Likeness

It was about a year ago, on a sweltering day in Grand Junction, Colorado, that I climbed into a 1980s RV to pass a few moments while waiting for my then girlfriend's music show to begin. The two of us had hoped for a few moments alone to enjoy each others' company without distraction. ---- A friend of my girlfriend and a first time visitor to Colorado had also arrived in Grand Junction to support and partake in the music show. Her name is Sukato. This individual is one of the more eclectic souls to have entered my life. And I write now recalling the first time I saw her perform at an open mic in Brooklyn, NY in which her finger's plucked the violin and her voice screeched a tune that at first berated, before finding the melodies searching for a path outward from the Julliard trained mind. ---- Sukato climbed aboard the RV breaking any hope for a couple to find some peace.

The conversation drifted somehow to a topic of likeness. Not what we preferred to eat, or how a bust would capture our expression, rather what celebrity we looked like. We went around and tried to think of a celebrity's name that would capture some likeness of the others, at the time being mindful to sufficiently flatter. When Sukato got to me, she was struggling to think of the celebrity's name, but it was obvious she had found the dead-on match for me. "Oh, oh, you know....that guy from Capote!!"....It took us a moment...but it came to us...Philip Seymour Hoffman!!!!! Yes, sufficiently flattering! What about Brad Pitt? or maybe Matt Damon? Chuck Norris? even that one guy from Rudy, who also plays one of the hobbits in the Lord of the Ring? But Philip Seymour Hoffman?!?!

I paused for a moment and thought about the character that Hoffman plays in Capote. I don't look anything like the character in Capote, but I let it sink in. Sukato was thrilled with herself and my girlfriend and I giggled confusedly trying to think how this could be the case.

The thought didn't leave my mind however. As soon as I got to a computer, I searched some photos and found one of Philip Seymour Hoffman, which low and behold formed a near match. I promptly made it known to the world that I looked like Hoffman, by posting the image as my Facebook profile.



The idea of being somehow connected in some superficial way, whether i actually look like Hoffman or not, has let me grow more fond of Hoffman and the characters he plays. I have paid a bit more attention to the guy and to be honest, I think he is one of, if not the best actor in the business. Now I'm no film major and won't claim to be any sort of decent critic of the theater world. But Hoffman seems smart, driven, and can fill just about any role and do it superbly. Due to my connecting with Hoffman, I clicked a recent biographical article that the NYT wrote about Hoffman and it tells a story of a guy to who I don't mind being somehow loosely tied.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/magazine/21hoffman-t.html

And then I see him on The Daily Show a week or so ago, and I bust a gut reliving all these memories. As Hoffman walks to meet Stewart in a baby blue sweater, that is riding a bit high on his belly, it looks like he has been sleeping in for the last few weeks - maybe he is between movies, or maybe he has moved on to a role where he needs a bit more meat on his frame, I don't know. As he talks with Stewart, I can't find anything to loath about the guy. He seems comfortable in his skin, speaks eloquently about any topic, is moderately interested in whats going on, speaks about his family. Where is the drama with this guy?!? He seems like a decent, decent man. Anyway - it gave me the courage to sleep in that weekend and eat a few more bon bons. And look forward to the day when I have kids and a baby blue sweater and can continue my new goal of becoming this guy ------->

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

So to Sukato - Thank you for connecting me with PSH