by Akan Ido

Hollywood actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, 46, was found dead today in a New York City apartment of an apparent drug overdose. Reports from TMZ indicate that authorities found a needle in his arm.

The real cause of his death is still being investigated. The actor had reportedly struggled with drug problems recently checking himself into a rehab facility for heroin last May.

He was found in the apartment after a friend called the emergency services.

Hoffmann made his name in the 1990s in films including Boogie Nights and the Big Lebowski, before winning the best actor Oscar for his 2005 portrayal of writer Truman Capote.

Throughout his career he featured in independent films as well as Hollywood blockbusters such as Mission Impossible III.