Movies - TV
How Philip Seymour Hoffman Would 'Rib' Patrick Fugit On The Set For Almost Famous
By DREW TINNIN
The late Philip Seymour Hoffman gave one of the most memorable performances of his career as rock critic Lester Bangs in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous." The real-life Bangs was brutally honest, and Hoffman also demanded a real sense of truth from Patrick Fugit — his inexperienced screen partner.
When Fugit recalled the dynamic between the two of them, he remembered Hoffman giving him grief for not doing enough plays. Fugit credited the world of ballet for helping him stand his ground against the veteran performer.
"My mom is a no-s*** master level ballet teacher, so we took ballet whether we wanted to or not," said Fugit. "And so I had become sort of used to a creative environment that was very demanding of me, so I was never off-put by Philip's professional intensity."
For all the ribbing, Hoffman was still a consummate professional. "He would give me s***, but he was very kind to me in regards to being supported. It's not like he's going to leave me hanging or anything like that," Fugit clarified.