©AP / Philip Seymour Hoffman

WENN

Late movie critic Roger Ebert wanted tragic Philip Seymour Hoffman to play him in a biopic, according to his wife Chaz.

At a screening of Ebert documentary “Life” in New York on Monday night, the film buff’s widow revealed her late husband was a big fan of Hoffman’s.

She said, “Roger always said, ‘If you ever do a movie where you need someone to play me, I want Philip Seymour Hoffman to play me’. He was one of the most versatile actors ever, and he also was a brilliant man (and) human being – just very smart. When we were at Sundance (Film Festival in Utah), I was talking to someone about that. I didn’t see Phil at Sundance, but I was talking to someone, saying, ‘You know he’s here. I heard Roger would like him (Hoffman) to play him in a movie. What do you think about that?’ We were just talking about that last week.

“Roger and I thought he was just terrific. We thought he was one of the best actors of any age. He was just so versatile, and he was a brilliant, very smart human being.”

Hoffman died of a suspected drug overdose at his home in New York on Sunday.