Philip Seymour Hoffman starred in two movies written by fellow Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin: Charlie Wilson’s War, which scored him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and Moneyball. The two also shared something else in common: they both struggled with addiction, Sorkin to cocaine and Hoffman to the heroin that ultimately took his life.

Sorkin wrote a short but impactful obituary for Hoffman, which touched on some of the time the two spent together. Continue reading to see what he had to say.

Sorkin spoke of the times that he and Hoffman were working together and would be able to slip away from the soundstage and have mini-AA meetings, sharing stories of their battles with these demons. During one of these meetings, Hoffman told Sorkin “If one of us dies of an overdose, probably 10 people who were about to won’t,” meaning their premature passing would be covered by the news and, at the very least, reach people who might need a wake-up call.

Sorkin went on to speak of Hoffman, saying:

So it’s in that spirit that I’d like to say this: Phil Hoffman, this kind, decent, magnificent, thunderous actor, who was never outwardly “right” for any role but who completely dominated the real estate upon which every one of his characters walked, did not die from an overdose of heroin “” he died from heroin. We should stop implying that if he’d just taken the proper amount then everything would have been fine.

He didn’t die because he was partying too hard or because he was depressed “” he died because he was an addict on a day of the week with a y in it. He’ll have his well-earned legacy “” his Willy Loman that belongs on the same shelf with Lee J. Cobb’s and Dustin Hoffman’s, his Jamie Tyrone, his Truman Capote and his Academy Award. Let’s add to that 10 people who were about to die who won’t now.

Sorkin’s full obituary can be read over at Time.

Another fellow addict, Marc Maron, spoke very openly about what happened to Hoffman and just how impossibly difficult the fight can be, offering those who think someone just decides to get high before something like this happens some firsthand perspective.

No matter what you feel about what happened to Philip Seymour Hoffman, hopefully someone out there in a similar seemingly impossible battle with addiction heard about what happened and had second thoughts and put away their drug of choice, even if for only one day. One extra day for someone to step in and try and help them in their fight, before it’s too late.

[Source via Uproxx]