The whiny cadence, the weight loss, the fey mannerisms — those embellishments came with time. Capturing Capote's inner demons proved more difficult. ''It's not important that the actor commit some stunt...unless, you know, you're Rich Little,'' he cracks. ''Ultimately, you don't want [the voice] to be the only thing people are talking about. His emotional and psychological lives were of utmost importance. If that didn't play, nothing would play.'' Still, Hoffman stayed in character during much of the 36-day shoot, a choice that caused some confusion on the Winnipeg set. ''You can't help but want to imitate Capote because it just looks fun, and he was such a flamboyant, bitchy person at times,'' says Clifton Collins Jr. (Traffic), who plays Smith. ''[Philip] was very close to Truman on set. He even spoke as Truman in between takes. Things wouldn't go right, and you'd wonder if that was Truman or Phil.'' Adds Miller: ''He summoned up some horrible feelings, and he was living with that the entire time we shot the movie. It's pretty poisonous stuff.'' Hoffman says it was a tactical decision. ''I'd keep up a certain banter or rapport in rehearsals, but that's just an actor staying disciplined and concentrated. There's nothing mysterious about it.''
But it's a draining occupational hazard that can wear down even a seasoned actor like Hoffman. Two and a half years ago, he came perilously close to burning out: He was awaiting the birth of his first child with his girlfriend, costume designer Mimi O'Donnell; slogging through 130 or so performances of the grueling play Long Day's Journey Into Night; and promoting his starring roles in two films that made little impact on audiences who weren't sure what to make of their distinctly offbeat stories — Love Liza, a drama written by his brother Gordy about a man who huffs gasoline to cope after his wife's death, and Owning Mahowny, in which he played a gambling addict. ''I was a bit all over the place. My life was changing so rapidly on a personal level. I was exhausted. I wasn't on solid ground.'' He quickly snaps to attention. ''And that's not a bad thing! What I'm saying is that I didn't know what change was coming, but I knew it was happening and I was hopeful that I could accept it without imploding.'' He says the birth of son Cooper in March 2003 helped him ''become a little clearer.''
Capote, which was shot in late 2004, took such a toll on Hoffman that he turned down a number of heavy parts after it wrapped, opting instead to tackle a showy, villainous role — offered by director J.J. Abrams — in the upcoming Mission: Impossible 3, his first big-budget action film since 1996's Twister. ''The genre has been done to death, but [J.J.] really turned it into a page-turning script. And I have a history with [Magnolia costar] Tom Cruise. If I'm going to do a film and play a part like this, I'll roll the dice on these guys.''
It's another gamble in a career that's already had its share — but please, cool it with the already deafening Oscar chatter for Capote. ''It becomes people's form of satisfaction just to stay connected to some race,'' he sighs. ''You get pulled into a place where you can think you are the center of your own universe in this business instead of focusing on the work, the work, the work.'' It sounds like a mantra. ''We have to keep that in mind because this country we live in and this business we work in is one seductive place. As we know. And as Capote learned.''
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