Sunday marked the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman, and it was certainly a shock to many of us. The relatively young actor was one of few of his generation whose performances displayed a remarkable versatility. His performances in “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Almost Famous” convinced me that he had an unusual talent, a talent I could not quite describe or characterize at the time but which I certainly recognized as distinct.

Though he played a variety of characters, Hoffman managed to infuse each of them with his own unique persona. They conveyed an air of disillusionment, and most of all, of knowing the real story. They were all extremely down-to-earth in the fullest sense of the phrase. He was always the guy who cut through all of the pageantry and defied officialdom with a unique stance based on experience and, quite often, disenfranchisement.

In “Almost Famous,” Hoffman played Lester Bangs, a rock journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine who takes an impressionable young high school student named Will under his wing and advises him on how to be a good rock journalist. He cautions Will to avoid being taken in by friendly overtures and to always remember that the stars with whom he is on tour do not care about him, but rather about how he portrays them in his writing. Bangs advises Will to be unmerciful and original in his pieces. This in and of itself is not unlike Hoffman’s acting style: He never minced words, and his portrayals tended to be memorable.

My favorite Hoffman role, however, is his portrayal of Greek spy/intelligence analyst Gust Avrakotos in “Charlie Wilson’s War.” 

Based on the true story of how former U.S. Rep. Charles Wilson armed and funded the Mujahideen during the Soviet war in Afghanistan during the 1980s, the film highlights the collaboration between the charismatic and well-connected Wilson (Tom Hanks) and the savvy, competent and realistic Gust. At the end of the film, Gust makes a prophetic reference to the pitfalls that would result after the Soviets were defeated and the Mujahideen turned on their former allies. His matter-of-factness, humorous fatalism and wary, cynical wit keep with the disposition of an experienced intelligence officer. These qualities are also reflective of the type of character Hoffman portrayed best of all: the guy who has it all figured out. He was always the underdog who sits down with you when the top brass isn’t around and tells you what is really going on and what actually needs to be done.

When I think of my favorite films produced in the past decade, Philip Seymour Hoffman springs to mind as one of the more unusual and charismatic actors of his generation. His passing has left a void; it will not be easy to find another of his contemporaries who has quite the same versatility and presence.