‘A brilliant man’: Roger Ebert wanted Philip Seymour Hoffman to play him in biopic

Roger Ebert always dreamed of having Philip Seymour Hoffman play him in a biopic, the famed movie critic’s widow has revealed.

That dream was crushed Sunday morning when Mr. Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment from an apparent heroin overdose.

“Roger always said, ’If you ever do a movie where you need someone to play me, I want Philip Seymour Hoffman,’ ” Chaz Ebert told the audience Monday night during a screening of “Life Itself” — a new documentary named after Mr. Ebert’s memoir.

“He’s one of the most versatile actors ever, and he also was a brilliant man, human being — just very smart,” she said, the New York Post reported.

Mrs. Ebert said she had been talking about the possibility of casting Mr. Hoffman at last month’s Sundance festival, the report said.