Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead Sunday in his West Village apartment in Manhattan, his life ended by an apparent drug overdose.

Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman ( Rich Schultz /Getty Images)
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Hoffman won a well-deserved Oscar for his work in ‘Capote’ and his 20-year career saw him working with many of the best and most influential filmmakers of the ’00s, from Paul Thomas Anderson to the Coens.

He recently appeared in ‘Moneyball,’ ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and ‘The Master,’ but his extended filmography includes ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘The Big Lebowski,’ ‘Synecdoche, New York,’ ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ and countless other extraordinary films.

Tributes poured in from other Hollywood figures.

"One of the greatest actors of a generation and a sweet, funny & humble man," actor Ricky Gervais tweeted. Director Spike Lee said on Twitter: "Damn, We Lost Another Great Artist."

And Kevin Costner said in an Associated Press interview: "Philip was a very important actor and really takes his place among the real great actors. It's a shame. Who knows what he would have been able to do? But we're left with the legacy of the work he's done and it all speaks for itself."

"No words for this. He was too great and we're too shattered," said Mike Nichols, who directed Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" and "Death of a Salesman."

The law enforcement officials said Hoffman's body was discovered in a bathroom at his Greenwich Village apartment by a friend who made the 911 call and his assistant.

Late Sunday, a police crime-scene van was parked out front, and technicians carrying brown paper bags went in and out. Police kept a growing crowd of onlookers back. A single red daisy had been placed in front of the lobby door.

Hoffman's family called the news "tragic and sudden."

Hoffman is survived by his partner of 15 years, Mimi O'Donnell, and their three children -- a son, Cooper Alexander Hoffman, 10, and two daughters, Tallulah Hoffman, 7 and Willa Hoffman, 5.

"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone," the family said in a statement.

Few actors have been credited with the range of Hoffman's powerful dramatic performances, from his role in ‘Magnolia’ and his elevation of goofy, lowbrow comedies like ‘Along Came Polly.’

Hoffman, who had a lifelong struggle with drug abuse, checked into rehab last year. According to The New York Times, he had openly discussed "falling off the wagon" after being clean for 23 years.

In a strange turn of events reported by MYFOXNY,  he had just been the subject of an internet hoax Saturday, falsely reporting his death.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

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