Dustin Hoffman nearly walked away from one of the most celebrated performances of his career because he believed he was getting the character completely wrong. Hoffman struggled to understand Raymond Babbitt while filming Rain Man, even questioning whether he belonged in the 1988 movie.
In his new memoir, Look at Me, published on Tuesday, the actor revisits the experience and reveals how close he came to quitting. Hoffman felt his early performance looked fake and became convinced that he was delivering one of the worst works of his career.
Director Barry Levinson, however, remained calm and encouraged him to keep going. The turning point came when an improvised scene with Tom Cruise eventually changed Hoffman’s perspective.
One improvised scene with Tom Cruise changed everything for Hoffman
Hoffman played Raymond, an autistic savant who reenters the life of his estranged brother, Charlie (Cruise), after their father dies. Cruise discovers that his father left his $3 million estate to Raymond, a brother he never knew existed. The siblings embark on a road trip that gradually changes their relationship.
However, finding Raymond proved difficult for Hoffman. According to Entertainment Weekly, the actor writes, “I almost quit Rain Man because I couldn’t find the character.” He also recalls watching the daily footage with Levinson and feeling that his performance was “ridiculous, totally fake.”
Things changed during a car scene with Cruise. The two had to perform the scene in the vehicle’s small space. The director asked them to perform the scene and continue improvising until the film ran out.
Cruise stayed in character as Charlie, asking Raymond questions such as, “Do you understand, Ray? You got that, Ray?” Hoffman struggled to respond. He kept repeating “Yeah” because he could not figure out how his character would think or react as an autistic person.
After filming ended, Hoffman believed he had ruined the scene. He felt so disappointed that he apologized to Levinson, telling him, “I completely f—ed that up.”
Then he watched the playback. The footage showed him something he had not recognized while performing. Raymond’s repeated responses and uncertainty were not signs of a bad performance.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
