The late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Photo Credit: TV Week
Scores of super-talented people who work in the entertainment industry are plagued with demons…those primarily of drugs and alcohol.
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death is yet another loss of a talented actor in the prime of his life and at the top of his game with an Oscar behind his belt and top directors seeking him out. One would imagine that finally reaching this pinnacle, this apex of stardom, would be invigorating, a moment so full satisfaction that all one can do is smile and dance a jig, not end in a moment of tragedy.
But, unfortunately, this is not true for many people who have become part of the limelight. It has sadly become the demise of many of our great creatives in a field where creating happiness for others is at the forefront of why they do what they do. And in fact, many of these types of folks are not happy themselves.
People were speculating and hoping Hoffman didn’t kill himself. Investigators are trying to piece together his final hours, but one must recognize that anytime one has bags of heroine in one’s apartment and countless syringes, one is probably intending to use them…on oneself. And as such, one must recognize that anytime one chooses to inject oneself with heroine, one runs the risk of losing one’s life. There is no guarantee that using that particular time might not be one’s last.
Please do not take me as unfeeling with regards to this; in fact, I find it quite sad and disturbing. I would prefer that these creative folks choose to live so we can enjoy their work little longer. The realization must occur that drugs probably won’t be the thing that allow one to have a long, satisfying, fulfilling career. But an addiction is an addiction, and only the strong will survive it.
Of course, there are exceptions we can examine. Many have come back from addictions and alcohol-related problems. Folks like Keith Urban, Drew Barrymore, and even talented Robert Downey Jr. beat the odds, made amazing comebacks, and have seen incredible boons in their careers. Downey, in particular, beat the odds when everyone was counting him out. Justin Bieber’s troubles make you worried for him, Michael Jackson’s and Heath Ledger’s prescription concoctions cost them their lives, and we could all see what was happening to Whitney Houston, but she was never quite able to get off that train.
I am left scratching my head. How many more talented people do we have to lose to understand how devastating a drug like heroine can be? The price for stardom can be so high, and it leaves me wondering if it’s worth it.
