Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical Almost Famous is all about young journalist William Miller (Patrick Fugit) and his adventures with a rock band, fronted by Billy Crudup and featuring the fabulous Jason Lee.

But the raw, awed scribe needed an idol, and Hoffman whooped it up as the viciously vocal rock critic Lester Bangs -- an Iggy Pop-loving writer who seemed -- to little William -- to be the man with all the answers. Crowe's film wouldn't have been half as special without him.