The death of Philip Seymour Hoffman from a suspected drug overdose was a tragedy. It was another pointless death of a Hollywood star who should have gone on to become a living legend.

One year after the death of the great screen and stage actor, we look back at what made Hoffman so beloved by his fellow actors and his fans.

· Gallery: A life cut short
· Vale Philip Seymour Hoffman: An electric actor
· Aussie actors remember Philip Seymour Hoffman

Here are the 10 roles that defined an actor lauded as one of the great thespians of all time:

10. State and Main (2000)

With co-star Rebecca Pidgeon in State and Main in 2000. Photo: AAP

Hoffman was the unlikely romantic lead, author Joseph Turner White, in the quirky indie film from director David Mamet, which also starred Alec Baldwin, William H. Macy and Sarah Jessica Parker, about the making of a Hollywood movie in a small US town.

9. Happiness (1998)

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Stepping into the role of a man obsessed with his famous neighbour, Hoffman made the role of an obscene phone-caller suitably disturbing.

8. Almost Famous (2000)

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As the iconic real-life US rock journalist Lester Bangs, Hoffman told it like it was to aspiring writer William Miller, who was based on director Cameron Crowe’s younger self.

7. Magnolia (1999)

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In the riveting ensemble drama Magnolia, also starring Tom Cruise and Julianne Moore, Hoffman made a brilliant turn as the tender nurse trying to find his patient’s son.

6. Boogie Nights (1997)

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His breakout performance as Scotty J. saw Hoffman embody an awkward, gay boom operator with a sincerity that was part loveable, part creepy.

5. Doubt (2008)

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Playing a respected priest accused of paedophilia, opposite Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, Hoffman showed why he was considered the master character actor of his generation in a terrifically grim performance.

4. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

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As the shady sex-line supervisor and mattress store owner who dupes Adam Sandler’s dim lead, Hoffman stole the show.

3. The Master (2012)

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Taking on the role inspired by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, Hoffman was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAAFTA and a Golden Globe.

2. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

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Hoffman was unforgettable as the suspicious Freddie Miles opposite Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

1. Capote (2006)

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Hoffman’s stunning performance rightfully earned him the Oscar for best actor. The film adaptation of  Truman Capote’s controversial true crime tale, In Cold Blood, featured an incredible transformation that saw the actor uncannily recreate the eccentric author.