Updated Feb. 3, 2014 7:22 p.m. ET
The estranged partner of Philip Seymour Hoffman told New York City police that the Academy Award-winning actor appeared to be high when she saw him the day before he was found dead from an apparent drug overdose, a law-enforcement official said.
Philip Seymour Hoffman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' at Nokia Theatre LA Live in November. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
?Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Coll / Everett Collection
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New York City law enforcement officials said that actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead at his apartment Sunday afternoon. Watch clips from some of the films Seymour Hoffman has starred in, including "Boogie Nights," "Almost Famous," and "Capote." Photo: AP
Mimi O'Donnell told investigators that she last saw Mr. Hoffman Saturday at 2 p.m. on the street near his West Village apartment and that he appeared to be under the influence of drugs, the official said. She spoke to him on the phone at about 8 p.m. Saturday and said he again sounded high, the official said.
The 46-year-old Mr. Hoffman was discovered Sunday at about 11:15 a.m. unconscious and lying on his right side in the bathroom with a needle in his left arm by screenwriter and friend David Bar Katz and the actor's assistant, Isabella Wing-Davey, the official said. The two had gone to Mr. Hoffman's home after a concerned Ms. O'Donnell called saying the actor had failed to pick up their three children, the official said.
The NYPD is investigating the death as a possible drug overdose, and the medical examiner's office was scheduled to perform an autopsy Monday.
In a search of the fourth-floor Bethune Street apartment, investigators recovered 49 glassines believed to contain heroin, as well as bottles of antianxiety and other prescription medications, the official said. Several empty glassiness, used and unused syringes and other drug paraphernalia also were discovered in the residence, the official said.
Mr. Hoffman, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Truman Capote in "Capote," didn't show up to pick up his children at 9 a.m. Sunday, so Ms. O'Donnell called Mr. Katz, the official said. When he couldn't gain entry to the apartment, he contacted Ms. Wing-Davey, who had a set of keys, the official said. They discovered Mr. Hoffman in a T-shirt and boxer shorts, still wearing his eyeglasses, the official said.
NYPD narcotics detectives are searching for the person who sold Mr. Hoffman the drugs. Inspector Timothy Bugge, the NYPD commanding officer of the Manhattan South Narcotics unit, sent an email to staff members asking for details about cases involving heroin envelopes stamped with "Ace of Hearts" or "Ace of Spades"—two of the brands found in Mr. Hoffman's apartment, the official said.
"Trying to track down dealers and the origin of drugs is always going to be a part of a(n)…investigation like this," the official said.
Police found no signs of struggle at the tidy apartment, with several prescription drugs in the kitchen to treat anxiety, high blood pressure, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as an addiction treatment medication, the official said, adding that there were no prescriptions for the drugs.
The actor had spoken publicly about his struggle with substance abuse, revealing that he first entered rehab at the age of 22. He reportedly was sober for years, but Ms. Wing-Davey told police Mr. Hoffman was enrolled in a drug rehabilitation program last April, the official said.
Mr. Hoffman, who was nominated for three Tony Awards, had a strong following on Broadway. Theater marquees will be dimmed for one minute on Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. in his honor, the Broadway League announced Monday.
Write to Pervaiz Shallwani at Pervaiz.Shallwani@wsj.com
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