Profile: Dustin Hoffman

27 June 2008 10:37am

Real Name: Dustin Lee Hoffman

Birth Date: August 8, 1937

Image: Multi-faceted award-winning US actor

Best Known For: Taking on challenging roles such as a crippled street hustler in Midnight Cowboy and an autistic man in Rain Man

Early Life: Dustin was born in Los Angeles, the son of a jazz pianist and a prop supervisor.

He graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1955 and went to Santa Monica City College but apparently dropped out after a year due to bad grades.

After leaving college he began acting at the Pasadena Playhouse with fellow actor Gene Hackman. After two years at the playhouse Dustin moved to New York, where he worked in a series of odd jobs, including coat checking at restaurants and stringing Hawaiian leis.

He also worked as a professional fragrance tester for Maxwell House and did the occasional television commercial, before finally breaking into movies.

In 1967 he was cast in The Graduate, which proved to be his big break.

Career High: Dustin has won two Best Actor Oscars - for 1979's Kramer vs Kramer and Rain Man in 1989.

Love Life: Dustin married Anne Byrne in May 1969. The couple had two children, Karina and Jenna, but divorced in 1980.

His second marriage to lawyer Lisa Gottsegen, in October 1980, produced four more children: Jacob; Maxwell; Rebecca; Alexandra.

Don't Mention: Blade Runner - Dustin apparently lost out on the role of Rick Deckard to Harrison Ford.

Words Of Wisdom: I got into acting so that I could meet girls. Pretty girls came later. First, I wanted to start off with someone with two legs, who'd smile at me and look soft."

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