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Philip Seymour Hoffman

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But with a Golden Globe on his mantelpiece and a part as a bad-guy grappling Tom Cruise in the third Mission: Impossible flick in the pipeline, it's safe to say Philip hasn't had to worry about paying his rent in a long while.

Over the last 15 years the sandy-haired actor has been a major influence in film without ever becoming paparazzi fodder. Until recently only the most dedicated cinephiles were clued up on his career, and yet he's played a string of major roles from maverick rock critic Lester Bangs in Almost Famous to the sleuthing preppie who falls prey to Matt Damon's murderous intentions in The Talented Mr Ripley.

Born on July 23, 1967, into a middle-class family living on the outskirts of the upstate New York city of Rochester, Philip started out life as an avid athlete and wrestler. His interests later broadened, however, leading to him studying drama at the Tisch School of the Arts in the Big Apple.

Pulled off a deli counter to appear in a 15-minute scene opposite Al Pacino in 1992's Scent Of A Woman, the budding thespian made enough of an impression to turn his back on the catering industry for good. "I couldn't even think about being with this legend. All I could think about was my own acting," he recalled. "Then it dawned on me, 'You're doing this in front of Al Pacino.' It was almost too much."

Despite Philip's misgivings, he'd been noticed by the industry. Quickly establishing himself as an icon of the indie scene, the performer earned plaudits from critics for being that rare gem - a character actor who inhabits each role completely, then sheds it like a second skin.

He went on to win acclaim playing outsiders in 1998's Happiness and, the following year, Flawless alongside Robert De Niro. At the end of the decade the Hollywood talent also became something of a mainstay for director Paul Thomas Anderson, providing much-needed comic relief in the dark drama Boogie Nights, and collaborating on three more of the ensemble maestro's movies.

Having admitted that "sometimes its hard to say no" to a big pay cheque, Philip, who has one child, Cooper Alexander, with his set designer girlfriend Mimi O´Donnell, readily accepted a slew of supporting roles in mainstream blockbusters like Red Dragon, Cold Mountain and Along Came Polly. Then, in 2006, after years of paying his dues, a bravura performance in the title role of Capote resulted in the magic words "Oscar nominee" being attached to his name forever.

The honour is unlikely to turn his head, however, and Philip remains a dyed-in-the-wool thesp. His advice to those eager to follow in his footsteps is simple: "Get involved in acting to act, not to be famous or for the money," he counsels. "Do plays. It's not worth it if you're in it for the money. You have to love it."

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