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Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman12 posts
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29 Mar, 1989

Wins Oscar

Oscar0 Comments

Hoffman wins the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in Rain Man (1988) of Raymond Babbitt, an idiot-savant who is reluctantly cared for by his younger brother (Tom Cruise). Hoffman:

Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh…I’m supposed to be jaded by this point. I’m very honored and I thank the Academy for your support.

Hoffman forgets to mention Cruise and Director Barry Levinson in his acceptance speech, but adds later in the ceremony:

In my nervousness I left out the director’s name, and I left out Tom’s name. Tom, thank you very much. I love you very much.

14 Apr, 1980

Wins Oscar

Oscar0 Comments

Hoffman wins the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of divorced dad Ted Kramer who fights his wife (Meryl Streep) for custody of his son in Robert Benton’s drama Kramer vs. Kramer. Jane Fonda presents the award.

I refuse to believe that I beat Jack Lemmon, that I beat Al Pacino, that I beat Peter Sellers. I refuse to believe that Robert Duvall lost. We are a part of an artistic family. There are sixty thousand actors in this Academy – pardon me – in the Screen Actors Guild, and probably a hundred thousand in Equity. And most actors don’t work, and a few of us are so lucky to have a chance to work with writing and to work with directing. Because when you’re a broke actor you can’t write; you can’t paint; you have to practice accents while you’re driving a taxi cab. And to that artistic family that strives for excellence, none of you have ever lost and I am proud to share this with you. And I thank you.