Dustin Lee Hoffman born August 8, 1937 Los Angeles, California the son
of Lillian (née Gold), a jazz pianist/actress, and Harry Hoffman, who
worked as a prop supervisor/set decorator at Columbia Pictures before
becoming a furniture salesman. His brother, Ronald, is a lawyer and
economist. Hoffman's family is Jewish, although he did not have a
religious upbringing.[3]
Hoffman began acting at the Pasadena Playhouse with fellow actor Gene
Hackman. After two years at the playhouse, Hackman headed for New York
City and Hoffman soon followed. He worked a series of odd jobs,
including coat checking at restaurants, working in the typing
department of the city Yellow Pages directory, and stringing Hawaiian
leis, while getting the occasional bit television role. To support
himself, he left acting briefly to teach. He worked as a professional
fragrance tester for Maxwell House. He also did the occasional
television commercial. An oft-replayed segment on programs that
explore actors' early work is a clip showing Hoffman touting the
Volkswagen Fastback.
In 1960, Hoffman landed a role in an off-Broadway production and
followed with a walk-on role in a Broadway production in 1961. Hoffman
then studied at the famed Actors Studio and became a dedicated method
actor.
Through the early and mid-1960s, Hoffman made appearances in
television shows and movies, including Naked City, The Defenders and
Hallmark Hall of Fame. Hoffman made his theatrical film debut in The
Tiger Makes Out in 1967, alongside Eli Wallach.
In 1966, Mike Nichols, began casting The Graduate. Negotiations with
Warren Beatty and Robert Redford fell through, Hoffman auditioned for
the role. Hoffman had been set to play the role of Nazi playwright
Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks' 1968 movie The Producers, but dropped
out when he landed the role of Benjamin Braddock, opposite Anne
Bancroft. The film began production in March 1967. Hoffman received an
Academy Award nomination for his performance. After the success of
this film, another Hoffman film, Madigan's Millions, shot before The
Graduate, was released on the tail of the actor's newfound success. It
was considered a failure at the box office
Hoffman's next role was Ratso Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy. Hoffman
received his second Academy Award nomination for Midnight Cowboy,
while the film won the Best Picture honor. This was followed by his
role in Little Big Man, wherein he played Jack Crabb, who ages from
teenager to the age of 121 years in the film. The film was widely
praised by critics, but was overlooked for an award except for a
supporting nomination for Chief Dan George.
Hoffman continued to appear in major films over the next few years.
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things
About Me?, Straw Dogs, and Papillion were followed by Lenny in 1974.
Hoffman once again received a nomination for Best Actor, his third
nomination in seven years.
a BAFTA, two-time Academy Award, and five-time Golden Globe-winning
American method actor.
.
Less than two years after the Watergate scandal, Hoffman and Robert
Redford starred as Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, respectively, in
All the President's Men. Hoffman next starred in Marathon Man, a film
based on William Goldman's novel of the same name, opposite Laurence
Olivier as a sadistic former Nazi who plans to smuggle diamonds out of
America. To achieve his character's exhausted look in the torture
scene in the film, Hoffman deprived himself of sleep for two days.
Hoffman's next roles were not as successful. He opted out of directing
Straight Time but starred as a thief. His next film, Michael Apted's
Agatha, was opposite Vanessa Redgrave starred as Agatha Christie.
Hoffman's next starred in Robert Benton's Kramer Vs. Kramer as
workaholic Ted Kramer whose wife unexpectedly leaves him and he must
raise their son alone. Hoffman starred alongside Meryl Streep in the
film, which earned Hoffman his first Academy Award. The film also
received the Best Picture honor, as well as Supporting Actress
(Streep) and Director.
In Tootsie, Hoffman portrays Michael Dorsey, a struggling actor who
finds himself dressing up as a woman (Dorothy Michaels) to land a role
on a soap opera. His co-star was Jessica Lange. Tootsie earned ten
Academy Award nominations, including Hoffman's fifth nomination.
Hoffman then turned to television in the role of Willy Loman in Death
of a Salesman, for which he won the 1985 Emmy Award for Outstanding
lead actor in a TV movie or miniseries. He would also go on to win a
Golden Globe for the same performance.
Hoffman's largest film failure came in Elaine May's Ishtar, with
Warren Beatty. The film received largely negative reviews from critics
and was nominated for three Razzie awards. James House, who later
became a country music artist, served as Hoffman's vocal coach in the
film.[4]
In director Barry Levinson's Rain Man, Hoffman starred as Raymond
Babbitt, opposite Tom Cruise. Levinson, Hoffman and Cruise worked for
two years on the film, His performance garnered Hoffman his second
Academy Award. Upon accepting, Hoffman stated softly to his fellow
nominees that it was okay if they didn't vote for him because "I
didn't vote for you guys either."[citation needed]
After Rain Man, Hoffman appeared with Sean Connery and Matthew
Broderick in Family Business. The film did relatively poorly with the
critics and at the box office. In 1991, Hoffman voiced the character
of Mr. Bergstrom in the Simpsons episode Lisa's Substitute, under the
pseudonym Sam Etic.
Throughout the 1990s, Hoffman appeared in many large, studio films,
such as Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy, Hero and the ill-fated Billy
Bathgate. Hoffman also played the title role of Captain Hook in Steven
Spielberg's Hook, earning Hoffman a Golden Globe nomination.
Hoffman played the lead role in Sam Daniels in Outbreak, alongside
Rene Russo, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Donald
Sutherland. Following that, he appeared in Sleepers with Brad Pitt and
Jason Patric. He Hoffman starred opposite John Travolta in the Costa
Gavras vehicle Mad City.
Hoffman gained his seventh Academy Award nomination for his role in
Wag The Dog. He next appeared in Barry Levinson's adaptation of
Sphere, opposite Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Coyote, Queen
Latifah and Liev Schreiber.
Hoffman next appeared in Moonlight Mile, followed by Confidence
opposite Edward Burns, Andy Garcia and Rachel Weisz. Hoffman would
finally have a chance to work with Gene Hackman, in Gary Fleder's
Runaway Jury, an adaptation of John Grisham's bestselling novel.
More recently, Hoffman played theatre owner Charles Frohman in the
J.M. Barrie biopic Finding Neverland, costarring Johnny Depp and Kate
Winslet. In director David O. Russell's I ♥ Huckabees, Hoffman played
opposite Lily Tomlin) as an existential detective team.
Hoffman co-starred with Barbra Streisand, Robert De Niro and Ben
Stiller in 2004's Meet the Fockers, a sequel to Meet the Parents.
Hoffman won the 2005 MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.
Also, Hoffman recently was featured in cameo roles in Andy Garcia's
The Lost City and on the final episode of HBO sitcom "Curb Your
Enthusiasm"'s fifth season.
In 2006, Hoffman appeared in Stranger Than Fiction, played the
perfumier Giuseppe Baldini in Tom Tykwer's film Perfume: The Story of
a Murderer, and had a small cameo in the 2006 film, The Holiday.
In 2007 he was featured in an advertising campaign for Australian
telecommunications company Telstra's Next G network.[5] and appeared
in the 50 Cent video "Follow My Lead" as the Psychiatrist.
.
Hoffman married Anne Byrne in May 1969. The couple had two children,
Karina and Jenna. They divorced in 1980. His second marriage to
attorney Lisa Gottsegen in October 1980, produced four more children -
Jacob, Maxwell, Rebecca and Alexandra. Hoffman also has two
grandchildren.
A political liberal, Hoffman has long supported the Democratic Party
and Ralph Nader.
Ancestry;
Father; Harry2 Hoffman birth date unknown.
He married Lillian Gold ca 1931. Lillian was born in Chicago, Cook,
Illinois 6 Nov 1909. Lillian was the daughter of Max Gold and Pauline.
Lillian died 3 Oct 1981 in San Diego County, California, at 71 years
of age.
Grandfather; Max3 Gold was born in Russia 24 Apr 1889. Max died 4 Jun
1980 in Los Angeles County, California, at 91 years of age.
Harry Hoffman and Lillian Gold had the following children:
8 i. Ron1 Hoffman was born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois ca 1932.
+ 1 ii. Dustin Hoffman was born 8 Aug 1937.
He married Pauline ca 1908. Pauline was born in Russia ca 1889. Please
note, at the present time, the assignment of Max and Pauline Gold as
the parents of Lillian is tentative based on available information.
Max Gold and Pauline had the following children:
+ 9 i. Lillian2 Gold was born 6 Nov 1909.
11 ii. Rosa Gold was born in Illinois ca 1913.
12 iii. Julius Gold was born in Illinois ca 1915.
13 iv. Sylvia Gold was born in Illinois ca 1918.
1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Max Gold
Home in 1920: Chicago Ward 18, Cook (Chicago), Illinois
Age: 31 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1889
Birthplace: Russia
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Pauline
Father's Birth Place: Russia
Mother's Birth Place: Russia
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Year of Immigration: 1906
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 704
Household Members: Name Age
Max Gold 31 , a store owner
Pauline Gold 31
Lillian Gold 11
Rose Gold 7 6/12
Julus Gold 4 8/12
Sylvia Gold 1 9/12
Anna Shoeman 42 sister in law -came to the country in 1915
Anna Shoeman 13 niece- came to the country in 1915
Esther Shoeman 10 niece- came to the country in 1915
Name: Max Gold
Home in 1930: Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Age: 44
Estimated birth year: abt 1886
Birthplace: Russia
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Polla
Race: White
Occupation:
Education:
Military Service:
Rent/home value:
Age at first marriage:
Parents' birthplace: View image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Max Gold 44
Polla Gold 42
Rose Gold 18
Julius Gold 14
Sylvia Gold 11
Nathan Shuman 27 son in law arrived in the country in 1910 from
Russia. A resturant manager
Lillian Shuman 21 daughter |