---
name: "Basil Hoffman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/basil-hoffman"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 January 1938"
died: "17 September 2021"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 84
updated: "2026-09-16T21:17:21.892099+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Basil Hoffman

Actor. Born 18 January 1938 in Houston, Texas, USA. Died 17 September 2021.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 January 1938, Houston, Texas, USA
- **Died:** 17 September 2021
- **Active:** 1976–2011
- **Also known as:** Basil Harry Hoffman

## Biography

Basil Hoffman was an American actor. Born in Houston, Texas, on 18 January 1938, he died on 17 September 2021.

After graduating from Tulane University, he trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. His early career there included stage roles, commercials and a recurring part on the soap opera One Life to Live. He later appeared in the film Lady Liberty (1971).

Hoffman worked in film and television for five decades, mostly in supporting roles. His credits include *All the President's Men* (1976), *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), *Ordinary People* (1980) as Sloan, *M*A*S*H* (1972) and *The Artist* (2011) as the auctioneer. He also authored books on acting, including *Acting and How to Be Good at It*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *The Artist* (2011), Fi1m 82, as Auctioneer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-artist.md)
- *Ordinary People* (1980), Fi1m 81, as Sloan — [page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md)
- *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), Fi1m 85, as Longly (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.md)
- *All the President's Men* (1976), Fi1m 90, as Assistant Metro Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/all-the-presidents-men.md)

## Also known for

- *Hail, Caesar!* (2016), Stu Schwartz (Accounting)
- *The Box* (2009), Don Poates
- *Down with Love* (2003), C. W. (uncredited)
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), Milton Overguard
- *All of Me* (1984), Court Clerk
- *The Last Word* (2017), Christopher Georrge
- *Beauty and the Beast* (1987), Trask
- *The Twilight Zone* (1985), Mr. Steward (segment "Button, Button")

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/basil-hoffman