Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York apartment yesterday from an apparent drug overdose.  A police search of his home revealed over 50 empty bags of heroin as well as other drug paraphernalia.  He was 46 years of age.

This is not the first time Hoffman has been linked to drug-use.  He stated that he would use "anything I could get my hands on" on a "60 minutes" interview from 2011.  There was no note found at the scene and thus believed to be an accidental overdose.

Hoffman had missed a morning appointment to pick up his three young kids from their mother, his estranged girlfriend, Mimi O'Donnell.  It was reported that his screenwriter friend David Bar Katz was the first to find him with a syringe still in his arm.  He was dead at the scene, and had probably been there for hours before discovery.  Katz declined to say anything other than "Right now is not the time to talk about this."

Acclaimed for his Oscar-winning role as Capote in the film of the same name, Hoffman was known for his powerful on-screen presence and a long list of well known films including Magnolia, Doubt, Moneyball, and The Hunger Games franchise, of which the third installment is still filming.  Producers have confirmed that they will not recast his role, as there was only one significant scene of his remaining to be shot.

The cast of the film released a joint statement that said, "Words cannot convey the devastating loss we are all feeling right now.  Philip was a wonderful person and an exceptional talent, and our hearts are breaking. Our deepest condolences go out to his family."

"This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving." Hoffman's family said in a statement.