Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


                    Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman Found Dead

   by VOA News

   Academy Award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead
   Sunday in his New York apartment of a suspected drug overdose. He was
   46 years old.
   Police say they went to the actor's home in Manhattan's Greenwich
   Village after receiving a call from one of his friends. The Associated
   Press and The New York Times, citing law enforcement officials, said
   investigators found a syringe in Hoffman's arm and an envelope
   containing what was believed to be heroin. There was no official
   confirmation of the reports.
   Hoffman spoke candidly over the years about past struggles with drug
   addiction. After 23 years of being sober, he acknowledged in interviews
   last year that he had relapsed and developed a heroin problem that led
   to a stint at a rehabilitation facility.
   A native of New York state, Hoffman won an Academy Award and a Golden
   Globe for Best Actor for his role in the 2005 biographical film Capote,
   in which he played author Truman Capote. He also received three Academy
   Award nominations as best supporting actor. And he won Tony Award
   nominations for his acting on the Broadway stage.
   "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the
   outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone,''
   Hoffman's family said in a statement issued through his publicist.
   "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,'' it added.
   A representative said the family would not make any further statements
   for now.
   Onlookers gathered on Sunday afternoon near Hoffman's apartment in a
   four-story red brick building in a fashionable neighborhood of the West
   Village, where many other actors keep homes. The entire block was
   cordoned off by police.
   Hoffman is survived by his partner of 15 years, costume designer Mimi
   O'Donnell, and their three children.
   Some information for this report provided by Reuters
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/actor-philip-seymour-hoffman-found-de
   ad-in-new-york-apartment/1842901.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/actor-philip-seymour-hoffman-found-dead-in-new-york-apartment/1842901.html