"Dustin Hoffman"

Episode of SmartLess · November 9, 2026 · 1 h 8 min

Dustin Hoffman joins SmartLess hosts Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes to discuss acting craft, Rain Man, Tootsie, Laurence Olivier and his memoir Look at Me.

Summary

After cold-open banter about showering habits and pools, Will Arnett introduced surprise guest Dustin Hoffman, who discussed his discomfort watching his own work, his near-decision to quit on the first day of shooting Rain Man, and how director Barry Levinson found the character in an improvised moment with Tom Cruise. Hoffman described his acting philosophy of observing people and finding the behavior in oneself, recalled his unemployed years alongside Robert Duvall and Gene Hackman, their arguments over Strasberg and Meisner, and their reverence for Marlon Brando, citing the car scene in On the Waterfront.

Hoffman spoke at length about Tootsie, which he said was about how hard it is for actors to find work rather than about playing a woman. He described the long process of making his female appearance believable, developing Dorothy's Southern-inflected voice with UCLA voice experts, Elaine May's script rescue, his fights and friendship with Sydney Pollack, whom he persuaded to play his agent, and the casting of Bill Murray.

Discussing his memoir Look at Me, Hoffman described his short-term memory problems and how his co-writer's follow-up questions unlocked old memories. He explained the title through a story from Marathon Man, in which Laurence Olivier told him the real reason actors act is "look at me." Jason Bateman credited Hoffman as the reason he became an actor; Hoffman disagreed that his generation invented good acting. The episode closed with Hoffman introducing his rescue dog Leonard and the hosts reflecting on their admiration for him.

Chapters

0:07
Cold open banter
The hosts joke about brushing teeth in the shower, Will Arnett living in their houses, and pools.
3:28
Introducing Dustin Hoffman
Sean Hayes mentions starting to read, and Will Arnett reveals the surprise guest, Dustin Hoffman.
4:49
Watching oneself on screen
Hoffman explains why he finds it painful to watch his completed films.
9:39
Finding Raymond in Rain Man
Hoffman recounts nearly quitting Rain Man until an improvised moment with Tom Cruise revealed the character.
15:20
Eye contact and Strasberg exercises
The group discusses eye contact, sensitivity training, Second City, and Strasberg's song exercise.
17:41
Duvall, Hackman and Brando
Hoffman recalls unemployed years with Duvall and Hackman, debates over acting teachers, and Brando's genius.
24:48
Evolving craft and Megalopolis
Hoffman describes how his approach changed over 50 years, including working on Coppola's Megalopolis.
26:45
Early films
Hoffman discusses his first film The Tiger Makes Out and his mentor Murray Schisgal.
28:48
Making Tootsie
Hoffman details Tootsie's origins, makeup, voice, Elaine May's script fix, Sydney Pollack and Bill Murray.
45:18
Writing the memoir Look at Me
Hoffman describes failed memoir attempts, memory loss, and working with a co-writer.
50:18
Laurence Olivier and the book's title
Hoffman tells how coaching Olivier on Marathon Man led to friendship and the phrase 'look at me.'
57:31
Career choices and tributes
Hoffman reflects on being too selective, and the hosts thank him for inspiring their careers.
1:02:38
Leonard the dog and wrap-up
Hoffman shows his rescue dog, and the hosts reflect on the interview's emotional impact.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman says he finds watching his finished films painful because editors choose takes he doesn't consider his best.
“And someone else decides which take is your best take, which is far from the truth. And it's painful”
Listen from 8:38
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman recounts that on the first day of shooting Rain Man he told his wife he was quitting because he felt lost in the role.
“I literally said to my wife, who was there, I'm quitting. And this was on the day”
Listen from 10:33 · Rain Man
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman says the character emerged when he unknowingly kept repeating 'yeah, yeah, yeah' during improvisation with Tom Cruise.
“every time he said something, I kept saying, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I didn't know what to say”
Listen from 12:50 · Rain Man
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman advises actors to observe behavior, imitate it, and then find its source within themselves.
“you notice things, and then you try to ape it, and then you try to find what's in you where you do that thing that that guy is doing”
Listen from 14:29 · Method acting
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman argues people avoid eye contact with strangers because it is too intimate.
“Don't make eye contact because it's too intimate if we're talking to people that we don't know”
Listen from 14:47
Will Arnett
Arnett recounts that a corporate sensitivity training told him eye contact longer than three seconds could be considered too much.
“one of the things you can't do is you can't maintain eye contact longer than three seconds is considered, can be considered too much”
Listen from 15:43
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman says his generation succeeded because 1960s audiences wanted male stars who looked like ordinary people.
“The guys in the audience wanted to see people on the screen that looked like them”
Listen from 19:35 · Method acting
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman defines good acting as doing a moment freshly, in a way never done before, while being truly in the present.
“Can I do it in a way that's never been done before? Can I do it in a fresh way?”
Listen from 21:36 · Method acting
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman says he did not understand his Megalopolis role and agreed only because Coppola needed him.
“I have no idea what this movie is about. I have no idea what this character is about”
Listen from 25:41 · Megalopolis (film)
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman says Tootsie was conceived to show how difficult it is for actors to find work, not as a film about playing a woman.
“This was not about playing a woman. This was about the intention that what started the whole movie is how most actors don't work”
Listen from 29:50 · Tootsie
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman credits Elaine May with solving Tootsie's third-act problems after many writers failed.
“A person who really saved this movie was none other than Elaine May”
Listen from 35:34 · Tootsie
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman credits his co-writer's technique of asking follow-up questions about his answers with unlocking his memories.
“after some of the questions, I'd give her an answer and she would ask me questions about my answers”
Listen from 47:59 · Look at Me (Dustin Hoffman memoir)
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman says his short-term memory loss coincided with the return of memories from decades earlier.
“with this short-term memory problem, whoa, the brain opens up and suddenly you remember something that's 50 years ago”
Listen from 48:26 · Look at Me (Dustin Hoffman memoir)
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman recounts that Olivier told him the real reason actors act is the desire to be seen, which inspired the memoir's title.
“Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me. And I got chills. Wow. That's what it is”
Listen from 55:40 · Marathon Man
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman says his wife Lisa advised him to choose roles based on the director rather than the script.
“don't take apart because of the script Forget about the script. The script changes”
Listen from 58:11
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman regrets turning down Fellini and Ingmar Bergman over script concerns.
“I had already turned down Fellini. I had already turned down Ingmar Bergman. This is what a schmuck I was”
Listen from 58:51
Jason Bateman
Bateman argues Hoffman's generation raised the bar by bringing character-acting performances to leading roles.
“You've got to bring character acting level of performance to the leading man part”
Listen from 1:00:21 · Method acting
Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman disputes that his generation invented good acting, noting great actors before method acting.
“There always was good acting. It wasn't called method acting, and every actor has a different interpretation of what method acting is”
Listen from 1:01:11 · Method acting

People

In the conversation

Will ArnettCanadian-American actor and comedian, co-host of SmartLess
Jason BatemanAmerican actor and director, co-host of SmartLess
Sean HayesAmerican actor and comedian, co-host of SmartLess
Dustin HoffmanAmerican actor who got Hill his first audition

Discussed

Tom CruiseAmerican actor whose Oprah couch-jumping moment a coworker compared to Exantus's behavior
Barry LevinsonAmerican director of Rain Man
Robert DuvallAmerican actor and Hoffman's early friend
Gene HackmanAmerican actor and Hoffman's early friend
Lee StrasbergAmerican acting teacher associated with method acting
Sanford MeisnerAmerican acting teacher who taught Robert Duvall
Marlon BrandoActor who read his lines from cue cards on The Godfather set
Elia KazanDirector of On the Waterfront
Francis Ford CoppolaAmerican director of Megalopolis
Murray SchisgalAmerican playwright, Hoffman's mentor and Tootsie co-writer
Sydney PollackAmerican director of Tootsie who also played Hoffman's agent
Elaine MayAmerican writer and director credited by Hoffman with saving Tootsie's script
Bill MurrayAmerican actor who played the roommate in Tootsie
Teri GarrAmerican actress in Tootsie
Laurence OlivierEnglish actor quoted on lacking the heart for stage work
Robert EvansParamount production head who cast Olivier in Marathon Man
John SchlesingerBritish director of Marathon Man
Lisa HoffmanDustin Hoffman's wife
Frank PriceHead of Columbia Pictures during Tootsie

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From the publisher

We’re in the moment with Dustin Hoffman. Questions on answers— what we used to call a “tape recorder,” memory, quitting, running lines with Sir Laurence, and of course: who’s got dogs? “What’s in you where you do that thing that that guy is doing?” … on an all-new SmartLess.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 10, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Film Interviews·Books·Comedy Interviews