One of the most critically and commercially successful films of Hoffman's career was "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999), which he considered "as edgy as you can get for a Hollywood movie". He played a "preppy bully" who taunts Matt Damon's Ripley in the thriller, a character which Jeff Simon of "The Buffalo News" called "the truest upper class twit in all of American movies". Hoffman's performance caught the attention of Meryl Streep, another of his cinematic idols: "I sat up straight in my seat and said, 'Who is that?' I thought to myself: My God, this actor is fearless. He's done what we all strive for – he's given this awful character the respect he deserves, and he's made him fascinating." In recognition of his work in "Magnolia" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley", Hoffman was named the year's Best Supporting Actor by the National Board of Review.