Gaby Hoffmann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gaby Hoffmann
Gaby Hoffmann in June 2015
Born	Gabrielle Mary Antonia Hoffmann (1982-01-08) January 8, 1982 (age 43) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Bard College (2004)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1988–present
Partner(s)	Chris Dapkins
Children	2
Parents	Anthony Herrera (father) Viva (mother)

Gabrielle Mary Antonia Hoffmann (born January 8, 1982) is an American actress. She started her acting journey as a child, appearing in movies like Field of Dreams (1989) and Uncle Buck (1989). As a teenager, she continued her success in films such as Now and Then (1995) and Everyone Says I Love You (1996).

After taking a break, Hoffmann returned to acting in 2007. She became known for her roles in independent films like Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus (2013) and Wild (2015). On television, she played important characters in popular series. These include April in Louie (2012), Caroline Sackler in Girls (2014–2017), and Ali Pfefferman in Transparent (2014–2019). For her work in Girls and Transparent, she received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Early Life and Family Background

Gaby Hoffmann was born in New York City. Her mother, Viva, was an actress, writer, and a famous artist known as a "Warhol superstar" because she worked with artist Andy Warhol. Her father, Anthony Herrera, was a soap opera actor.

Gaby's parents separated shortly after she was born. She was raised by her mother at the famous Chelsea Hotel in New York. Her father was not a big part of her early life. Gaby's birth was even mentioned in the diaries of Andy Warhol.

Her mother, Viva, grew up in a traditional Catholic family in New York. Gaby has an older half-sister, Alexandra "Alex" Auder, from her mother's earlier marriage. Alex now teaches yoga. Gaby's father, Anthony Herrera, grew up in Mississippi. He passed away in 2011 from cancer.

Gaby attended elementary schools in Manhattan. Later, she moved to Los Angeles in 1994. She went to the Buckley School and then graduated from Calabasas High School in 1999.

Growing Up at the Chelsea Hotel

Until 1993, Gaby lived at the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. She later said she really enjoyed her time there. She and her best friend would roller-skate in the hallways. They even convinced the bellman to get them ice cream late at night.

Gaby remembered that growing up in downtown New York in the 1980s was unique. What others might see as unusual was normal for her.

Gaby and her mother left the Chelsea Hotel after a disagreement with the management. However, her connection to the hotel was important for her future. A TV show idea, Someone Like Me, came about after a producer read an article about the hotel. The article mentioned a children's book Gaby's mother wrote, called Gaby at the Chelsea.

Moving to the West Coast

When Gaby was 12, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California. They rented a house in Woodland Hills. This house was badly damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake in January 1994. After the earthquake, Gaby and her mother lived temporarily at The Oceana Suites Hotel in Santa Monica, California.

College and Other Experiences

After finishing high school in 1999, Gaby went to Bard College in New York. She studied literature and writing, following her half-sister Alex. Around 2001, she took a break from acting to focus on her studies. She graduated in 2004, and her final project was a documentary film.

After college, Gaby explored different paths. She worked as an intern with a chef in Italy. She also trained to be a doula, a person who supports women during childbirth, after helping with her sister Alex's children. For a while, Gaby and her boyfriend lived in an old trailer in the Catskill Mountains.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Acting Career: From Child Star to Teen Roles

Gaby Hoffmann started acting in commercials when she was just four years old. This helped her family with bills. In 1989, she made her first movie, Field of Dreams, playing Kevin Costner's daughter. The same year, she appeared in Uncle Buck with John Candy and Macaulay Culkin.

After Uncle Buck, Gaby felt tired of acting for a bit. But when she heard how much Macaulay Culkin earned from his next movies, she decided to return. She starred in This Is My Life (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993) with Tom Hanks, and The Man Without a Face with Mel Gibson. Gaby felt more confident after This is My Life and decided to act full-time.

In 1994, Gaby starred in her own TV show, Someone Like Me, on NBC. It was about a young girl named Gaby and her family. The show was liked by many, but it only had six episodes. After that, Gaby starred with Shelley Long in the 1995 TV movie Freaky Friday. This was a remake of an older film.

In the same year, Gaby played Young Samantha in the movie Now and Then. She was the younger version of Demi Moore's character. She also appeared in the TV film Whose Daughter Is She?. From 1996 to 2001, Gaby acted in several more films. These included Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Volcano (1997), The Hairy Bird (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999), and You Can Count on Me (2000).

Theatre Life in New York

Between 2003 and 2007, Gaby focused mostly on theatre in New York. She performed in plays like 24 Hour Plays and The Sugar Syndrome. In late 2005, she was in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She also acted in the Broadway play Suburbia with Kieran Culkin. Later, she returned to 24 Hours Plays, acting alongside Jennifer Aniston.

Returning to the Screen: Independent Films and TV Shows

Hoffmann (bottom left) with fellow cast members of Transparent in 2015

Since 2007, Gaby Hoffmann has slowly returned to film acting. In 2007, she was in Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America. In 2008, she appeared in a documentary called Guest of Cindy Sherman. She also appeared in Chelsea on the Rocks, a documentary about the Chelsea Hotel where she grew up. In 2009, she had roles in Life During Wartime and the thriller 13.

Several years later, Gaby starred with Michael Cera in the adventure comedy Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus (2013). Her performance in this film earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. In 2013, she joined a Web series called Lyle.

In 2012, she played April, a love interest in the FX series Louie. From 2014 to 2017, Gaby had a recurring role as Caroline Sackler in the HBO series Girls. Her acting was praised, and she was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2015.

The creator of Transparent, Joey Soloway, saw Gaby in Louie and wrote the role of Ali Pfefferman specifically for her. In 2016, Gaby appeared in a pre-recorded video for Sia's concert tour. Her performance is also in the music video for Sia's song "Unstoppable". In 2021, she acted in the drama C'mon C'mon with Joaquin Phoenix. She played his sister, Viv, whose brother-in-law is facing challenges. She was nominated for an award for this role. From 2022 to 2023, she was in the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. In 2024, she starred with Benedict Cumberbatch in the Netflix miniseries Eric.

Personal Life

Gaby Hoffmann has a daughter, born in 2014. Her daughter's father is her longtime boyfriend, cinematographer Chris Dapkins.

Gaby lives in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

See Also

In Spanish: Gaby Hoffmann para niños