Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man (1988)
Mr. Hoffman was on the show to promote a Master Class in acting which he is involved in. He spoke about trying to help young actors or those involved in film, so the main reason for his visit was to explain that. In listening to this episode of "The Treatment" I came away very impressed with how humble and personable Mr. Hoffman came across. Although he has achieved all kinds of accolades and success in his career, he came off very humble and personable. He just seemed like a really nice guy. I was very surprised to learn that Mr. Hoffman was a poor student as a young man, and attended Santa Monica Community College because he couldn't get into a university. He only took an acting class because a friend told him that it was an easy class and everyone passes, and he was trying to get some easy units. Taking the class ended up changing his life and he became a great actor.
One of the quotes that really struck me about Mr. Hoffman is what he stated about acting. "Every director or someone who wants to be a director...should take an acting class to know what it feels like...to be terrified...that's really what acting is all about". I thought this was really just striking coming from such an accomplished actor. Mr. Hoffman really explained that you are really up there in front of everyone and trying to connect with the audience but at the same time be real and authentic. It sounds difficult and it shows that it's really an intimidating thing to try and do. To transform yourself into a role such as Captain Hook and utterly try to own it and make it real, and without succumbing to a fear of failure is really impressive and a skill not all actors have.
Dustin Hoffman as Captain James Hook in Hook (1991)
In addition to having some fear when acting, Mr. Hoffman also mention something else that is really interesting. He stated "You're someone who follows orders, and that was difficult for me". The reason he stated this was very interesting. He said in film school you learn all about inhabiting a character and having a process, but once you get on a film you are working, and you are more goal oriented on set. You are told to stand here, walk over there, pick this up etc. That sounds like it would be a difficult thing to do, to be ordered around by a director while you are also focused on creating a character. It really shows how much there is to being an actor, and how much focus one must have to make your characters achieve great heights like Mr. Hoffman has been able to do.
The last quote that Mr. Hoffman said really connected with me as far as the characters he has played throughout his long career. He says "I was always someone that was uncomfortable in my own skin, and that's why I gravitated to those characters". This really sheds some light on why in some of his most famous roles such as "Ratso" Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man (1988) he is playing such strange characters, a con man and a autistic genius, but utterly inhabits them both and gains critical acclaim. I feel that he draws from that part of his personality and it really brings some of these strange but fascinating characters to life.
Dustin Hoffman as Enrico Salvatore "Ratso" Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy (1969)
In conclusion I believe that Dustin Hoffman has really shown what an actor can accomplish by embracing their fear of failure and their insecurities, and channeling all of that energy into bringing a character to life onscreen. His films read like a list of classics, and he has shown over the years that he can reinvent himself in different genres and styles. Mr. Hoffman truly is a master of his craft, and he is now trying to pass on some of his knowledge to a new generation of actors and filmmakers.
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