Dustin Hoffman - Biography

Last Editor: Magyarbajusz				Dustin Hoffman Biography -   Name : Dustin Hoffman Birth Date : August 8, 1937 Birth Place : Los Angeles, California, USA Birth Name : Dustin Lee Hoffman Height : 5' 6" (1.68 m) Education : Santa Monica City College (dropped out) Pasadena Playhouse, Actor's Studio Los Angeles Conservatory of Music Wife : Lisa Gottsegen (former lawyer; married in October 1980), Anne Byrne (ballerina; married on May 3, 1969; divorced in 1980) Occupation : Actor

Dustin Hoffman Trivia -

Was considered for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972). During the filming of Wag the Dog (1997) Hoffman, his co-star Robert De Niro and director Barry Levinson had an impromptu meeting with President Bill Clinton at a Washington hotel. "So what's this movie about?" Clinton asked De Niro. De Niro looked over to Levinson, hoping he would answer the question. Levinson, in turn, looked over to Hoffman. Hoffman, realizing there was no one else to pass the buck to, is quoted as saying, "So I just started to tap dance. I can't even remember what I said." October 1997: Ranked #41 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. His parents named him Dustin after actor Dustin Farnum. January 1999: He was awarded $3m in damages and compensation in a case against "Los Angeles" Magazine, because it had printed a digitally altered image of him in a dress (cf. Tootsie (1982)). In July 2001 a federal appeals court overturned the verdict. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that because the photo appeared in an article, not an advertisement, the use of the actor's likeness did not constitute "commercial speech" and was entitled to the full protection of the 1st Amendment. Brother-in-law of producer Lee Gottsegen. Was in early consideration for the role of Rick Deckard in Blade Runner (1982). The role eventually went to Harrison Ford. Has known Gene Hackman since 1956. Has a house in the Kensington area of London. 3/6/70: He and wife Anne Byrne Hoffman were living in a brownstone on 11th St. in New York City's Greenwich Village when the house next door blew up. Luckily, he and his family weren't home. Members of the radical 1960s domestic terror group The Weathermen were living in that house unknown to anyone and had stored a large cache of explosives that accidentally detonated, killing three of the group's members. Henry Fonda's ex-wife, Susan Wager, was also a neighbor in that block and witnessed the explosion. He was a neighbor of Mel Brooks in New York and was set to play the role of Franz Liebkind in Brooks' first film, The Producers (1968). Just before production was to commence, Hoffman was offered the role of Ben Braddock in The Graduate (1967), co-starring Brooks' wife Anne Bancroft, and asked to be let out of his contract. The role of Liebkind eventually went to Kenneth Mars. Met actor Gene Hackman in their first month at Pasadena Playhouse and had several classes with him. Hackman failed out after three months and moved to New York to try his luck as a stage actor. After attending the Pasadena Playhouse, Hoffman decided to move to New York and looked up former Playhouse classmate Gene Hackman. The two of them roomed together in New York at Hackman's one-bedroom apartment on 2nd Ave. and 26th St. Hoffman slept on the kitchen floor. Originally Hackman had offered to let him stay a few nights, but Hoffman would not leave. Hackman had to take him out to look for his own apartment. Another thespian he roomed with in New York was Robert Duvall. As roommates, Hoffman and Gene Hackman would often go to the apartment rooftop and play the drums. Hoffman played the bongo drums while Hackman played the conga drums. They did it out of their love for Marlon Brando, who they had heard played music in clubs. They wanted to be like Brando and were big fans of his. Entered into The Guinness Book of World Records as "Greatest Age Span Portrayed By A Movie Actor" for Little Big Man (1970) in which he portrayed a character from age 17 to age 121. Despite being old friends and roommates with Gene Hackman back in the 1960s, it was literally decades before he appeared on screen with him. He finally starred with Hackman in Runaway Jury (2003). He was voted the 28th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Was interested in playing Shylock in Michael Radford's adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice": The Merchant of Venice (2004). However, by the time he contacted Radford, Al Pacino had already been cast for the role. While filming Finding Neverland (2004) lost the tip of a finger and performed one day of shooting on morphine. Has appeared in two films about "Peter Pan" (Hook (1991) and Finding Neverland (2004)). Following his appearance in ""Hook", close friend and former roommate Gene Hackman began calling him "Hook" as a joke. The name stuck and his contemporaries call him by that nickname to this day. Both he and Robert Duvall said one of the best reasons why they went to acting classes were the girls. When they were young, the classes were a gold mine to them. April 2005: Recipient of a Lincoln Center tribute. Had expressed an early desire to play the title role in Gandhi (1982), but was offered Tootsie (1982) the same year and ended up taking the latter role. He eventually lost the Oscar that year to Ben Kingsley who played Gandhi. In 1993 he, together with Anne Bancroft, accepted the Oscar for "Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium", on behalf of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who wasn't present at the awards ceremony. He was so boyish looking at age 30 that he played a generation younger than Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967), even though she is only six years older than him. He is from a family of Polish Jews. Was considered for the role of Beau Burruoghs in Rumor Has It... (2005), but the part eventually went to Kevin Costner. Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger envisioned a cast of Al Pacino, Julie Christie and Laurence Olivier for "Marathon Man" (1976). Pacino has said that the only actress he had ever wanted to work with was Christie, who he claimed was "the most poetic of actresses." Producer Robert Evans, who disparaged the vertically challenged Pacino as "The Midget" when Francis Ford Coppola wanted him for The Godfather (1972) and had thought of firing him during the early shooting of the now-classic film, vetoed Pacino for the lead. Instead, Evans insisted on the casting of the even-shorter Dustin Hoffman! On her part, Christie -- who was notoriously finicky about accepting parts, even in prestigious, sure-fire material -- turned down the female lead, which was then taken by Marthe Keller (who, ironically, became Pacino's lover after co-starring with him in Bobby Deerfield (1977)). Of his dream cast, Schlesinger only got Olivier, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. His performance as "Ratso" Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy (1969) is ranked #7 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). His performance as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in Tootsie (1982) is ranked #33 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). His performance as Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man (1988) is ranked #88 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. His performance as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in Tootsie (1982) is ranked #39 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. His performance as "Ratso" Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy (1969) is ranked #33 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. Two of his films are on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are Rain Man (1988) at #63 and All the President's Men (1976) at #34. While having dinner with Paul McCartney, Dustin Hoffman told the story of the death of Pablo Picasso and his famous last words, "Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore." Paul had a guitar with him and immediately played an impromptu chord progression while singing the quote. Thus, "Picasso's Last Words", one of the highlights of the "Band On The Run" album, was made. Is active in a commercial campaign with the Swedish clothing company KappAhl. On an episode of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992), Dustin Hoffman said that his cameo in the film The Holiday (2006) was not scripted and unplanned. He was driving by the Blockbuster shown in the film and saw all of the cameras and equipment so he decided to stop in and see what was happening. Because he knew director Nancy Meyers, they worked up a scene which ultimately made the final cut. Was Warner Brothers' first consideration for "The Penguin" in Batman Returns (1992). Was an L.A. high school classmate of Johnnie L. Cochran Jr.. Was in talks to appear in The Verdict (1982). Has 6 children: Jenna Byrne and Karina Hoffman-Birkhead (born 1966 - adopted) with his first wife Anne Byrne Hoffman; Jake Hoffman, Rebecca Hoffman, Max Hoffman and Alexandra Hoffman with his second wife Lisa Gottsegen. Is one of the main supporters and contributers to the Santa Monica College Madison Theatre in Santa Monica, CA. The only actor in history to have top billing in three films that won the Best Picture Oscar: Midnight Cowboy (1969), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Rain Man (1988). The bathroom scene in Runaway Jury (2003), where Roar confronts Finch is the first ever dialog in a movie between him and Gene Hackman. It was added when someone on the crew found out that the two, though they had been friends for 50 years, had never starred in a movie together. As of 2008, he and Philip Seymour Hoffman are the only two winners of best actor in a leading role at the Oscars to share a last name. Philip won for 'Capote' and Dustin won for 'Kramer vs. Kramer' and 'Rain Man'. Was considered for the role of Mario Mario in Super Mario Bros. (1993). Did a brief stint while he was a struggling actor working at the toys' department at Macy's. As a joke, he set Gene Hackman's toddler son up on a display and tried to pass him off as a large doll, until a woman offered to buy him. Nominated for the 1990 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama for "The Merchant of Venice". Good friends with "The Graduate" (1967) co-star Katharine Ross.

Dustin Hoffman Detailed Biography -

Born August 8th 1937 in Los Angeles California, Hoffman soon moved to New York City to pursue a career on stage and television. Establishing himself as stage actor came quickly, and after a role in the Alan Arkin directed play "Eh?, director Mike Nichols cast Hoffman in the role that launched him into stardom. The Graduate (1967) was the 29 year-old Hoffman's big break. He played recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock who has an affair with a much older woman, who also happens to be the wife of his father's boss. His portrayal of the shy wayward Braddock earned him his first Best Actor Oscar® nomination. Two short years later Hoffman earned his second Best Actor nomination for his performance in Midnight Cowboy (1969). As street hustler Ratso Rizzo, Hoffman showed his sundry acting abilities that would continue to shine throughout his legendary career. These abilities were put to the test again only a year later in Little Big Man (1970) where he stars as a 100 year old man. The 1970's brought the young Hoffman many diverse roles that kept the theaters crowded and the critics at bay. Straw Dogs (1971), Papillion (1973) Lenny (1974), which landed Hoffman his third Oscar® nomination, All the President's Men (1976), Marathon Man (1976) and Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) where he finally won an Oscar® for his role as a career oriented father who is forced to rethink his priorities after a divorce from his wife. The early 1990's saw Hoffman's career at a lull. After box office and critical disappointments with comic book inspired Dick Tracey (1990), Billy Bathgate (1991), Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991), and Hero (1992). Hoffman regained his crown with the box office hit Outbreak (1995). In the late 90's Hoffman teamed back up with Rain Main director Barry Levinson for three more movies; Sleepers (1996), Wag the Dog (1997), which earned Hoffman yet another Oscar® nomination and the sci-fi underwater thriller Sphere (1998). Hoffman's versatility was again exercised in the comedy Tootsie (1982). In this film he played a failed actor who disguises himself as a woman to succeed in television. This comedic role solidified Hoffman's star power and talent in the eyes of critics and audiences alike. After a disappointing effort in Ishtar (1987), Hoffman got right back up on his feet with another Oscar® winning performance in Barry Levinson's Rain Man (1988) as an autistic savant, which is arguably one the most accurate and heart felt portrayals of a disabled person on film. After about three years of downtime Dustin has recently completed the romantic comedy Midnight Mile (2002) and the crime drama Confidence (2002) both due out at the end of 2002. Next year Hoffman plans on revisiting his past with a role along side his old college friend Gene Hackman in Runaway Jury (2003) and the bio-picture Neverland (2003), which explores J.M. Barrie and the origins of his classic story "Peter Pan". He married Lisa (his second wife) in October 1980. Hoffman has five children, including daughters Jenna (with Byrne), Rebecca, and Alexandra, and sons Jacob and Max.