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Gaby Hoffmann

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Gaby Hoffmann
Hoffmann in June 2015
Born
Gabrielle Mary Antonia Hoffmann

(1982-01-08) January 8, 1982 (age 42)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materBard College (2004)
OccupationActress
Years active1988–present
PartnerChris Dapkins
Children2
Parents

Gabrielle Mary Antonia Hoffmann[1][2] (born January 8, 1982)[3] is an American actress. She made her film debut in Field of Dreams (1989) and found success as a child actress acting in Uncle Buck (1989), This Is My Life (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and then later as a teenager with Now and Then (1995), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Volcano (1997), All I Wanna Do (1998), and 200 Cigarettes (1999).

After a hiatus, Hoffmann returned to film acting in 2007, appearing in various independent projects that garnered critical acclaim. This has been described as a career "resurgence",[4] due to her roles in Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus (2013), Obvious Child (2014), Wild (2015), and C'mon C'mon (2021). On television, she played April in the FX series Louie (2012), Caroline Sackler in the HBO series Girls (2014–2017), and Ali Pfefferman in the Amazon Prime series Transparent (2014–2019), earning three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the latter two.[5]

Early life

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Hoffmann was born in New York City[6] to actor parents. Her mother, Viva, is a retired actress, writer and former Warhol superstar.[7] Her father, Anthony Herrera,[8] was a soap opera actor best known for his role as James Stenbeck in As the World Turns.[9] Herrera was raised in Wiggins, Mississippi by his maternal grandparents; his own father, Gaby's paternal grandfather, was of French and Spanish descent.[2] Herrera died in 2011 from cancer.[9] Viva and Herrera were estranged shortly after Hoffmann's birth; she was raised by her mother at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. Her father did not have a significant presence in her life.[10][11] Hoffmann's birth is documented in Pat Hackett's The Andy Warhol Diaries. An entry dated January 10, 1982, two days after Hoffmann was born, says a friend telephoned Warhol and told him they were going to the Chelsea Hotel to see Viva and her new baby.[citation needed]

Hoffmann's mother, the daughter of an attorney, was raised in a conservative and devoutly Catholic family in New York State.[11][12][13] Viva was previously married to director Michel Auder in 1969, by which union Gaby Hoffmann has an elder half-sister, Alexandra "Alex" Auder, who teaches yoga in New York City.[1][14]

Hoffmann attended elementary school in Manhattan at P.S. 3 on Hudson Street in the West Village, then another school in Hell's Kitchen. After she moved to Los Angeles in 1994, she attended the Buckley School, before finally graduating from Calabasas High School in 1999.[15]

Life at the Chelsea Hotel

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Until July 1993, Hoffmann lived in Manhattan's Chelsea Hotel, which Hoffmann later said she enjoyed. According to Hoffmann, she and her best friend Talya Shomron roller-skated in the hallways, spied on the drug dealer across the hall, and persuaded the bellman to go to the neighborhood delicatessen at night to fetch them ice cream.

Hoffmann recalled, "I grew up in downtown New York in the '80s. I have a friend who grew up with me, and she puts it well. She says, 'If you grew up where we grew up, if you weren't an artist, a drag queen, queer, or a drug addict, then you were the freak.' I grew up in a world where I guess what is considered unusual or abnormal for the rest of America was very much considered the norm."[16] She also reported in an interview that there had been gunfire and a rape at the hotel shortly before they moved out.[11]

Hoffmann and her mother left the Chelsea Hotel after a long-standing dispute with the management that ended in eviction.[11] Regardless, Hoffmann's connection to the hotel had a significant effect on her future. The idea for the 1994 sitcom Someone Like Me originated after Gail Berman (former president of Viacom's Paramount Pictures) read a New York Times article[1] about the hotel which referred to a children's book that Viva and friend Jane Lancellotti wrote, Gaby at the Chelsea (a take on Kay Thompson's 1950s classic Eloise books). Berman became the show's producer.

Adolescence on the West Coast

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After leaving the Chelsea when Hoffmann was 12,[15] she and her mother moved to the west coast to a two-bedroom rented house in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, which was badly damaged in the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake. While regrouping their living situation, Hoffmann and her mother temporarily lived at The Oceana Suites Hotel in Santa Monica, California.[citation needed]

College and assorted jobs

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After she graduated from Calabasas High School in 1999, Hoffmann followed her half-sister Alex's example and entered New York's Bard College to pursue a degree in literature and writing. Around 2001, she temporarily left her acting career to complete her studies and graduated in 2004; her senior thesis was a documentary film.[citation needed]

After college, she spent much of her 20s drifting. She interned with a chef in Italy, then trained to be a doula after helping deliver Alex's children. For a time, Hoffmann and a boyfriend lived in an old trailer in the Catskill Mountains.[1]

Career

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Acting career in her youth: 1988–2001

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Hoffmann began acting in commercials at the age of four[17] to help pay the family bills. In 1989, she starred in her first movie, Field of Dreams, with Kevin Costner. She portrayed the daughter, Karin, which is often cited in pop culture for her character whom almost chokes to death on a wiener.[18] 1989's Uncle Buck followed, working beside John Candy and child star Macaulay Culkin.[19] After Uncle Buck, Hoffmann grew tired of the rigors of screen performance and temporarily retired. Upon hearing of co-star Culkin's income from his following feature films,[11] she reentered the profession.[20] She starred in This Is My Life (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993) with Tom Hanks, and The Man Without a Face with Mel Gibson.[21] According to Hoffmann, the reception from This is My Life gave her confidence and solidified her desire to return to acting full-time.[21]

In 1994, Hoffmann starred in her own sitcom Someone Like Me (on NBC) about a young girl, Gaby, and her dysfunctional family. Although generally well received, the series lasted only six episodes.[22] After Someone Like Me, Hoffmann led alongside Shelley Long in the 1995 TV film Freaky Friday, a remake of the 1976 film of the same name starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. In the same year as Freaky Friday, Hoffmann starred as Young Samantha, the childhood counterpart to Demi Moore's character, in the coming-of-age feature film Now and Then.[23] The same year, Hoffmann played Andrea Eagerton in the CBS TV film Whose Daughter Is She?. Between 1996 and 2001, Hoffmann landed roles in several films including Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Volcano (1997), Snapped (1998), The Hairy Bird (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999), Coming Soon (1999), Black & White (1999), You Can Count on Me (2000), and Perfume (2001).

Theatre work in New York: 2003–2007

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Between 2003 and 2007, Hoffmann concentrated on theater in New York. Roles included 24 Hour Plays (as Denise at the American Airlines Theatre), The Sugar Syndrome (Williamstown Theatre Festival – July/August 2005), and Third (Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater/Lincoln Center Theater – September – December 2005). In late 2005, she starred in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She also appeared in the Broadway play SubUrbia, alongside Kieran Culkin and Jessica Capshaw at the Second Stage Theatre on 43rd Street in New York City, which ran from September to October 2006. Hoffmann then returned to the 24 Hours Plays where she acted alongside Jennifer Aniston.

Return to film work: 2007–present

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Hoffmann (bottom left). She is seen here with fellow cast members of Transparent in 2015

Since 2007, Hoffmann has made a gradual return to film acting. In 2007, she starred in the film Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America. In 2008, she appeared in Guest of Cindy Sherman, a documentary on art-scene commentator Paul Hasegawa-Overacker's relationship with enigmatic photographer Cindy Sherman. Sherman was married to Hoffmann's stepfather, Michel Auder, from 1984 to 1999.[24] Later in 2008, Hoffmann appeared in the documentary Chelsea on the Rocks, which is a tribute to the Chelsea Hotel where she grew up. Directed by Abel Ferrara, the documentary highlights the many personalities and artistic voices that have emerged from the hotel.[25][10] In 2009, she had a supporting role in Todd Solondz's Life During Wartime, and the thriller 13 with Mickey Rourke (released in 2010).[26]

Several years later, Hoffmann starred alongside Michael Cera in the adventure comedy film Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus (2013) directed by Sebastián Silva. While shooting the film in Chile, she and Cera took mescaline for her performance,[27] which was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.[28] In 2013, she joined the Web series entitled Lyle, created by Stewart Thorndike and Joey Soloway. As the series was shot in NYC, she subsequently acquired an apartment in Brooklyn's Fort Greene section.[1] In October 2013, she starred in the 1910s installment of Vanity Fair's The Decades Series, "The First March", directed by Gilly Barnes.[29]

In 2012 she portrayed April, a love interested and neurotic ex-girlfriend of the title character portrayed by Louis C.K. in the FX series Louie.[30][31] Hoffmann took a recurring role portraying Caroline Sackler, the sister of Adam Sackler (Adam Driver) on the Lena Dunham created HBO series Girls from 2014 to 2017.[32][16] Her performance was well-received[33] and earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2015.[34]

Joey Soloway, who had watched Hoffman in the third season of Louie, would subsequently write the role Hoffmann plays in Transparent.[35] In 2016, she appeared in pre-recorded video as an onstage "stand-in" during Sia's Nostalgic for the Present concert tour, for the song "Unstoppable."[36] Her performance is featured on the song's official music video, released in 2021.[37] In 2021, she acted in the Mike Mills drama C'mon C'mon. She acted opposite Joaquin Phoenix playing his estranged sister, Viv, whose husband is going through mental problems. She was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance.[38] From 2022 to 2023, she appeared in the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.[39] In 2024, she co-led the Netflix miniseries Eric alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.[40]

Personal life

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Hoffmann has a daughter,[41] born in 2014, with longtime boyfriend, cinematographer Chris Dapkins (born November 19, 1980).[42][43][44]

She lives in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn.[45]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Field of Dreams Karin Kinsella
Uncle Buck Maizy Russell
1992 This Is My Life Opal Ingels
1993 Sleepless in Seattle Jessica
The Man Without a Face Megan Norstadt
1995 Now and Then Samantha "Sam" Albertson
1996 Everyone Says I Love You Lane Dandridge
1997 Volcano Kelly Roark
1998 All I Wanna Do Odette Sinclair
Snapped Tara
1999 200 Cigarettes Stephie
Coming Soon Jenny Simon
Black and White Raven
2000 You Can Count on Me Sheila Seidleman
2001 Perfume Gabrielle Mancini
2007 Severed Ways Orn's Wife
2009 Life During Wartime Wanda
2010 13 Clara Ferro
2011 Wolfe with an E Karen
The Surrogate Mary Sally
2012 Nate & Margaret Darla
2013 Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus Crystal Fairy
All That I Am Susan
Goodbye World Laura
2014 Obvious Child Nellie
Veronica Mars Ruby Jetson
Wild Aimee
Lyle Leah
Manhattan Romance Emmy
2021 C'mon C'mon Viv
2024 Little Death Martin 2.0
2025 Deliver Me from Nowhere Adele Springsteen Filming

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 Someone Like Me Gaby Stepjak 5 episodes
1995 Freaky Friday Annabelle Andrews Television film
Whose Daughter Is She? Andrea Eagerton Television film
2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Rachel Burnett Episode: "The Good Child"
2009 The Eastmans Dr. Sally Eastman Unsold television pilot
2010 Private Practice Emily Episode: "Just Lose It"
2011 The Good Wife Rhonda Cerone Episode: "Killer Song"
Homeland CNN Producer Episode: "Clean Skin"
2012 Louie April Episode: "Something Is Wrong"
2014–2017 Girls Caroline Sackler Recurring role (seasons 3–6), 8 episodes
2014–2019 Transparent Ali Pfefferman 42 episodes
2016 High Maintenance Gaby Episode: "Tick"
2022–2023 Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Claire Rothman 17 episodes
2024 Eric Cassie Anderson Miniseries[46]
TBA Zero Day Monica Kidder Upcoming series
Poker Face TBA [47]

Theatre

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Year Title Role Playwright Venue Ref.
2005 The Sugar Syndrome Dani Lucy Prebble Williamstown Theatre Festival [48]
Third Emily Imbrie Wendy Wasserstein Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Lincoln Center [49]
2006 SubUrbia Sooze Eric Bogosian Second Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway [50]
2007 The Machine Ensemble Betty Shamieh The Duke On 42nd Street, Off-Broadway [51]
2010 The 24 Hour Plays Performer Various American Airlines Theatre, Broadway [52]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Production Result Ref.
1990 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Field of Dreams Won [53]
1993 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress Under Ten in a Motion Picture This Is My Life Nominated [53]
1994 Young Artist Award Best Youth Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture Drama The Man Without a Face Nominated [53]
1995 Young Artist Award Best Youth Comedienne in a TV Show Someone Like Me Nominated [53]
1996 Young Artist Award Best Performance by a Young Ensemble – Feature Film or Video Now and Then Nominated [53]
1997 YoungStar Award Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film Everyone Says I Love You Nominated [53]
2013 Independent Spirit Award Best Female Lead Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus Nominated [54]
2015 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Girls Nominated [55]
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Transparent Nominated
2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated [56]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated [57]
2021 Gotham Awards Outstanding Supporting Performance C'mon C'mon Nominated [58]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Brodesser-Akner, Taffy (July 8, 2013). "The Chelsea Hotel Had Its Own Eloise". The New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Stated on Finding Your Roots, November 21, 2017
  3. ^ "UPI Almanac for Monday, Jan. 8, 2018". United Press International. January 8, 2018. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2019. ...actor Gaby Hoffmann in 1982 (age 36)
  4. ^ Jessie Katz (August 14, 2015). "Emmys:'Transparent's' Gaby Hoffmann-'I've Never Been Asked to Play, Nor Have I Ever Wanted to Play, the Girlfriend, the Sex Symbol'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  5. ^ "Gaby Hoffman Awards, Nominations and Wins". Emmy Awards. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "Gaby Hoffman". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  7. ^ Goldsmith, Barbara L. (April 29, 1968). "La Dolce Viva". New York. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  8. ^ "Anthony Herrera Obituary". San Antonio Express-News. July 3, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Anthony Herrera Obituary". Stone County Enterprise. July 28, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  10. ^ a b Kennedy, Dana (March 25, 1994). "30 Minutes of Fame". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d e Caddell, Ian (March 5, 1992). "Child actor Gaby Hoffmann sounds off on directors, costars, and Madonna". Straight.com. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  12. ^ Staff (June 11, 2013). "Gaby Hoffmann on child stars and coming back to acting on her own terms". EW.com. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  13. ^ Brock, Chris (July 28, 2014). "Paintings of Viva Hoffmann on exhibit at Thousand Islands Arts Center". Watertown Daily Times. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  14. ^ de Villeneuve, Poppy (August 31, 2010). "Alexandra Auder, Yoga Teacher" (video interview). AnotherMag.com. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  15. ^ a b Lyons, Tina. "Gaby Hoffmann,1997". Index Magazine. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  16. ^ a b Martin, Denise (September 2, 2014). "Gaby Hoffmann on Girls, Growing Up in '80s New York, and Her Amazon Show Transparent". Vulture. New York Media. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  17. ^ "Gaby Hoffmann". Television Academy. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  18. ^ "Gaby Hoffmann Has Blunt Reply When Asked About 'Field Of Dreams' Co-Star Kevin Costner". HuffPost. May 31, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  19. ^ Outlook, Indie (March 29, 2020). "Indie Flashback: Gaby Hoffmann on "Uncle Buck," "Nate & Margaret" and More". Indie Outlook. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  20. ^ Gostin, Nicki (June 5, 2024). "Exclusive | Why 'anxious' Gaby Hoffmann ultimately returned to acting". Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Soboroff, Jacob (June 20, 2013). "Gaby Hoffmann Says Mel Gibson Screamed And Made Her Cry As A Child Actor (video)" (video interview). Huffington Post Live. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  22. ^ Cooper, Leonie (November 27, 2021). "Gaby Hoffmann: 'I really love my job, but I don't want to do it that often'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  23. ^ Busis, Hillary (June 17, 2022). "Christina Ricci and Gaby Hoffmann Are Plotting a 'Now and Then' Reunion on 'Yellowjackets'". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  24. ^ Patti Greco (January 20, 2014), Gaby Hoffmann on Girls, Dance Parties With Claire Danes, and Waxing for Veronica Mars New York.
  25. ^ "Chelsea On The Rocks". American Cinematheque. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  26. ^ "Gaby Hoffman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  27. ^ Julie Miller (July 11, 2013). "Michael Cera and Gaby Hoffmann on Crystal Fairy, Acting on Mescaline, and Trips with Strangers". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  28. ^ "12 Years A Slave and Nebraska Top 2014 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations". Collider. November 26, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  29. ^ Barnes, Gilly (September 12, 2013). "The Decades Series: The 1910s". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  30. ^ "Field of Dreams, Louis C.K., Gaby Hoffmann, and stretching the limits of baseball-related". NBC. July 4, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  31. ^ "Gaby Hoffmann on Last Night's Louie Premiere". Vulture. June 29, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  32. ^ Fine, Marshall (August 31, 2012). "Gaby Hoffmann: Now playing adults". Hollywood & Fine. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  33. ^ "'Girls' Has Grown Up—And Isn't As Funny". The New Republic. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  34. ^ "Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series - 2015". Television Academy. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  35. ^ Katz, Jessie (March 11, 2014). "Pret-a Reporter: Dynamic Duos: Jill Soloway and Gaby Hoffmann are Ready to Inhabit Your Brain". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  36. ^ Matasci, Matt (April 17, 2016). "Star-Studded Coachella 2016 Sia Set Features Pre-Recorded Cameos By Tig Notaro, Paul Dano and Kristen Wiig". music.mxdwn.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  37. ^ "Sia - Unstoppable (Official Video - Live from the Nostalgic for the Present Tour) - YouTube". YouTube. September 27, 2021.
  38. ^ "Gotham Awards: 'The Lost Daughter' Wins Top Prize — See the Full List of Winners". IndieWire. November 30, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  39. ^ Gardner, Chris (September 25, 2023). "Magic Johnson Responds to Cancellation of Lakers Series 'Winning Time': "I Never Watched"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  40. ^ Hancox, Maisie (June 13, 2024). "TV Review: 'Eric' is an unforgettable and bizarre new Netflix drama". The Indiependent. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  41. ^ Leon, Anya; Jordan, Julie (December 15, 2014). "Gaby Hoffmann Welcomes Daughter Rosemary". People. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  42. ^ Zaman, Farihah (2012). "Chris Dapkins: 25 New Faces of Independent Film (2012)". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  43. ^ Chiu, Melody; Jordan, Julie (June 6, 2014). "Gaby Hoffmann Expecting First Child". People. Archived from the original on August 31, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  44. ^ Webber, Stephanie (June 7, 2014). "Gaby Hoffmann Is Pregnant, Girls Guest Star Expecting First Child With Boyfriend Chris Dapkins". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  45. ^ Wright, Jennifer Ashley (July 30, 2013). "Gaby Hoffmann: Warhol Would Have Loved Her". New York Observer. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  46. ^ Otterson, Joe (February 3, 2023). "Benedict Cumberbatch-Led Netflix Limited Series 'Eric' Rounds Out Main Cast". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  47. ^ Cordero, Rosy (July 16, 2024). "'Poker Face' Adds Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes, Gaby Hoffmann & Kumail Nanjiani To Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  48. ^ "Gaby Hoffmann Looks for Love On-Line in Williamstown Premiere, The Sugar Syndrome, July 27-Aug. 7". Playbill. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  49. ^ "Third". Variety. October 25, 2005. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  50. ^ "Hoffmann Replaces Garner in subUrbia; First Preview Now Sept. 7". Playbill. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  51. ^ "Tomei, Hoffmann, Marvel and More Added to Naked Angels Issues Project Beginning April 11". Playbill. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  52. ^ "The 24 Hour Plays (Broadway, 2010)". Playbill. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  53. ^ a b c d e f "Gaby Hoffmann - Awards - IMDB". IMDB. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  54. ^ "2014 Spirit Awards: '12 Years A Slave', 'All Is Lost', 'Frances Ha', 'Inside Llewyn Davis' & 'Nebraska' Nab Best Feature Noms". Deadline Hollywood. November 26, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  55. ^ "Emmy Award Winners 2015 – Full List". Variety. September 20, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  56. ^ "The 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". sagawards.org. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  57. ^ "Emmys 2016: The Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. July 14, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  58. ^ "'Passing,' 'The Lost Daughter' Lead 2021 Gotham Awards Nominations (Full List)". Variety. October 21, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
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