While most actors might seize the opportunity to work with a legendary director like Martin Scorsese today without any hesitation. there are a few who turned down the chance to work with him during his formative years. Hailed as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Scorsese too faced some rejections early in his career. Reportedly, actor Dustin Hoffman admitted to turning down a Scorsese role, explaining that he thought the filmmaker might be ‘crazy.’
As revealed by the Rain Man actor himself, Hoffman once made a monumental career misstep by rejecting a collaboration with Scorsese during the director’s formative years.
Why did Dustin Hoffman turn down Taxi Driver?
At the time, Martin Scorsese had already directed the 1973 cult classic Mean Streets. However, when the filmmaker came up with a bigger project, the groundbreaking film did not initially appear to be an appealing project.
While talking about why Taxi Driver wasn’t exactly as intriguing on paper initially, screenwriter Paul Schrader recalled, as reported by The Guardian,
“At the time I wrote it [Taxi Driver], I was in a rather low and bad place. I had broken with Pauline [Kael], I had broken with my wife, I had broken with the woman I left my wife for, I had broken with the American Film Institute and I was in debt.”
Furthermore, revealing how he came up with the idea of Taxi Driver while he was admitted to a hospital, Schrader said,
“When I was talking to the nurse, I realized I hadn’t spoken to anyone in weeks…that was when the metaphor of the taxi cab occurred to me. That is what I was: this person in an iron box, a coffin, floating round the city, but seemingly alone.”
Hence, when Dustin Hoffman read the script for the first time, he passed up the opportunity to portray the iconic character of Travis Bickle.
Why did Dustin Hoffman think Martin Scorsese was crazy?
Considered one of the iconic characters in cinematic history, Robert De Niro’s portrayal of a disillusioned taxi driver who prowls the labyrinth of New York City at night garnered widespread praise and acclaim. However, the role was earlier offered to Dustin Hoffman.
While reminiscing about the fateful choice of declining the offer, Hoffman admitted,
“I remember meeting Martin Scorsese. He had no script and I didn’t know who he was. I hadn’t seen any of his films and he was talking a mile a minute telling me what the movie was about. I thought the guy was crazy!… I made so many dumb mistakes. The list is endless.”
The neo-noir psychological thriller, though generated some controversy due to its graphic elements, went on to become a commercial and critical success. With four Academy Award nominations, The Taxi Driver won two British Academy Film Awards. Scorsese’s masterpiece is now streaming on Netflix. Interested viewers can also watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: The Guardian, Today
