Did You Know This About…Dustin Hoffman

Some facts about the man behind The Graduate

Dustin Hoffman is arguably one of the most dedicated and gifted actors of his generation. From playing a confused college graduate to portraying the eccentric father of Ben Stiller, Hoffman always brings his A-game.

For such an experienced actor, there must be tidbits that come as a surprise. The team at ScreenHeads have put together some of the most interesting/fun facts about one of the best actors around. Read below and see if you knew any already…

Related Article: Did You Know This About…Only Fools And Horses

He was almost cast as Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972)

Crazy to think it, but Al Pacino was not the only choice for Marlon Brando’s on-screen son. Hoffman was being eyed by producers for the starring role and, no offence, thank god they looked another way; Pacino received various nominations for his part in the classic.

His and Gene Hackman’s love for Marlon Brando turned them to music

Hoffman and Hackman were actually roommates in their younger years trying to make it as actors. The two also shared being big fans of Marlon Brando. So, naturally when they discovered that Brando played music in clubs, they tried to follow suit.

They would apparently go to their roof and play the drums – Hoffman on the bongos, Hackman on the conga drums.

He is a Guinness World Record holder

Believe it or not, Hoffman held a world record, and no it wasn’t for marathons (see what I did there?). This was thanks to his portrayal in Little Big Man (1970), playing a character from age 17 to age 121. And so, Hoffman held the record for “Greatest Age Span Portrayed By A Movie Actor”.

Girls got him into acting

You read it correctly – the ladies are one of the main reasons the Kramer vs. Kramer actor gave acting an interest at first. Both he and fellow actor Robert Duvall would attend acting classes as they were young and they thought it was the best chance to meet girls.

He influenced Paul McCartney to write “Picasso’s Last Words”

As you may already be able to tell, Hoffman keeps a very close and famous circle of friends. But it doesn’t just include acting royalty, it also includes musical royalty too.

One evening, Hoffman and Beatles member Paul McCartney were having dinner when the former told the latter the story of Pablo Picasso’s death. He mentioned his last words: “Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can’t drink anymore.” McCartney happened to have a guitar with him and suddenly began playing an improvised tune whilst singing the famous quote. Thus, the track “Picasso’s Last Words” from McCartney’s “Band On The Run” album was born.

He as Warner Bros. first choice to portray The Penguin in Batman Returns (1992)

Something that I think a lot of people could get on board with if it happened! Warner Bros. scouted a lot of big names for the role of Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin in the sequel to Batman (1989). They eventually landed on Danny DeVito who gave an incredible performance, but we can imagine Hoffman to give a portrayal on par.

He is the only actor in history to have top-billing in three films that won the Best Picture Oscar

Quite a big feat, and they all feature arguably the best performances of Hoffman’s career. The films in question are Midnight Cowboy (1969), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Rain Man (1988).

He had a fun but brief stint working at Macy’s

Like many other struggling actors, Hoffman had a variety of odd jobs, one of which was in Macy’s Department Store. Being in a job he didn’t care all that much for, he had fun with it where he could.

At one point, he set Gene Hackman’s toddler up in a display and tried to pass him off as a large doll to the public. It was fun and games until a woman offered to buy him. This story could have gone an interesting way if Hoffman was willing to take the joke too far…

He turned down the role of Lex Luthor in Superman (1978)

Are there any major roles from the 20th century that this guy wasn’t linked with? Deciding not to sign on the dotted line, Hoffman reportedly said no to the role of Superman’s arch nemesis in the 70s. Coincidentally, his close friend Gene Hackman was cast instead.

There is an inaccurate age gap between him and Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)

In his breakthrough role way back in 1967, Hoffman portrayed Benjamin Braddock, a young man who ventures into an affair with Anne Bancroft’s married and “much older” Mrs. Robinson. Hoffman is actually only six years younger than Bancroft, even though there is supposed to be a 20 year age gap between the characters.

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Did you know any of the above? Know any interesting facts about Mr Dustin Hoffman that we haven’t mentioned? Head to the comment section below and tell all!