Philip Seymour Hoffman and Richard Bull

I would like to comment on two recent deaths:

1.  The first, of course, is the shocking death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.  I loved his acting.  Some of his characters I liked better than others.  I thought that his characters were rather snobbish in Patch Adams and The Talented Mr. Ripley.  But I loved his role in Magnolia as the kindly nurse who went the extra mile to track down the estranged son of the dying rich man for whom he worked.  But I also liked Philip Seymour Hoffman in some of his swarmy roles: as the campaign manager in The Ides of March, his role in Charlie Wilson’s War, and others.  When we are picking out movies to watch, and we learn that Philip Seymour Hoffman is in one of them, that tells us that there is a more-than-average chance that it will be a good movie.
Over the past few days, I have had an opportunity to read more about Philip Seymour Hoffman: his faith, his longtime sobriety, his love for his children, and the way that he treated actors the same, whether they were well-known or not.

R.I.P., Philip Seymour Hoffman.

2.  Richard Bull passed on at the age of 89.  He played Nels Oleson on Little House on the Prairie, which has long been and continues to be one of my favorite shows.  (Actually, I’ll just say it: It is my favorite show.)  Nels owned the local merchantile.  Nels was a kindly and a fair person, even though he could get quite frustrated with his family!

R.I.P., Richard Bull.