Philip Seymour Hoffman sculpture unveiled

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — A sculpture honoring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman was unveiled on Saturday at the George Eastman Museum.

The bronze, life-sized sculpture depicts Hoffman appearing to be walking toward the Dryden Theatre.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, a Fairport, NY native, died in 2014.

His mother, retired judge Marilyn O’Connor, called the sculpture “a loving memorial” to her son who passed away in 2014 at the age of 46. Hoffman was an Oscar-winning actor who was also nominated for Tony and Emmy awards. He was revered by critics and fans alike as “the greatest actor of his generation.”

The tribute to Hoffman was commissioned by Irish-born philanthropist and film producer James Declan Tobin of Boston, whom O’Connor befriended at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015.

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

New York City is the anticipated permanent location for the sculpture, but the family and trust decided to first exhibit it in Hoffman’s hometown of Rochester. O’Connor chose George Eastman Museum—the same location she chose for Hoffman’s local memorial service in 2014.

“We are honored to be able to present outside the Dryden Theatre this wonderful sculpture of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who made such an extraordinary contribution to the art of cinema,” said Bruce Barnes, the Ron and Donna Fielding Director of the George Eastman Museum.

The sculpture will remain on the museum grounds until the fall. The exact permanent location is still being determined but O’Connor prefers it to be Greenwich Village, which “Phil called home for most of his life,” residing there for three decades beginning at age 18.

John Ortiz was a guest speaker at the unveiling. Ortiz was a close friend of Hoffman’s for 20 years, who served as co-artistic director with Hoffman of the LAByrinth Theater Company and starred alongside him in stage productions and the 2007 film Jack Goes Boating. Ortiz currently stars in the ABC series Promised Land streaming on Hulu.

The public is encouraged to see the sculpture in person. There is no admission fee to visit the sculpture, which is outdoors and accessible from the museum parking lot at 900 East Ave., Rochester.