Oscars Flashback '06: Hoffman Doesn't Seek Awards

Some actors dream of winning an award for their work from the time they are young children. They strive to achieve that trophy with every role they take on. Philip Seymour Hoffman made it clear in the pressroom at the 2006 Oscars that he is not one of those people.

In 2005, Philip Seymour Hoffman produced arguably his most poignant role in Capote, a biopic about the tangled life of writer Truman Capote, author of Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood. Hoffman swept the awards shows with his performance, winning Best Actor at the SAG Awards, Golden Globes, and the Oscars.

Although he was no stranger to the film industry, that year was Hoffman's first experience winning awards at major awards shows and he was slightly overwhelmed by it all. After poking fun at the regimentation of the pressroom, which he notices to resemble an auction, Hoffman's demeanor stiffens when he's asked to focus on the grander significance of winning the Oscar.

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With the award in hand, Hoffman is visibly aggravated as he fields a question about the underlying reasons for why he was shaky during his acceptance speech. After explaining that it can be daunting to stand on stage in front of millions for a televised event, he takes issue when a reporter refers to it as the high point of his career.

"It has nothing to do with that," Hoffman says, unveiling his frustration with the terminology. "It has to do with the fact that millions of people are watching you--that is what it has to do with. I'm not mad at it 'cause it's the high point, no. I've had high points in my career that have been all the way along, and those are high points for personal reasons."

Sadly, the world lost Philip Seymour Hoffman this year. He may have only had one Oscar to his name, but his impact on stage and screen was felt around the world.