Hollywood veteran Dustin Hoffman has had a glittering career over 5 decades in which the star has portrayed the whole gamut of roles. After his debut in 1967 with the comedy The Tiger Comes Out, Hoffman’s breakthrough role came with the character Benjamin Braddock in Mike Nichols’ comedy-drama The Graduate. This led to the actor achieving star status and also receiving his first Academy Award nomination.
Acting though was never a sureshot option for Dustin Hoffman. While the star had other interests that could have become a profession, he was also discouraged by a family member who revealed brutal truths about his appearance. Hoffman rose above these criticisms to answer his detractors in the best way possible.
Dustin Hoffman Was Once Criticized For His Looks
Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman did not have acting on his mind in his early days. The star initially enrolled in Santa Monica College to do medicine after finishing high school in 1955. While in University, the Tootsie actor took an acting class and by his own admission, caught the “acting bug”. Inspired by the class and what he learnt in it, Hoffman quit university to join the Pasadena Playhouse to hone his skills as an actor. His family members though, were unsure about his career path. His Aunt Pearl who was brutal in her assessment of his looks, said,
“You can’t be an actor. You are not good-looking enough.”
Despite the negativity surrounding his chosen career, Dustin Hoffman persevered and answered his critics and detractors in the best way by winning his first Oscar for Best Actor in 1980 for Kramer vs Kramer. The star continued to make strides in Hollywood to become one of the most sought after actors in the industry.
Dustin Hoffman Hated Himself In Rain Man
In 1988, Dustin Hoffman acted in one of his most memorable award-winning roles in Rain Man also starring Tom Cruise. The Oscar winner who portrayed a middle-aged autistic savant, received rave reviews from audiences and critics for his brilliant effort in a complex role. Hoffman though was completely dissatisfied with his portrayal in the early stages of the film and felt that his self-confessed cringeworthy performance did not do justice to the complexities of the character.
“It was the worst work I had ever done…Get Richard Dreyfuss, get somebody, Barry because this is the worst work of my life”.
Three weeks into the filming, Hoffman had a eureka moment that offered him a breakthrough to his character which lead to the famous underwear dialogue in the film. From that moment on, the actor understood the obsessive disorder that his character suffered from and channelled that into his performance. The results of his efforts reaped rewards with a second Oscar win.
Source: The Guardian
