Philip Seymour Hoffman

What links Licorice Pizza to The Gong Show?

From San Fernando Valley to Chuck Barris via Haim, we go down the rabbit hole with Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age tale

Larry Ryan

01, Jan, 2022 @1:00 PM

‘Being in love is the most difficult challenge of your life’: Paul Thomas Anderson and Alana Haim on making Licorice Pizza

The director’s new film is a freewheeling romance starring two acting newcomers: the musician Alana Haim and Cooper (son of Philip Seymour) Hoffman. Anderson explains why their age gap matters, how they ripped up his rule book – and when he realised pitbulls were the best pets

Catherine Shoard

31, Dec, 2021 @6:00 AM

The 50 best films of 2021 in the US, No 7: Licorice Pizza

Paul Thomas Anderson’s funniest film yet makes stars of newcomers Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim as unlikely lovers in 1970s LA

Peter Bradshaw

09, Dec, 2021 @12:00 PM

Almost Famous at 20: Cameron Crowe's warm-hearted ode to music journalism

The writer-director’s semi-autobiographical comedy remains a generous and insightful film about growing up on the road

Scott Tobias

14, Sep, 2020 @7:06 AM

From Fun Bobby to Flaked: why sitcoms are sobering up

Writers such as Sharon Horgan discuss why the ‘lovable drunk’ trope is a thing of the past, as complex comedy heroes are cleaning up

Jack Seale

14, Apr, 2018 @9:00 AM

Laura Linney: 'Having a child later in life has been wonderful'

She was a lying needy sister in Savages, an apple pie innocent in Tales of the City – and now, in Ozark, she’s fleeing Mexican drug barons. The star talks about Hugh Grant’s career, working with the wrong people, and the joys of late motherhood

Emma Brockes

28, Jul, 2017 @10:17 AM

From Bruce Lee to Paul Walker: how Hollywood pulled off its biggest resurrection acts

Paul Newman is only the latest star to return to the big screen after death. From Philip Seymour Hoffman to Peter Sellers, here are some of the most celebrated performances from beyond the grave

Ben Child

14, Jun, 2017 @5:00 AM

When big-screen reunions work … and when they don't

The team behind Oscar-nominated crime thriller Hell and High Water have just announced a new project, but what can they learn from other re-teams that have and haven’t been successful?

Noah Gittell

01, May, 2017 @11:30 AM

One for the money: the great actors who slummed it in dumb movies

Helen Mirren’s appearance in the Fast and Furious franchise is a bit of a surprise. But virtually every notable actor – from Welles to Brando to Blanchett – has cashed in an easy paycheque for a mindless franchise or a duffer

Stuart Heritage

13, Apr, 2017 @12:36 PM

Discretion, not CGI: how Philip Seymour Hoffman was kept in the Hunger Games

As Hollywood makes more franchise films, it will more often have to deal with the loss of actors during production. Mockingjay Part 2 shows how it’s done

Benjamin Lee

17, Nov, 2015 @12:35 PM

Jerry Stahl: 'Our family business was shame'

Twenty years ago, Jerry Stahl was injecting heroin as his baby was being delivered. Now, the author of Permanent Midnight is a father again at 59. He talks to Chris Campion about second chances

Chris Campion

17, Jun, 2015 @6:00 AM