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Dustin Hoffman Nearly Quit Movie That Won Him an Oscar for a Good Reason: ‘Ridiculous’

  • In his new memoir, Look At Me, actor Dustin Hoffman revealed he 'only took home $3,000 after I paid all my expenses, believe it or not' for his 1967 role in The Graduate.
  • After the film's success transformed him into a global star, Hoffman struggled financially and went on unemployment until Life magazine published a photo of him at the agency, leaving him 'embarrassed'.
  • Reflecting on his career, Hoffman wrote in his memoir that he nearly quit the 1988 film Rain Man because he felt his performance as Ray Babbitt was 'ridiculous' and 'totally fake'.
  • Director Barry Levinson encouraged Hoffman to persevere, and an improvised scene with co-star Tom Cruise allowed him to discover the character authentically, which Hoffman called a 'revelation'.
  • Beyond his film career, Hoffman recounted a harrowing incident where he was held at gunpoint by the husband of a woman he was having an affair with, when the man 'walked in with a gun'.
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The IndependentThe Independent
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The Independent (US)The Independent (US)
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Dustin Hoffman says he was 'basically broke' after making iconic comedy

Actor was forced to sign on for unemployment benefits despite ‘The Graduate’ making him a star

·London, United Kingdom
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Dustin Hoffman makes a personal revelation about his relationship with cocaine in the 1970s in his new memoir, titled “Look At Me.” The award-winning actor describes how he was introduced to the drug, how much he enjoyed using it, and the side effect that led him to stop using it. The 89-year-old Hoffman refers to the period after his separation from Ann Byrne, when he began to come into contact with the drugs that were circulating at the part…

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Irish Independent broke the news in Dublin, Ireland on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
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