 On stage in 2009 , Hoffman played Iago in Peter Sellars ' futuristic production of Othello ( with the title role by John Ortiz ) , which received mixed reviews . Ben Brantley , theatre critic of The New York Times found it to be " exasperatingly misconceived " , remarking that even when Hoffman is attempting to " manipulate others into self @-@ destruction , he comes close to spoiling everything by erupting into genuine , volcanic fury " . Hoffman also did his first vocal performance for the claymation film Mary and Max , although the film did not initially have an American release . He played the male title character , a depressed New Yorker with Asperger syndrome , while Toni Collette voiced Mary – the Australian girl who becomes his pen pal . Continuing with animation , Hoffman then worked on an episode of the children 's show Arthur and received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program . Later in the year , he played a brash American DJ opposite Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans in Richard Curtis 's British comedy The Boat That Rocked ( also known as Pirate Radio ) – a character based on Emperor <unk> , a host of Radio Caroline in 1966 . He also had a cameo role as a bartender in Ricky Gervais 's The Invention of Lying . 
