Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and
filmmaker. He is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and
emotionally vulnerable characters. Actor Robert De Niro described him
as "an actor with the everyman's face who embodied the heartbreakingly
human". At a young age Hoffman knew he wanted to study in the arts and
entered into the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and later he would
decide to go into acting where he trained at the Pasadena Playhouse in
Los Angeles. His first theatrical performance was 1961's A Cook for
Mr. General as Ridzinski. During that time he appeared in several
guest roles on television in shows like Naked City and The Defenders.
He then starred in the 1966 Off-Broadway play Eh? where his
performance garnered him both a Theatre World Award and Drama Desk
Award.His breakthrough role was as Benjamin Braddock in the Mike
Nichols' critically acclaimed and iconic film The Graduate (1967)
where he received his first Academy Award nomination. His next role
was "Ratzo" Rizzo in John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy (1969), where
he acted alongside Jon Voight where they both received Oscar
nominations, and the film went on to win the Academy Award for Best
Picture. He gained success in the 1970s playing roles that shaped the
craft of his acting abilities, crossing genres effortlessly in the
western Little Big Man (1971), the prison drama Papillon (1973),
playing a controversial and groundbreaking comedian in Bob Fosse's
Lenny (1975), Marathon Man alongside Laurence Olivier (1976), and as
Carl Bernstein investigating the Watergate scandal in All the
President's Men (1976). In 1979, Hoffman starred in the family drama
Kramer vs. Kramer alongside Meryl Streep. They both received Academy
Awards for their performances.
filmmaker. He is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and
emotionally vulnerable characters. Actor Robert De Niro described him
as "an actor with the everyman's face who embodied the heartbreakingly
human". At a young age Hoffman knew he wanted to study in the arts and
entered into the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and later he would
decide to go into acting where he trained at the Pasadena Playhouse in
Los Angeles. His first theatrical performance was 1961's A Cook for
Mr. General as Ridzinski. During that time he appeared in several
guest roles on television in shows like Naked City and The Defenders.
He then starred in the 1966 Off-Broadway play Eh? where his
performance garnered him both a Theatre World Award and Drama Desk
Award.His breakthrough role was as Benjamin Braddock in the Mike
Nichols' critically acclaimed and iconic film The Graduate (1967)
where he received his first Academy Award nomination. His next role
was "Ratzo" Rizzo in John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy (1969), where
he acted alongside Jon Voight where they both received Oscar
nominations, and the film went on to win the Academy Award for Best
Picture. He gained success in the 1970s playing roles that shaped the
craft of his acting abilities, crossing genres effortlessly in the
western Little Big Man (1971), the prison drama Papillon (1973),
playing a controversial and groundbreaking comedian in Bob Fosse's
Lenny (1975), Marathon Man alongside Laurence Olivier (1976), and as
Carl Bernstein investigating the Watergate scandal in All the
President's Men (1976). In 1979, Hoffman starred in the family drama
Kramer vs. Kramer alongside Meryl Streep. They both received Academy
Awards for their performances.
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