Profile of the Day: Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman

Happy birthday, Dustin Hoffman! Can you believe the actor turns 80 today?

Dustin Lee Hoffman was born on August 8, 1937 in Los Angeles, California. He was the second son born to Lillian Gold and Harry Hoffman, who worked as a set decorator at Columbia Pictures. He was named after stage and silent film actor, Dustin Farnum. Hoffman comes from a Jewish family of immigrants from Ukraine, Poland, and Romania.

After dropping out of college, Hoffman pursued acting full time at the Pasadena Playhouse. It was there that he first became friends with actor Gene Hackman. After moving to New York, Hoffman became roommates with Hackman and fellow actor Robert Duvall as they each struggled to establish their acting careers.

Hoffman got his big break when he was cast as the lead in the 1967 film, The Graduate. Since his launch to stardom, Hoffman has starred in many critically acclaimed films including, Kramer vs. Kramer, Tootsie, and Rain Man. He’s earned 7 Academy Award nominations, winning 2. What’s your favorite Dustin Hoffman film?

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Image: Wikimedia Commons