By Karim Hammam
Dustin Hoffman has described the making of the 1967 classic "The Graduate" as a "terrible experience," revealing in his new autobiography that he was slapped 27 times by co-star Katharine Ross at the direction of Mike Nichols.
Autobiography Details On-Set Ordeal
In an extract published by The New Yorker from his memoir "Look at Me," the 89-year-old actor wrote that he felt immediately uncomfortable and unworthy during production, suspecting Nichols was angry at him or realized he had miscast the lead role.
Director's 'Sadism' Criticized
Hoffman claimed Nichols displayed a "certain sadism" on set, repeatedly ordering Ross to hit him harder during a scene where her character discovers his affair with her mother. Ross worried about hurting him, and Hoffman told her to avoid his ear, but she missed a few times, leaving him dizzy.
Injury From Repeated Takes
The actor also recounted puncturing an eardrum after an underwater scene filmed shortly after the slapping sequence, attributing the injury to the combination of repeated blows and water pressure. Nichols, who died in 2014, did not ultimately use the slap in the final film.
Hoffman's autobiography is scheduled for publication on November 10. The Oscar-winning actor went on to star in films such as "Midnight Cowboy," "All the President's Men," "Kramer vs. Kramer," and "Rain Man."
