Dustin Hoffman was born August 8, 1937 (astrological significance) in Los Angeles,
His first career goal was to be a doctor but he gradually re-focused on
Hoffman moved to New York, working a number of odd jobs to support himself
Hoffman's film debut came a year later, with a tiny role in The Tiger
Hoffman returned to the stage in 1984 to portray Willy Loman in a Broadway
He did not return to films for 3 years, when he made the disastrous comedy
Hoffman has been divorced once (from Anne Byrne, a ballerina and actress)
His ability to play the antihero, to be a success though short and looking
of Harry, a Russian Jew furniture salesman, and Lillian, an amateur actress. He was their second
child, named after Dustin Farnum, the silent screen actor. (His brother Ronald
is said to be an attorney, though he is not presently licensed to
practice
in California, at least under that name.)
acting--"I got into acting," he said, "so that I could meet girls."
Hoffman performed regularly at the Pasadena Playhouse, beside Gene Hackman.
(The powers that be told Hackman that he, Hackman, would never amount to
anything!)
while he got occasional small TV and summer stock roles. He worked as a typist,
janitor, waiter, headline crier, and teacher. During a stint as a toy salesman
at Macy's, he tried to sell Hackman's young son as a particularly lifelike doll.
Finally, in 1960 he won a role in the off-Broadway production Yes Is for a
Very Young Man. He did A Cook for Mr. General the next year but then was
off stage for several years, studying with Lee Strasberg at the Actors'
Studio and becoming a dedicated Method actor. Returning to the stage in 1964,
Hoffman appeared in a string of theatrical projects, winning a Best Actor
Obie in 1966 for his work in The Journey of the Fifth Horse.
Makes Out. His third film, The Graduate, made his reputation in
a role for which Robert Redford had originally been considered. Over the
next twenty years he reached both the pinnacle of the profession in top selling
films (winning an Oscar for Kramer vs. Kramer) and also experienced a
couple of box office disasters.
revival of Death of a Salesman. A year later, he reprised the performance
for a CBS television special, earning an Emmy and another Golden
Globe.
Ishtar. This did not mean, however, the magic was gone; for his
next movie, Rain Man, he received a second Academy Award. Hoffman's
drawing power diminished in the early 1990s but he was back in form by the
end of the decade, being nominated again for an Oscar for Wag the Dog.
and is presently married to Lisa Gottsegen, reportedly an attorney, though she
is not presently licensed to practice in California. He has 5 children,
including one from his first wife.
like the guy next door, has endeared him to audiences. He is reportedly a
scrupulous perfectionist, often battling with directors. In 1997, Hoffman was given
the Golden Globe Lifetime Achievement Award (his acceptance speech);
two years later, he was honored by the American Film Institute with an AFI Lifetime
Achievement Award. He is among the top ten actors for Academy Award nominations
received (he has gotten 7, including 2 wins), and has received 3 British Academy
Awards, 6 Golden Globes, and 3 People's Choice Awards. In a federal courtroom, a judge
has called Hoffman one of this country's "greatest living treasures."
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