Philip Seymour Hoffman to Star in Upcoming Claymation Film 'Mary and Max'

Variety is reporting that stage and screen actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has just signed onto to lend his voice to the role of "Max" in the upcoming Icon Film claymation feature "Mary and Max". The film center around the unlikely pen-pal friendshipe between Mary (voiced by Toni Collette), lonesome girl living in Australia and Max, a 40 something overweight man who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome living in New York. Eric Bana also stars and Barry Humphries narrates.

The film is produced by Melanie Coombs and will be feature directorial debut of Adam Elliot, whose film "Harvie Krumpet" won the 2004 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Mark Gooder, CEO of Icon Film said, "“That one of the most ‘in demand’ actors in the world would agree to voice an independent Australian animation speaks volumes for the creative integrity of this project."

Philip Seymour Hoffman is Co-Artistic Director of the LAByrinth Theater Company in New York and is currently directing RIFLEMIND in London. His LAByrinth directing credits include the world premieres of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot”, “Our Lady of 121st Street”, “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” and “In Arabia, We’d All Be Kings”, each written by Stephen Adly Guirgis.  Hoffman’s celebrated New York production of “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it won the 2001 Fringe First Award, and London’s Donmar Warehouse, where it was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Play of 2002.  It then moved for an extended run at London’s The Arts Theatre. Similarly, his acclaimed production of “Our Lady of 121st Street” transferred Off Broadway to the Union Square Theater, where it ran for nearly six months. As an actor, his most recent theatre credits include “Jack Goes Boating” (The Public Theater), “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”(Broadway), “The Seagull” (The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival) and “True West” (Broadway).
 
Hoffman’s forthcoming films include Richard Curtis’ “The Boat That Rocked”, Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, NY”, which Kaufman wrote and directed and John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt” opposite Meryl Streep. Last year Hoffman starred in the independent film “The Savages” for which he won a Best Actor Spirit Award; Mike Nichols’ “Charlie Wilson’s War” which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Sidney Lumet’s “Before the Devil Knows You're Dead”. Prior to that, Hoffman starred in “Capote”, which he executive produced through his company, Cooper’s Town Productions, winning the Academy Award® for Best Actor and BAFTA for his performance.

Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy