Thinking back on his career - it was brief, he was just 46 years of age - he has created some of the most memorable screen characters in the last two decades. He was always on his game, whether it was an emotionally charged dramatic role, or a comedic one. He disappeared into characters, and transformed mundane ones into something special. He had extraordinary range. Just think, we will see him on screen only a couple more times - God's Pocket and A Most Wanted Man may grace screens in 2014 - but there will be no future collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson (four times - Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love and The Master) or the Coen Brothers. I grew up watching his films, and he was one of only a select few actors whose involvement alone instantly made the film a 'must see'.
I don't know what else to say. Philip you were one of my favorite actors, and one of the greats. You were widely loved and admired, and you will be terribly missed. RIP.
To follow are images from some of my personal favorite performances:
Scotty J - Boogie Nights (1997)
Brandt - The Big Lebowski (1998)
Allen - Happiness (1998)
Phil Parma - Magnolia (1998)
Lester Bangs - Almost Famous (2000)
Dean Trumbell - Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Truman Capote - Capote (2005)
Jon Savage - The Savages (2007)
Andy - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
Gust Avrakotos - Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
Caden Cotard - Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Father Brendan Flynn - Doubt (2008)
Paul Zara - The Ides of March (2011)
Lancaster Dodd - The Master (2012)