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Online Salute to Dustin Hoffman
From: American Film Institute
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 ustin Hoffman doesn't just sound like and look like his character; he becomes his character. When shooting a scene in Midnight Cowboy (in which he played Ratso Rizzo) with co-star John Voight, he was almost hit by a real New York City taxicab. "I got angry as Ratso, and I started hitting the cab on the hood, yelling, 'I'm walkin' here!' It was the very essence of what I wanted to convey about Ratso--his dignity. We may see him as a lowlife, but he asserts himself. And I think people recognized the truth of it." The scene was used in the final cut of the film. |
The American Film Institute's online tribute to Dustin Hoffman (www.AFIonline.org/dustinhoffman/main.html), who received the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award for 1999, provides such insight into Hoffman's character development for his more than 30 films. The interactive filmography exhibits clips from Hoffman's films, including the scene described above, as well as production stills, detailed film credits and summaries, and excerpts of film reviews. The site also provides a biography describing how Hoffman first got his start on the stage and a 1983 interview from American Film, following the release of Tootsie. |
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