A life-size sculpture of Philip Seymour Hoffman at Eastman Museum captures actor's spirit

There is a wry mischievousness to the smile and a knowing sparkle in the eyes — both of which convey that this particular bronze sculpture is more than just a bland re-creation of an individual.

Instead, the memorial of Fairport native Philip Seymour Hoffman unveiled on Saturday — a life-size sculpture to his exact height — manages to capture some of the essence that made him one of Hollywood's greatest actors.

This is not happenstance. James Declan Tobin, the film producer who commissioned the memorial, is a friend of Hoffman's family and was insistent that the sculpture portrays the late actor's spirit.

"There was a lot of silence after Phil died,” Tobin said in a statement. "I wanted to keep the light going. I wanted Phil’s family to know the impact he had on me and the world."

The sculpture will eventually move to New York City, but Hoffman's family wanted his hometown to first see the artwork. It is now placed outside the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum, with Hoffman in midstride as if walking to the theater.

Dressed casually, Hoffman carries a messenger bag, a look familiar to his neighbors in Greenwich Village, where he lived for years. Greenwich Village could be the location where the sculpture eventually settles; its location in New York City is undecided.

Hoffman sculpture designed to capture actor's essence

Tobin commissioned Scottish sculptor David A. Annand for the statue, after seeing Annand's sculpture of blues and rock guitarist Rory Gallagher in Ireland. Hoffman's mother, Marilyn O'Connor, admitted that she was not sure what to expect, but then she saw an early bust that Annand did of Hoffman.

"The first pictures I looked at were the bust of the head, and when I saw it I felt Phil," she said.

Annand is an award-winning artist who is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors.

He used more than 500 photographs and screenshots from films to depict Hoffman's likeness. Annand said in an interview that he tries to capture the "vitality" of his subjects, and often prefers that they be in motion.

The screenshots of Hoffman were bountiful but problematic, Annand said, because Hoffman was such a chameleon-like character actor that he physically and emotionally embodied greatly distinctive roles.

"He was very different in every role," Annand said. "He could play a 40-year-old. He could play an 18-year-old."

Annand said he sought to "capture the subtle way (Hoffman) smiled with his eyes rather than his mouth, looking for vitality, intelligence, talent and that twinkle in the eye.”

The sculpture was completely Tobin's idea, said O'Connor, a retired Family Court judge.

Tobin had provided some financial support for a short film from her screenwriter son, Gordy. They met at the Sundance Film Festival and became friends. Before the pandemic, Tobin approached the family with the proposed sculpture.

"We were reluctant at first," O'Connor said. "It's one of those things when you step into memorializing a person's life, and in some way, we were thinking of all the risks and the pros and cons."

But there was clear sincerity from Tobin, who is Irish-born and now lives in Boston. So, O'Connor said, she and the family discussed the idea — Hoffman's two sisters are Dr. Emily Barr and Jill Delvecchio — and decided to agree.

"Marilyn gave me a big canvas on which to dream and the courage and the space to create," Tobin said. "Sometimes dreams come true, and now it is a reality because Marilyn was brave enough to embrace this tribute to Phil, which we hope will inspire future generations of actors and artists."

Hoffman's impact continues at NYU

Hoffman was an Oscar winner who also was nominated for Tonys and Emmys. He died in 2014 at the age of 46 of an overdose of heroin and cocaine. Having struggled with addictions to alcohol and opioids, he had been clean for nearly two decades before falling back into use after an exhausting stage schedule.

O'Connor wanted to be sure that the Rochester community has a chance to see the sculpture before it moves to New York. She connected Tobin with Bruce Barnes, the director of the George Eastman Museum, to arrange its placement near the Dryden.

The funding for the commission was provided by the Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust, of which Tobin serves as president and was created by his father.

The trust also has established a scholarship fund in Hoffman’s name at the actor’s alma mater, New York University for two students attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. The first recipients will be announced soon.

Contact Gary Craig at gcraig@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at gcraig1. 

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Philip Seymour Hoffman sculpture at Eastman Museum memorializes actor