyed his portrayals of such a wide range of characters. I think there are several groups of stars, those who seek attention at all costs, those who have come to grips with the fact that constant attention is a part of their life now and those who wish they could do what they love and be normal after they clock out. As much as I wish I had 35 million in the bank and the skills to earn at that level I think I would have the same issues. I would probably medicate with chocolate though. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/113 "2014-02-03T19:16:29Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I wonder if there’s more to it than that. Maybe they know full well that it could kill them, but the addiction compels them to take that risk again and again. Teenagers might be taking heroin thinking it can’t be as bad as everyone says. But if you’re 46 you’re not taking heroin ignorantly. Anyone taking heroin at that age is someone who is choosing the drug over continuing to live. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/114 "2014-02-03T19:45:20Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > I think there are several groups of stars, those who seek attention at all costs, those who have come to grips with the fact that constant attention is a part of their life now and those who wish they could do what they love and be normal after they clock out. I recently watched the _American Experience_ documentary on J.D. Salinger, and it made me realize just how traumatic and disturbing celebrity can be for some people. It’s easy to say that you chose the celebrity when you chose the career, but it’s also possible to love acting (or writing), but wish there was a way to do it without the attendant fame and fans. Several of Hoffman’s obituaries talk about him trying to come to grips with his loss of anonymity, even in his acting roles, and it sounds like that may have been a difficult issue for him. It’s just so sad that the way he dealt with it was something that ultimately killed him. **Owning Mahoney** is the first film I think of when I think of Hoffman. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/115 "2014-02-03T19:52:21Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Teenagers might be taking heroin thinking it can’t be as bad as everyone says. But if you’re 46 you’re not taking heroin ignorantly. Anyone taking heroin at that age is someone who is choosing the drug over continuing to live. Any of your loved ones ever struggle with addiction? ---
**Author:** ![Haunted\_Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@Haunted\_Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted_Pasta)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/116 "2014-02-03T19:59:39Z")
I’ve been thinking about “Owning Mahowny,” too. I’m betting (unintentional bad joke) a lot of people, including many PSH fans, never saw it- it’s a pretty quiet, understated, not particularly uplifting movie. But man, it’s pretty much the case study of an actor just disappearing into a role. In the role of the title character, PSH is stuck playing a man who may well be the most flat, boring, uninteresting, vanilla persona ever put on screen, and is absolutely compelling. Sadly, the character is a man who harbors a secret addiction (gambling) and is growing more desperate as he spirals toward an inevitable bad ending. A portent of things to come, perhaps. It is nevertheless an excellent film. If you’re drawn to PSH’s terrific portrayals of everyday, sad-sack characters, you should definitely see it. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/117 "2014-02-03T20:01:50Z")
I realize this is speculation, and I won’t defend it, but it does bear mentioning that Mr. Hoffman had recently starred in a film critical of a certain movement that has a history of being aggressive in silencing its detractors. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/118 "2014-02-03T20:03:08Z")
No one I’ve been close with. But addicts don’t continue to take their substance of choice out of ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/119 "2014-02-03T20:08:28Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > I realize this is speculation, and I won’t defend it, but it does bear mentioning that Mr. Hoffman had recently starred in a film critical of a certain movement that has a history of being aggressive in silencing its detractors. That would be interesting if Hoffman didn’t already have a history of drug problems. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364/120 "2014-02-03T20:25:30Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > His greatest role has got to be as Dusty in **Twister**. I’d post some links but lots of sites with his clips are at a crawl. That’s one of the first things I think of when “great actor in a terrible movie” comes up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-seymour-hoffman-has-died/680364.md?page=7)