When I heard that Philip Seymour Hoffman died, I felt deeply saddened, as if an actual friend of mine had died. I never met him, although I can say that I spotted him once walking the streets of NYC. The more I thought about him I realized that the reason I felt I knew him was from his role as Scotty J. in Boogie Nights. He is a remarkable actor. For me to watch him as Scotty J. cringe and wince and twist in shame was a command performance. In watching him, I felt all the embarrassment and shyness and vulnerability I've ever felt in my life. Now that he is gone I feel like a small part of me is too.