Philip Seymour Hoffman on Doing a Job Well (Day Thirty-Three)

Today's featured article on Wikipedia spotlights the beautiful craft and tragic life of one of the finest actors of the last quarter century.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was "an American actor, director, and producer of film and theater. Best known for his supporting and character roles – typically lowlifes, bullies, and misfits – Hoffman was a regular presence in films from the early 1990s until his death at age 46."

So much of Hoffman's work is readily spoken for by itself. Yet, my main takeaway from this article is how he spoke about doing the craft (any craft) well:

[I]n a 2012 interview he confessed that performing to a high standard was a challenge: "The job isn't difficult. Doing it well is difficult." In an earlier interview with The New York Times, he explained how deeply he loved acting but added, "that deep kind of love comes at a price: for me, acting is torturous, and it's torturous because you know it's a beautiful thing... Wanting it is easy, but trying to be great – well, that's absolutely torturous."