Photo Credit: Flickr
Imagine running into your favorite actor at a restaurant and then ending up as their co-star in a blockbuster film. That&rsquo;s exactly what happened to Tom Cruise, who is a self-proclaimed fan of Dustin Hoffman. In a candid conversation at the BFI in London, Cruise shared for the first time how a chance meeting with Hoffman changed his life and career forever.
Cruise recalled the serendipitous moment back in 1984, shortly after finishing Ridley Scott&rsquo;s "Legend". He was in New York visiting his sister, Cass, when they spotted Hoffman in a restaurant.
&ldquo;She said, &lsquo;There&rsquo;s Dustin Hoffman,&rsquo;&rdquo; Cruise remembered. &ldquo;I looked up and there he was, wearing a hat, he was performing in &ldquo;Death of a Salesman", and he was ordering takeout. She insisted, &lsquo;You should go over and say hello to him.&rsquo; I replied, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m not going to say hello.&rsquo; But she wouldn&rsquo;t let it go.&rdquo;
Despite his hesitation, Cass persisted. &ldquo;She finally said, &lsquo;If you don&rsquo;t do it, I&rsquo;m going to go over there and tell him who you are.&rsquo; I told her, &lsquo;He&rsquo;s not going to know who I am. That would be humiliating!&rsquo; But she kept pushing, so I finally gave in,&rdquo; Cruise recounted.
What happened next surprised him. &ldquo;I approached him and said, &lsquo;Excuse me, Mr. Hoffman, I&rsquo;m sorry&hellip;&rsquo; and he responded, &lsquo;Cruise!&rsquo;&rdquo;
Not only did Hoffman recognize him, but he also generously offered tickets to "Death of a Salesman" and invited Cruise and his sister backstage. As they parted ways, Hoffman said, "I want to make a movie with you.&rdquo; Cruise recalled responding, &ldquo;That would be nice, sir.&rdquo; A year later, Hoffman sent him the script for "Rain Man".&nbsp;
"Rain Man," directed by Barry Levinson, is about Charlie Babbitt (Cruise). He is a fast-talking businessman who learns that his estranged brother Raymond (Hoffman), who has autism and is a math genius, has received their father&rsquo;s fortune.
The film, released in 1988, was both a hit with critics and audiences. It won four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Hoffman, and Best Original Screenplay. This success also helped Cruise establish himself in Hollywood as more than just a rising star; he became a major player in the industry.
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