In Hollywood, few films have made as profound an impact as Rain Man, the 1988 comedy-drama that brought together the star power of Tom Cruise alongside Dustin Hoffman. Directed by Barry Levinson, the film follows the emotional journey of two estranged brothers reunited after their father’s death.
Rain Man was a critical and commercial success, earning four Oscars, including a Best Actor award for Hoffman for his portrayal of Raymond, an autistic savant. However, despite the film’s success, the actor found the role challenging and even considered quitting the film altogether, as he believed he couldn’t do the character justice.
Dustin Hoffman Almost Walked Away From Rain Man Role
After landing the role of Raymond Babbitt alongside Tom Cruise in Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman threw himself into extensive research, delving into autism through books and documentaries.
He has also shared that he meticulously studied the mannerisms of an autistic individual named Peter Guthrie, whose tapes were provided by his brother, and drew significant inspiration from them.
However, despite his extensive research, the actor started doubting his ability to perform the character. In an interview with the Associated Press, he opened up about his initial struggles with the character.
“It was death,” he said before adding, “It was the worst work I had ever done.” Further into the conversation, he recalled that he even considered quitting the role and suggested being replaced by Richard Dreyfuss.
“I said, ‘I can’t do it,'” he recalled. Hoffman felt his early attempts with the role of Raymond Babbitt were a mix of previous characters he had played. Thankfully, the filmmakers did not heed his suggestion for a replacement.
However, he was eventually able to find his footing with the character while filming the scene in which Raymond talks about how much he missed his underwear.
Dustin Hoffman’s Breakthrough in Rain Man Came from a Scene with Tom Cruise
During his conversation with the Associated Press, the Oscar-winning actor also reflected on the pivotal moment that helped him connect with his character.
The turning point came during a sweltering drive with Tom Cruise while filming the scene where Ray starts talking about his underwear from Kmart at 400 Oak Street in Cincinnati.
Filming in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and high humidity, Hoffman improvised by continuously talking about how much Raymond missed his underwear.
“It looked like to me that you could have talked about your underwear forever,” he recalled the film director’s words during the interview. He further shared that it helped him connect the character’s obsession with his own personal experiences.
And I suddenly realized that yes, this character is in the now, and he is nowhere if he’s not in the now — And I suddenly realized that I was playing off myself because I know something about obsession and I’m comfortable being obsessive. The rest of it just took care of itself.
And Hoffman did give his best as the autistic savant Raymond Babbitt in the movie, delivering one of the best performances of his career and securing his second Oscar for Best Actor.
Rain Man is available to stream on Prime Video.
