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Dustin Hoffman

Actor, Producer, DirectorBorn August 8, 1937 (87 years)
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; later he decided to go into acting, for which 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 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 Mike Nichols' critically acclaimed and iconic film The Graduate (1967), for which he received his first Academy Award nomination. His next role was "Ratso" Rizzo in John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy (1969), in which he acted alongside Jon Voight; 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, crossing genres effortlessly in the western Little Big Man (1970), 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.

After a three-year break from films, Hoffman returned in Sydney Pollack's show business comedy Tootsie (1982) about a struggling actor who pretends to be a woman in order to get an acting role. He returned to stage acting with a 1984 performance as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman and reprised the role a year later in a television film earning a Primetime Emmy Award. In 1987 he starred alongside Warren Beatty in Elaine May's comedy Ishtar. He won his second Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the autistic savant Ray Babbitt in the 1988 film Rain Man, co-starring Tom Cruise. In 1989, he was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for playing Shylock in a stage performance of The Merchant of Venice. In the 1990s, he made appearances in such films as Warren Beatty's action comedy adaptation Dick Tracy (1990), Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991) as Captain Hook, medical disaster Outbreak (1995), legal crime drama Sleepers (1996), and the satirical black comedy Wag the Dog (1997) alongside Robert De Niro.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Runaway Jury
  • The Cobbler
  • Last Chance Harvey
  • Death of a Salesman
  • Roald Dahl's Esio Trot
  • Into the Labyrinth
  • The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made
  • Madigan's Millions
  • Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story

Known For

  • Rain Man
  • Hook
  • Kramer vs. Kramer
  • The Graduate
  • Tootsie
  • Kung Fu Panda
  • All the President's Men
  • Outbreak
  • Wag the Dog
  • Sphere
  • Kung Fu Panda 2
  • Midnight Cowboy
  • Meet the Fockers
  • Marathon Man
  • Sleepers
  • Stranger Than Fiction
  • Papillon
  • Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
  • Kung Fu Panda 3
  • Straw Dogs
  • Finding Neverland
  • Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
  • Little Big Man
  • Chef

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2024
    Megalopolis · as Nush 'the Fixer' Berman
    2024
    Kung Fu Panda 4 · as Shifu (voice)
    2023
    Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback · as Benjamin Braddock (archive Footage)
    2022
    Sam & Kate · as Bill
    2022
    Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (TV Series) · as Shifu (voice)
    2022
    PRIDE: To Be Seen - A Soul of a Nation Presentation · as Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels (archive Footage)
    2022
    As They Made Us · as Eugene
    2021
    2020
    Disclosure · as Michael Dorsey
    2019
    Into the Labyrinth · as Dottor Green
    2018
    Hollywood, No Sex Please! · as Ben Braddock
    2017
    The Meyerowitz Stories · as Harold Meyerowitz
    2016
    2016
    Medici (TV Series) · as Giovanni De' Medici
    2016
    Becoming Mike Nichols · as Ben Braddock
    2016
    Kung Fu Panda 3 · as Shifu (voice)
    2016
    Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll · as Shifu / Warrior (voice)
    2015
    The Program · as Bob Hamman
    2015
    2014
    I Am Steve McQueen · as Louis Dega (in 'papillon')
    2014
    The Cobbler · as Abraham Simkin
    2014
    Boychoir · as Master Carvelle
    2014
    Chef · as Riva
    2014
    MasterClass (TV Series)
    2012
    2011
    2011
    Luck (TV Series) · as Chester Bernstein
    2011
    Kung Fu Panda 2 · as Shifu (voice)
    2011
    These Amazing Shadows · as Michael Dorsey
    2011
    Little Fockers: Deleted Scenes · as Bernie Focker
    2010
    Barney's Version · as Izzy Panofsky
    2010
    Little Fockers · as Bernie Focker
    2010
    Kung Fu Panda Holiday · as Shifu (voice)
    2010
    2009
    2009
    Against the Tide · as Narrator
    2008
    Last Chance Harvey · as Harvey Shine
    2008
    The Tale of Despereaux · as Roscuro (voice)
    2008
    2008
    2008
    2008
    Kung Fu Panda · as Shifu (voice)
    2008
    2007
    Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium · as Mr. Edward Magorium
    2007
    Memoirs of a Cigarette · as Benjamin Braddock
    2006
    Stranger Than Fiction · as Professor Jules Hilbert
    2006
    Rachael Ray (TV Series)
    2006
    Perfume: The Story of a Murderer · as Giuseppe Baldini
    2006
    2005
    Rumor Has It... · as Benjamin Braddock
    2005
    The Lost City · as Meyer Lansky
    2005
    Racing Stripes · as Tucker (voice)
    2004
    Meet the Fockers · as Bernie Focker
    2004
    A Series of Unfortunate Events · as The Critic (uncredited)
    2004
    Finding Neverland · as Charles Frohman
    2004
    I Heart Huckabees · as Bernard Jaffe
    2004
    The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made · as Chuck Clarke (archive Footage)
    2004
    Hit Celebrity TV Commercials · as Pitchman - For Volkswagon
    2003
    Runaway Jury · as Wendell Rohr
    2003
    Confidence · as Winston King
    2002
    Moonlight Mile · as Ben Floss
    2002
    Liberty's Kids (TV Series) · as Benedict Arnold (voice)
    2000
    Curb Your Enthusiasm (TV Series) · as Guide #1
    1999
    1999
    Being John Malkovich · as Willy Loman
    1999
    1998
    Sphere · as Dr. Norman Goodman
    1997
    Wag the Dog · as Stanley Motss
    1997
    Mad City · as Max Brackett
    1996
    Sleepers · as Danny Snyder
    1996
    American Buffalo · as Walt 'teach' Teacher
    1995
    Outbreak · as Sam Daniels
    1993
    La classe américaine · as Peter (archive Footage)
    1992
    Hero · as Bernard 'bernie' Laplante
    1992
    Earth and the American Dream · as Reader (voice)
    1992
    HBO First Look (TV Series)
    1992
    1991
    A Wish for Wings That Work · as Milquetoast (voice)
    1991
    Hook · as Captain Hook
    1991
    Billy Bathgate · as Dutch Schultz
    1990
    Dick Tracy · as Mumbles
    1990
    The Earth Day Special · as Every Lawyer
    1989
    The Simpsons (TV Series) · as Mr. Bergstrom (voice)
    1989
    Family Business · as Vito Mcmullen
    1989
    1988
    Rain Man · as Raymond Babbitt
    1987
    Ishtar · as Chuck Clarke
    1985
    1984
    Terror in the Aisles · as Thomas 'babe' Levy
    1982
    Tootsie · as Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels
    1979
    Kramer vs. Kramer · as Ted Kramer
    1979
    Agatha · as Wally Stanton
    1978
    Straight Time · as Max Dembo
    1976
    Marathon Man · as Babe
    1976
    America at the Movies · as Benjamin Braddock
    1976
    All the President's Men · as Carl Bernstein
    1974
    Lenny · as Lenny Bruce
    1973
    Papillon · as Louis Dega
    1972
    Alfredo, Alfredo · as Alfredo
    1971
    Straw Dogs · as David Sumner
    1971
    1971
    The Point · as Narrator / Father (first Telecast)
    1970
    Little Big Man · as Jack Crabb
    1969
    John and Mary · as John
    1969
    Midnight Cowboy · as Enrico "ratso" Rizzo
    1968
    Madigan's Millions · as Jason Fister
    1967
    The Graduate · as Ben Braddock
    1967
    1966
    The Star Wagon · as Hanus Wicks
    1966
    1966
    ABC Stage 67 (TV Series) · as J.j. Semmons
    1964
    NET Playhouse (TV Series) · as Zoditch
    1962
    The Doctors and the Nurses (TV Series) · as Larson
    1961
    The Defenders (TV Series) · as Buddy
    1958
    Naked City (TV Series) · as Lester Stenton

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