A video of Dustin Hoffman explaining “epiphany” about the beauty standards women are subject to has resurfaced on TikTok.
In the clip, the actor was being interviewed about his role in the 1982 film Tootsie, in which the then-45-year-old Hoffman starred as Michael Dorsey, an actor struggling to find work until he dresses a woman (Dorothy Michaels) and secures a lead role in a soap drama.
In the viral TikTok video of the resurfaced interview, Hoffman, 85, explains how playing a woman changed his view about the standards of beauty women are faced with, with the caption reading: “The most honest thing I’ve ever heard a man say.”
The actor says in the American Film Institute interview that in preparation for his role, he visited the studio and asked for make-up tests so that he could walk down the streets of New York dressed convincingly as a woman.
“When we...
In the clip, the actor was being interviewed about his role in the 1982 film Tootsie, in which the then-45-year-old Hoffman starred as Michael Dorsey, an actor struggling to find work until he dresses a woman (Dorothy Michaels) and secures a lead role in a soap drama.
In the viral TikTok video of the resurfaced interview, Hoffman, 85, explains how playing a woman changed his view about the standards of beauty women are faced with, with the caption reading: “The most honest thing I’ve ever heard a man say.”
The actor says in the American Film Institute interview that in preparation for his role, he visited the studio and asked for make-up tests so that he could walk down the streets of New York dressed convincingly as a woman.
“When we...
- 1/24/2023
- by Ellie Muir
- The Independent - Film
Convergent Content, LLC, is thrilled to release their new podcast, A Study of Strange. “A Study of Strange” delves into the world of the unknown, covering cases of unsolved crimes and unexplained occurrences. The podcast attempts to debunk common misconceptions and introduce strange tales that are typically overlooked in the genre.
Hosted by Michael May, a filmmaker and host of the true-crime, automotive-themed shows Auto/Biography and Auto/Biography: Cold Cases on Motor Trend TV. Every week Michael shares a strange tale with a different guest, and they both play a role in short reenactments throughout the episodes. Guests include entertainment industry insiders, friends, weirdos, randos, and more!
“A Study of Strange” starts off with a bang, releasing five episodes today for the premier of the podcast. Episodes include the mystery of a real locked-room murder, the story of the first spirit photographs, and a deep dive into the Biggie Smalls murder.
Hosted by Michael May, a filmmaker and host of the true-crime, automotive-themed shows Auto/Biography and Auto/Biography: Cold Cases on Motor Trend TV. Every week Michael shares a strange tale with a different guest, and they both play a role in short reenactments throughout the episodes. Guests include entertainment industry insiders, friends, weirdos, randos, and more!
“A Study of Strange” starts off with a bang, releasing five episodes today for the premier of the podcast. Episodes include the mystery of a real locked-room murder, the story of the first spirit photographs, and a deep dive into the Biggie Smalls murder.
- 9/2/2022
- Podnews.net
Watch: ‘Tootsie’ Behind-the-Scenes Look Reveals On Set Animosity Between Director and Dustin Hoffman
34 years later, Sydney Pollack’s “Tootsie” remains a relatively incisive look at gender in society, even if the film’s concluding reaffirmation of traditional roles has aged less well than the questions the films poses before it. Yet a lost behind-the-scenes featurette reveals the production of “Tootsie” as fighting for identity itself.
Read More: Actors Name Tootsie The Greatest Movie Of All Time in New Poll
The video centers on a confessional interview with Pollack on the set of the film that airs out his grievances of working with lead Dustin Hoffman.
“Legally I have control of the picture. But that doesn’t mean I owe him a lot morally, which I do,” he says. “You can’t make an actor do anything. Make him do anything. Now, I can’t direct a scene I don’t believe in either, and sometimes both things have happened.”
The interview centers around...
Read More: Actors Name Tootsie The Greatest Movie Of All Time in New Poll
The video centers on a confessional interview with Pollack on the set of the film that airs out his grievances of working with lead Dustin Hoffman.
“Legally I have control of the picture. But that doesn’t mean I owe him a lot morally, which I do,” he says. “You can’t make an actor do anything. Make him do anything. Now, I can’t direct a scene I don’t believe in either, and sometimes both things have happened.”
The interview centers around...
- 6/23/2016
- by Russell Goldman
- Indiewire
★★★★☆ In a tearful and candid interview, Dustin Hoffman once explained his impetus to make Tootsie: expecting himself to be a beautiful woman in make-up test, he was shocked not only to discover that he wasn't, but also realised that if he met the woman staring back at him in the mirror, he would have dismissed her for not being attractive enough. After his revelation, Hoffman knew he had to make the acclaimed 1982 film, claiming afterwards that it was never a comedy for him. In one is surely one of his best performances, Hoffman plays actor Michael Dorsey, who, out of desperation for work, auditions for a female role for a soap opera under the guise of Dorothy Michaels.
- 4/19/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
So, we’ve arrived at the top 20, slowly creeping toward those films that are exactly what a romantic comedy should be. We’ve seen films that fall into the category, but lean more toward other genres. We’ve seen romantic films that are funny enough to be comedies, but don’t entirely represent the spirit of the rom-com, despite being brilliant films. Now, we form a clearer picture of what a romantic comedy is. Not all of the films in this section are necessarily “good,” but they’re all iconic, definitive romantic comedies (hence their inclusion). Memorability does not necessarily come partnered with quality. It means right place, right time.
courtesy of totalfilm.com 20. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Tom Hanks had been the leading man in romantic comedies before (e.g. Splash). But the same year he took home his first Oscar (Philadelphia), he also starred opposite Meg Ryan in this...
courtesy of totalfilm.com 20. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Tom Hanks had been the leading man in romantic comedies before (e.g. Splash). But the same year he took home his first Oscar (Philadelphia), he also starred opposite Meg Ryan in this...
- 1/10/2016
- by Joshua Gaul
- SoundOnSight
As in a great Halloween costume, makeup is an important aspect of film. Join us as we examine 10 films where makeup effects played a very large role.
Using Makeup to Create A Style
Example: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
While Edward Scissorhands may be one of Burton’s most beloved characters because of Johnny Depp’s performance, the character is also memorable for his looks. For starters, there is his birds-nest hair. The wispy cob-webb look not only reassured audiences of Edward’s sad, lonely and parentless existence, but it also became an easy identifier for Burton’s gothic style. Indeed, Edward’s wild, untamed yet solid hairstyle was similar to that of Beetlejuice, whose film came out two years prior, and would be similar to many other characters we would see in later Burton films.
Edward’s pasty white make-up helped audiences to understand that he was not just a normal man.
Using Makeup to Create A Style
Example: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
While Edward Scissorhands may be one of Burton’s most beloved characters because of Johnny Depp’s performance, the character is also memorable for his looks. For starters, there is his birds-nest hair. The wispy cob-webb look not only reassured audiences of Edward’s sad, lonely and parentless existence, but it also became an easy identifier for Burton’s gothic style. Indeed, Edward’s wild, untamed yet solid hairstyle was similar to that of Beetlejuice, whose film came out two years prior, and would be similar to many other characters we would see in later Burton films.
Edward’s pasty white make-up helped audiences to understand that he was not just a normal man.
- 10/5/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (G.S. Perno)
- Cinelinx
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"The Best of Me"
This might not be the best of Nicholas Sparks's oeuvre of weepy romantic dramas, but at least it's not the most insane! (That honor probably goes to "Safe Haven," for the record.) In any case, this story about true love lost and found stars Cyclops from "X-Men" and Michelle Monaghan. If you love Nicholas Sparks, you love him, and nothing anyone else says will change that. Which is sort of admirable, really. Extend your love Sparks with this exclusive featurette.
"Dear White People"
This indie from writer/director Justin Simien is a comedy about race politics on an Ivy League campus. It is funny and smart, and you should see it. Tessa Thompson leads a great ensemble...
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"The Best of Me"
This might not be the best of Nicholas Sparks's oeuvre of weepy romantic dramas, but at least it's not the most insane! (That honor probably goes to "Safe Haven," for the record.) In any case, this story about true love lost and found stars Cyclops from "X-Men" and Michelle Monaghan. If you love Nicholas Sparks, you love him, and nothing anyone else says will change that. Which is sort of admirable, really. Extend your love Sparks with this exclusive featurette.
"Dear White People"
This indie from writer/director Justin Simien is a comedy about race politics on an Ivy League campus. It is funny and smart, and you should see it. Tessa Thompson leads a great ensemble...
- 2/2/2015
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Review: Sydney Pollack's "Tootsie" (1982) Starring Dustin Hoffman; Criterion Blu-ray Special Edition
"That Is One Nutty Hospital..."
By Raymond Benson
Comedy fans can now officially rejoice! The Criterion Collection has produced a fabulous Blu-ray edition of Sydney Pollack’s outstanding laugh riot, Tootsie, although one could safely say the picture not only belongs to Pollack, but to Dustin Hoffman, the movie’s star. It was his baby all the way, from its conception to its final, brilliantly written, acted, and directed finish. The American Film Institute voted Tootsie to be the Number 2 best comedy of all time (after Some Like it Hot, coincidentally another film in which men dress up as women!); whether or not you agree with that ranking, you have to admit it is a virtual lesson in how to make a good, funny movie.
The story is already well-known: struggling middle-aged actor Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) decides to dress up as a woman to audition for a soap opera, and...
By Raymond Benson
Comedy fans can now officially rejoice! The Criterion Collection has produced a fabulous Blu-ray edition of Sydney Pollack’s outstanding laugh riot, Tootsie, although one could safely say the picture not only belongs to Pollack, but to Dustin Hoffman, the movie’s star. It was his baby all the way, from its conception to its final, brilliantly written, acted, and directed finish. The American Film Institute voted Tootsie to be the Number 2 best comedy of all time (after Some Like it Hot, coincidentally another film in which men dress up as women!); whether or not you agree with that ranking, you have to admit it is a virtual lesson in how to make a good, funny movie.
The story is already well-known: struggling middle-aged actor Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) decides to dress up as a woman to audition for a soap opera, and...
- 12/30/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"The Skeleton Twins"
Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are fantastic as estranged twins with a family history of depression. After a failed suicide attempt, Milo (Hader) goes to live with Maggie (Wiig) and her Golden Retriever-like husband, Lance (Luke Wilson). Although Maggie's life looks perfect from the outside, she's got just as many self-destructive secrets at Milo. Sweet and sad, this is definitely Wiig's best dramatic role to date.
"This Is Where I Leave You"
Tina Fey and Jason Bateman lead an impressive ensemble cast in this dramedy about a family forced together for their father's funeral, and the seven days of mourning customary known as sitting shiva in the Jewish tradition. Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Kathryn Hahn, Ben Schwartz,...
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"The Skeleton Twins"
Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are fantastic as estranged twins with a family history of depression. After a failed suicide attempt, Milo (Hader) goes to live with Maggie (Wiig) and her Golden Retriever-like husband, Lance (Luke Wilson). Although Maggie's life looks perfect from the outside, she's got just as many self-destructive secrets at Milo. Sweet and sad, this is definitely Wiig's best dramatic role to date.
"This Is Where I Leave You"
Tina Fey and Jason Bateman lead an impressive ensemble cast in this dramedy about a family forced together for their father's funeral, and the seven days of mourning customary known as sitting shiva in the Jewish tradition. Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Kathryn Hahn, Ben Schwartz,...
- 12/15/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
Hollywood films portraying the world — including the troubled side — of show business have garnered best picture nominations for years. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) could be a serious Oscar contender and features Michael Keaton as a former film star known for his portrayal of a superhero named Birdman. He attempts to renew his career by writing, directing and performing in a Broadway play. The film hit theaters Friday. Here are ten best picture Oscar-nominated films about show business (in chronological order):
1. The Red Shoes (1948)
The film is a tragic story about a young ballet dancer (Moira Shearer) who is forced to choose between her future dance career and the composer she falls in love with. The film was nominated for five Oscars and won two.
2. All About Eve (1950)
Anne Baxter stars as Eve, an aspiring, conniving actress who...
Managing Editor
Hollywood films portraying the world — including the troubled side — of show business have garnered best picture nominations for years. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) could be a serious Oscar contender and features Michael Keaton as a former film star known for his portrayal of a superhero named Birdman. He attempts to renew his career by writing, directing and performing in a Broadway play. The film hit theaters Friday. Here are ten best picture Oscar-nominated films about show business (in chronological order):
1. The Red Shoes (1948)
The film is a tragic story about a young ballet dancer (Moira Shearer) who is forced to choose between her future dance career and the composer she falls in love with. The film was nominated for five Oscars and won two.
2. All About Eve (1950)
Anne Baxter stars as Eve, an aspiring, conniving actress who...
- 10/19/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
In a cross-dressing comedy to make Mrs Doubtfire weep, Dustin Hoffman stars as Michael Dorsey, a struggling actor who becomes a national soap star by transforming himself into the actress Dorothy Michaels. Director Sydney Pollack plays Dorsey's flustered agent and Bill Murray his bone-dry flatmate, but the complications really kick in when 'Dorothy' falls for her co-star, Jessica Lange, who landed a best supporting actress Oscar. A feelgood triumph all round, it's anything but a drag.
- 7/14/2014
- Sky Movies
No, I’m not thinking Doubtfire vs. Madea. Technically that would involve a man fighting a woman, as Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire is Robin Williams playing a male character who dresses as an old lady while Mabel “Madea” Simmons is just Tyler Perry playing an old lady. It doesn’t sound like a fair battle. Obviously Madea would kick the fake nanny’s ass. But the synopsis I have in mind is similar for this Mrs. Doubtfire sequel that Fox 2000 has just announced with original director Chris Columbus and Williams both on board. It has to be an Expendables type movie, which means it’s not just Doubtfire 2 but an ensemble piece in which Williams as Daniel Hillard as Doubtfire is joined by Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey as Tootsie, Martin Lawrence as Malcolm Turner as “Big Momma,” David Cross as Tobias Funke as Mrs. Featherbottom, Miguel A. Nunez Jr. as Jamal Jeffries as Juwanna Mann, Harland Williams...
- 4/17/2014
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
So, we’ve arrived at the top 20, slowly creeping toward those films that are exactly what a romantic comedy should be. We’ve seen films that fall into the category, but lean more toward other genres. We’ve seen romantic films that are funny enough to be comedies, but don’t entirely represent the spirit of the rom-com, despite being brilliant films. Now, we form a clearer picture of what a romantic comedy is. Not all of the films in this section are necessarily “good,” but they’re all iconic, definitive romantic comedies (hence their inclusion). Memorability does not necessarily come partnered with quality. It means right place, right time.
courtesy of totalfilm.com
20. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Tom Hanks had been the leading man in romantic comedies before (e.g. Splash). But the same year he took home his first Oscar (Philadelphia), he also starred opposite Meg Ryan in this...
courtesy of totalfilm.com
20. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Tom Hanks had been the leading man in romantic comedies before (e.g. Splash). But the same year he took home his first Oscar (Philadelphia), he also starred opposite Meg Ryan in this...
- 2/3/2014
- by Joshua Gaul
- SoundOnSight
Once a month, Up in the Air director Jason Reitman hosts the Live Read for Film Independent: he picks a classic Hollywood screenplay, recasts it with modern actors and turns them loose for a one-time-only performance. It's become one of the hottest tickets in Los Angeles – but last night, busy with his upcoming movie Labor Day, Reitman was unable to host his own creation. So he recruited David Wain, the Wet Hot American Summer director, who chose Tootsie as the movie he wanted to revive. (If you've never seen the 1982 comedy,...
- 11/22/2013
- Rollingstone.com
Superman and Batman are meeting, so why can't the rest of our favorite movie characters? It's not only superheroes who are capable of joining forces, you know.
We've rounded up a dozen pairs of characters with striking similarities or differences that would make for excellent movie collaborations. Time to get to work, screenwriters of the world.
Let us know whose universes you'd like to see collide in the comments section below.
Veronica Sawyer ("Heathers") and Regina George ("Mean Girls")
The Bride ("Kill Bill") and Lara Croft ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider")
Dr. Frankenstein ("Young Frankenstein") and Dr. Emmett Brown ("Back to the Future")
E.T. and Wall-e
Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels ("Tootsie") and Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire ("Mrs. Doubtfire")
Annie Wilkes ("Misery") and Nurse Ratched ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest")
Glenn Holland ("Mr. Holland's Opus") and Dewey Finn ("School of Rock")
Agent Clarice Starling ("The Silence of the Lambs...
We've rounded up a dozen pairs of characters with striking similarities or differences that would make for excellent movie collaborations. Time to get to work, screenwriters of the world.
Let us know whose universes you'd like to see collide in the comments section below.
Veronica Sawyer ("Heathers") and Regina George ("Mean Girls")
The Bride ("Kill Bill") and Lara Croft ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider")
Dr. Frankenstein ("Young Frankenstein") and Dr. Emmett Brown ("Back to the Future")
E.T. and Wall-e
Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels ("Tootsie") and Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire ("Mrs. Doubtfire")
Annie Wilkes ("Misery") and Nurse Ratched ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest")
Glenn Holland ("Mr. Holland's Opus") and Dewey Finn ("School of Rock")
Agent Clarice Starling ("The Silence of the Lambs...
- 8/2/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Who said that there are no decent men around?
For the past couple of days, an AFI interview with Dustin Hoffman has been circulating around the web (the interview took place back in 2012). In it, Hoffman discusses what his role in Tootsie taught him about being a woman. Check out the video below:
Hoffman took his role as Michael Dorsey/ Dorothy Michaels seriously, saying that before he formally agreed to the part, he decided to call the make-up artists at Columbia Pictures to test out just how well he could pass as a woman. In his words, “Unless I could...
For the past couple of days, an AFI interview with Dustin Hoffman has been circulating around the web (the interview took place back in 2012). In it, Hoffman discusses what his role in Tootsie taught him about being a woman. Check out the video below:
Hoffman took his role as Michael Dorsey/ Dorothy Michaels seriously, saying that before he formally agreed to the part, he decided to call the make-up artists at Columbia Pictures to test out just how well he could pass as a woman. In his words, “Unless I could...
- 7/10/2013
- by Sheridan Watson
- EW.com - PopWatch
A video of Dustin Hoffman has gone viral! The legendary actor took part in a 2012 interview and cried while talking about taking on the role of Michael Dorsey in ‘Tootsie.’ Keep reading and watch the video!
Tootsie may have been released over thirty years ago, but memories of making the film turned Dustin Hoffman into a crying mess during a 2012 interview.
Dustin Hoffman ‘Tootsie’ Interview — Actor Cries In AFI Video
In the 1982 film, Dustin plays Michael Dorsey, an actor struggling to find a job. However, he dresses as a woman and lands a female lead on a soap opera.
In a 2012 interview with AFI, Dustin talks about going to the studio and asking for make-up tests so he could see if he could walk through NYC dressed as a woman and not get strange stares.
“When we got to that point and looked at it on screen, I was shocked...
Tootsie may have been released over thirty years ago, but memories of making the film turned Dustin Hoffman into a crying mess during a 2012 interview.
Dustin Hoffman ‘Tootsie’ Interview — Actor Cries In AFI Video
In the 1982 film, Dustin plays Michael Dorsey, an actor struggling to find a job. However, he dresses as a woman and lands a female lead on a soap opera.
In a 2012 interview with AFI, Dustin talks about going to the studio and asking for make-up tests so he could see if he could walk through NYC dressed as a woman and not get strange stares.
“When we got to that point and looked at it on screen, I was shocked...
- 7/10/2013
- by Christopher Rogers
- HollywoodLife
Most of you probably remember "Tootsie" as a 1982 comedy film starring Dustin Hoffman. But what you don't know is that the film helped Hoffman reach some grand epiphanies — so grand, in fact, that he broke down in tears during this interview with AFI. D'awww.
In "Tootsie", Hoffman plays a struggling actor who disguises himself as a woman to audition for a soap opera. He/she gets the part and becomes a television sensation, which makes things just a little bit complicated (and hilarious), especially in the relationship department.
During the AFI interview, Hoffman recalls preparing for his role as Michael Dorsey (aka Dorothy Michaels). After saying that he felt unsatisfied with the appearance of his female alter ego, Hoffman had some striking revelations about what it means to be a woman in today's society.
"I know that if I met myself at a party, I would never talk to that character because she doesn't fulfill,...
In "Tootsie", Hoffman plays a struggling actor who disguises himself as a woman to audition for a soap opera. He/she gets the part and becomes a television sensation, which makes things just a little bit complicated (and hilarious), especially in the relationship department.
During the AFI interview, Hoffman recalls preparing for his role as Michael Dorsey (aka Dorothy Michaels). After saying that he felt unsatisfied with the appearance of his female alter ego, Hoffman had some striking revelations about what it means to be a woman in today's society.
"I know that if I met myself at a party, I would never talk to that character because she doesn't fulfill,...
- 7/9/2013
- by Jacqueline Lem
- NextMovie
There’s a video that has been making the rounds on the Internet right now, and with good reason. Back in 1981, Dustin Hoffman appeared in a film called Tootsie, about a male actor who pretends to be a woman in order to get a role on a popular soap opera. He slowly transforms from a ladies’ man into a feminist icon, recognizing what it means to be a woman and an actress in a patriarchal world. Tootsie is a comedy, and has popped uo on AFI’s Top 100 Movies and Top 100 Laughs. And it is very very funny. But, as Hoffman himself point out in this video, it is also much more than that.
I’d rather not explain exactly what Hoffman has to say about the way that Tootsie transformed him, because I think he speaks better for himself. Tootsie is very much about perceptions – the way that women are perceived,...
I’d rather not explain exactly what Hoffman has to say about the way that Tootsie transformed him, because I think he speaks better for himself. Tootsie is very much about perceptions – the way that women are perceived,...
- 7/8/2013
- by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
- We Got This Covered
I'm officially somebody's great aunt Mildred, because sometimes I can't watch RuPaul's Drag Race without thinking of Tootsie. In terms of gender-bending comedies of 1982, it's officially my second favorite (You go, Victor/Victoria!), but it's nonetheless a first-rate and utterly rewatchable comedy about sexism, show business, and, uh, me laughing. Because it is so, so funny -- from the one-liners to the reaction shots to the plot twists, Tootsie is basically a teachable crash course in all things hilarious, so much so that I can forgive Jessica Lange's unjustified Oscar win over my scarlet dame Ms. Lesley Ann Warren.
The short synopsis: Dustin Hoffman is a bastardly New York actor named Michael Dorsey who dresses in drag to snag a part on a soap opera, and after he lands the role, he discovers that he's a righteous, cool, and powerful lady. Can he keep the bizarre, but profitable act up?...
The short synopsis: Dustin Hoffman is a bastardly New York actor named Michael Dorsey who dresses in drag to snag a part on a soap opera, and after he lands the role, he discovers that he's a righteous, cool, and powerful lady. Can he keep the bizarre, but profitable act up?...
- 2/6/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Prolific American actor who was Oscar nominated for roles in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and To Be Or Not to Be
The American actor Charles Durning, who has died aged 89, first grabbed audience attention as the crooked Lieutenant Snyder in The Sting (1973). He makes an explosive appearance, tearing down an alley after the slick grifter played by Robert Redford, and repeatedly lurches out of the shadows throughout the rest of the film. Durning had only a handful of scenes, and over the next 40 years would seldom be granted more screen time in 200-odd film and TV roles. Nevertheless, his jowly face, with its boxer's nose and sly eyes, grew increasingly familiar, and his name in the opening titles usually promised good things ahead. His heavyset frame meant he was often cast as tough guys, but he later assumed more jovial roles, portraying Father Christmas several times.
His first...
The American actor Charles Durning, who has died aged 89, first grabbed audience attention as the crooked Lieutenant Snyder in The Sting (1973). He makes an explosive appearance, tearing down an alley after the slick grifter played by Robert Redford, and repeatedly lurches out of the shadows throughout the rest of the film. Durning had only a handful of scenes, and over the next 40 years would seldom be granted more screen time in 200-odd film and TV roles. Nevertheless, his jowly face, with its boxer's nose and sly eyes, grew increasingly familiar, and his name in the opening titles usually promised good things ahead. His heavyset frame meant he was often cast as tough guys, but he later assumed more jovial roles, portraying Father Christmas several times.
His first...
- 12/28/2012
- by Chris Wiegand
- The Guardian - Film News
In a cross-dressing comedy to make Mrs Doubtfire weep, Dustin Hoffman stars as Michael Dorsey, a struggling actor who becomes a national soap star by transforming himself into the actress Dorothy Michaels. Director Sydney Pollack plays Dorsey's flustered agent and Bill Murray his bone-dry flatmate, but the complications really kick in when 'Dorothy' falls for her co-star, Jessica Lange. A feelgood triumph all round, it's anything but a drag.
- 12/10/2012
- Sky Movies
Hike up your skirt, Mrs. Robinson. August 8 marks Dustin Hoffman's 75th (!) birthday! The legendary actor has appeared in countless films, including "The Graduate" and "All the President's Men," and given us dozens of lines to quote (cue "I'm an excellent driver" impressions). But, on the big 7-5, we thought it fitting to celebrate one of Dusty's finest roles (and his feminine side) by looking back at 1982's "Tootsie." Directed by Sydney Pollack, who also plays Hoffman's agent in the film, "Tootsie" follows Michael Dorsey (Hoffman), an actor who has earned a reputation as a hard-to-work-with perfectionist -- "Nobody does vegetables like me! I did an evening of vegetables off-Broadway!" -- and decides to disguise himself as a woman, earning a role on a famous soap opera. However, Michael falls in love with his female co-star. Hilarity ensues. So, in honor of Dustin Hoffman's 75th, let's take a look...
- 8/7/2012
- by Jessie Heyman
- Moviefone
Really, who doesn't love a man in drag?
From Tyler Perry and Robin Williams to those kooky kids at Harvard who put on the annual Hasty Pudding silliness, a dude in dainty duds is often the cause of a good laugh, an occasional heartfelt moment and even some family-oriented warm fuzzies.
With "Big Momma's: Like Father, Like Son" hitting theaters this week – and "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family" arriving in April – we're counting down the most convincing male movie cross-dressers from the utterly ridiculous sight gags to the jaw-droppingly feminine.
Shawn & Marlon Wayans, "White Chicks" (2004)
Quite simply, "White Chicks" fails in every possible sense to depict Shawn and Marlon Wayans as women. Instead of trust-fund, valley-girl debutantes, they appear to have some sort disease causing albino skin and a hair condition. Some viewers even find them offensive. Sure, the film offers a few one-liners -- "You're so stupid you...
From Tyler Perry and Robin Williams to those kooky kids at Harvard who put on the annual Hasty Pudding silliness, a dude in dainty duds is often the cause of a good laugh, an occasional heartfelt moment and even some family-oriented warm fuzzies.
With "Big Momma's: Like Father, Like Son" hitting theaters this week – and "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family" arriving in April – we're counting down the most convincing male movie cross-dressers from the utterly ridiculous sight gags to the jaw-droppingly feminine.
Shawn & Marlon Wayans, "White Chicks" (2004)
Quite simply, "White Chicks" fails in every possible sense to depict Shawn and Marlon Wayans as women. Instead of trust-fund, valley-girl debutantes, they appear to have some sort disease causing albino skin and a hair condition. Some viewers even find them offensive. Sure, the film offers a few one-liners -- "You're so stupid you...
- 2/16/2011
- by Justin Sedgwick
- NextMovie
Casting can deal a death-blow to even A-list egos, as proved in cinema's most toe-curling scenes of actorly aspiration
In Singin' In the Rain, A-lister Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) tells a Hollywood gossip columnist that "dignity, always dignity" drove him to stardom. A fat lie. It was his willingness to take a punch that snagged him an on-camera spot; his "audition" saw him smacked in the face, flying across the set of a silent western. He hit his mark and was hired.
Dignity can be pretty elusive when you're a jobbing actor. Still, it's worth remembering that casting directors aren't always right. George Clooney tried five times to snag Brad Pitt's part in Thelma and Louise, Robert De Niro was turned down for a role in The Godfather (part 1), while Fred Astaire's screen test report at Rko was, notoriously: "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little.
In Singin' In the Rain, A-lister Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) tells a Hollywood gossip columnist that "dignity, always dignity" drove him to stardom. A fat lie. It was his willingness to take a punch that snagged him an on-camera spot; his "audition" saw him smacked in the face, flying across the set of a silent western. He hit his mark and was hired.
Dignity can be pretty elusive when you're a jobbing actor. Still, it's worth remembering that casting directors aren't always right. George Clooney tried five times to snag Brad Pitt's part in Thelma and Louise, Robert De Niro was turned down for a role in The Godfather (part 1), while Fred Astaire's screen test report at Rko was, notoriously: "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little.
- 1/6/2011
- by Georgie Hobbs
- The Guardian - Film News
If you were to take a look back at some of the Scenes (Songs) We Love that I have written over time, you might start to notice that I sometimes have some strange taste in music. Well if you didn't think so before, you probably will today, because I am about to share my secret shame with the world: Stephen Bishop's It Might Be You from the 1982 romantic comedy Tootsie is one of my all time favorite love songs -- no irony, no nostalgia, I just straight up love this song.
The song was the love theme to the story of the struggling actor Michael Dorsey, (Dustin Hoffman) who auditions for a role on a soap opera while pretending to be woman, but once he gets the part, he realizes he's going to have to keep up the act. Of course things become even more complicated when Michael/Dorothy...
The song was the love theme to the story of the struggling actor Michael Dorsey, (Dustin Hoffman) who auditions for a role on a soap opera while pretending to be woman, but once he gets the part, he realizes he's going to have to keep up the act. Of course things become even more complicated when Michael/Dorothy...
- 5/5/2010
- by Jessica Barnes
- Cinematical
We start the Top 7. You finish the Top 10.
The old joke is that all actors want to direct. Though it’s maybe not true of all, I still had plenty to choose from in making this list. The directors on this list all started life as actors, some still are, but I’d argue that they’re better known as directors. This month, two well known actresses have tried their hand at direction, Drew Barrymore with Whip It (which was a great movie, I have no idea why it did so badly) and Natalie Portman doing a segment of New York I Love You. Who knows, maybe one (or both) has a second career around the corner.
7. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Directed by John Cassavetes
Recap: A portrait of family in crisis when a woman (Gena Rowlands) goes mad and her husband (Peter Falk) tries to understand it.
Reason:...
The old joke is that all actors want to direct. Though it’s maybe not true of all, I still had plenty to choose from in making this list. The directors on this list all started life as actors, some still are, but I’d argue that they’re better known as directors. This month, two well known actresses have tried their hand at direction, Drew Barrymore with Whip It (which was a great movie, I have no idea why it did so badly) and Natalie Portman doing a segment of New York I Love You. Who knows, maybe one (or both) has a second career around the corner.
7. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Directed by John Cassavetes
Recap: A portrait of family in crisis when a woman (Gena Rowlands) goes mad and her husband (Peter Falk) tries to understand it.
Reason:...
- 10/30/2009
- by Megan Lehar
- The Scorecard Review
Late screenwriter Larry Gelbart accused Dustin Hoffman of refusing to give him credit for writing Tootsie.
Gelbart died last month after a battle with cancer but in an interview conducted a year before his passing, he blamed the actor for declaring it was his pal Murray Schisgal who conceived of the 1982 comedy, about an entertainer who dresses as a woman to find work.
But Gelbart, who won an Academy Award for co-writing the film, was adamant the idea for the screenplay was his own.
He told Mike Sacks, "Tootsie is my vision, despite Dustin Hoffman's lifelong mission to deprive anybody of any credit connected with that movie, except for his close friend, the writer and producer Murray Schisgal.
"I say that because Dustin appeared with James Lipton on (TV series) Inside the Actors Studio in 2006 and declared that the Tootsie idea sprang from Schisgal's intestines. I don't know much about gastroenterology, but I do know that the central theme for Tootsie came from me. And the central theme was that Dustin's character, Michael Dorsey, would become a better man for having been a woman. That was the cornerstone of the film. All of the other details are just floating around that idea."
Gelbart shared his Best Original Screenplay Oscar with Schisgal and Don McGuire.
Gelbart died last month after a battle with cancer but in an interview conducted a year before his passing, he blamed the actor for declaring it was his pal Murray Schisgal who conceived of the 1982 comedy, about an entertainer who dresses as a woman to find work.
But Gelbart, who won an Academy Award for co-writing the film, was adamant the idea for the screenplay was his own.
He told Mike Sacks, "Tootsie is my vision, despite Dustin Hoffman's lifelong mission to deprive anybody of any credit connected with that movie, except for his close friend, the writer and producer Murray Schisgal.
"I say that because Dustin appeared with James Lipton on (TV series) Inside the Actors Studio in 2006 and declared that the Tootsie idea sprang from Schisgal's intestines. I don't know much about gastroenterology, but I do know that the central theme for Tootsie came from me. And the central theme was that Dustin's character, Michael Dorsey, would become a better man for having been a woman. That was the cornerstone of the film. All of the other details are just floating around that idea."
Gelbart shared his Best Original Screenplay Oscar with Schisgal and Don McGuire.
- 10/5/2009
- WENN
In the capable hands of Doug Liman, 2002's The Bourne Identity was able to cast off the creaky shackles of the conventional espionage thriller thanks to a kinetic energy that agreeably propelled the genre into the next millennium.
For The Bourne Supremacy, based on the second novel in the Robert Ludlum series, the director of Swingers and "Go" has gone (he still remains as one of the executive producers) but not before handing the reins to British filmmaker Paul Greengrass.
He's certainly an intriguing choice. For his previous film, the blistering Bloody Sunday, Greengrass brought a vital, documentary feel to his retelling of the 1972 civil rights march in Northern Ireland that ended tragically, with his handheld, darting cameras creating the desired effect of plunging the viewer right into the middle of the chaos.
The director incorporates essentially the same technique to track the further exploits of the amnesia-plagued Jason Bourne, but in this case the jittery fly-on-the-wall approach has the undesired opposite effect of driving a distracting wedge between the viewer and the chief protagonist.
While the picture still has its smartly choreographed moments, that audience disconnect will most likely prevent the Universal release from approaching the $120 million-plus heights of its predecessor.
When we catch up with Matt Damon's Bourne, he and his girlfriend Marie (Franka Potente) are finding it difficult to outrun his murky, haunting past, which has a way of resurfacing with every suspicious phone call and sidewise glance in every new city they attempt to call home.
But that paranoia proves justified after an attempt on his life by a paid assassin. Not to mention the fact that two recent deaths were made to look like Bourne's handiwork.
Determined to track down the responsible parties, Bourne initiates a complex game of cat and mouse with the equally determined Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), a CIA agent who likes to run things her way.
That dynamic begs for a gradually escalating tension that never materializes.
Instead Greengrass, working from a script by Tony Gilroy (who adapted the previous Bourne), relies on those highly caffeinated, handheld quick pans (by cinematographer Oliver Wood) and rapid cuts (courtesy of editors Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson) to establish a feeling of urgency, but like its various post-Cold War European locations, the film remains chilly and distant.
Every time you feel like you're finally grabbing hold of something involving, the picture once again spins frustratingly out of reach.
His actors are certainly up to the task at hand, with Damon, Allen, Brian Cox (as Allen's antagonistic colleague) and Julia Stiles (as a field agent pressed into service as a go-between for Bourne and the CIA) turning in uniformly sturdy and intelligent performances.
The Bourne Supremacy
Universal Pictures
Univesal Pictures presents in association with MP Theta Prods.
a Kennedy/Marshall production in association with Ludlum Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Paul Greengrass
Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy
Based on the novel by: Robert Ludlum
Producers: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Paul L. Sandberg
Executive producers: Doug Liman, Jeffrey M. Weiner, Henry Morrison
Director of photography: Oliver Wood
Production designer: Dominic Watkins
Editors: Christopher Rouse, Richard Pearson
Costume designer: Dinah Collin
Music: John Powell
Cast:
Jason Bourne: Matt Damon
Marie: Franka Potente
Ward Abbott: Brian Cox
Nicky: Julia Stiles
Kirill: Karl Urban
Danny Zorn: Gabriel Mann
Agent Pamela Landy: Joan Allen
MPAA rating: PG-13
Rnning time -- 108 minutes...
For The Bourne Supremacy, based on the second novel in the Robert Ludlum series, the director of Swingers and "Go" has gone (he still remains as one of the executive producers) but not before handing the reins to British filmmaker Paul Greengrass.
He's certainly an intriguing choice. For his previous film, the blistering Bloody Sunday, Greengrass brought a vital, documentary feel to his retelling of the 1972 civil rights march in Northern Ireland that ended tragically, with his handheld, darting cameras creating the desired effect of plunging the viewer right into the middle of the chaos.
The director incorporates essentially the same technique to track the further exploits of the amnesia-plagued Jason Bourne, but in this case the jittery fly-on-the-wall approach has the undesired opposite effect of driving a distracting wedge between the viewer and the chief protagonist.
While the picture still has its smartly choreographed moments, that audience disconnect will most likely prevent the Universal release from approaching the $120 million-plus heights of its predecessor.
When we catch up with Matt Damon's Bourne, he and his girlfriend Marie (Franka Potente) are finding it difficult to outrun his murky, haunting past, which has a way of resurfacing with every suspicious phone call and sidewise glance in every new city they attempt to call home.
But that paranoia proves justified after an attempt on his life by a paid assassin. Not to mention the fact that two recent deaths were made to look like Bourne's handiwork.
Determined to track down the responsible parties, Bourne initiates a complex game of cat and mouse with the equally determined Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), a CIA agent who likes to run things her way.
That dynamic begs for a gradually escalating tension that never materializes.
Instead Greengrass, working from a script by Tony Gilroy (who adapted the previous Bourne), relies on those highly caffeinated, handheld quick pans (by cinematographer Oliver Wood) and rapid cuts (courtesy of editors Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson) to establish a feeling of urgency, but like its various post-Cold War European locations, the film remains chilly and distant.
Every time you feel like you're finally grabbing hold of something involving, the picture once again spins frustratingly out of reach.
His actors are certainly up to the task at hand, with Damon, Allen, Brian Cox (as Allen's antagonistic colleague) and Julia Stiles (as a field agent pressed into service as a go-between for Bourne and the CIA) turning in uniformly sturdy and intelligent performances.
The Bourne Supremacy
Universal Pictures
Univesal Pictures presents in association with MP Theta Prods.
a Kennedy/Marshall production in association with Ludlum Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Paul Greengrass
Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy
Based on the novel by: Robert Ludlum
Producers: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Paul L. Sandberg
Executive producers: Doug Liman, Jeffrey M. Weiner, Henry Morrison
Director of photography: Oliver Wood
Production designer: Dominic Watkins
Editors: Christopher Rouse, Richard Pearson
Costume designer: Dinah Collin
Music: John Powell
Cast:
Jason Bourne: Matt Damon
Marie: Franka Potente
Ward Abbott: Brian Cox
Nicky: Julia Stiles
Kirill: Karl Urban
Danny Zorn: Gabriel Mann
Agent Pamela Landy: Joan Allen
MPAA rating: PG-13
Rnning time -- 108 minutes...
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