Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is a two-time Academy Award-winning, BAFTA-winning, and five-time Golden Globe-winning American actor, known for his diverse acting range and frequent portrayals of offbeat, eccentric characters. His rivalry with fellow Oscar winner Al Pacino is well documented.Hoffman has two children (Karina and Jenna) with his first wife Anne Byrne (married May 1969; divorced in 1980), and four more (Jacob, Maxwell, Rebecca and Alexandra) with wife Lisa Gottsegen, who is an attorney (married since October 1980). Hoffman also has two grandchildren.
A political liberal, Hoffman has long supported the Democratic Party and Ralph Nader.
He is unrelated to fellow Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Robert Duvall was a roommate of Hoffman during their struggling actor years in New York City. Duvall and Hoffman tease each other on the matter of acting training, as Duvall was trained by Sanford Meisner whereas Hoffman was brought up on Lee Strasberg's method acting. Hoffman is good friends with actor Gene Hackman, who was also friends with Duvall during their years as starving actors. Hackman shared an apartment with Hoffman for a time.
Hoffman on a talk show once stated that the Oscars were "obscene, dirty and no better than a beauty contest". When presenting an award at the 1974 Oscar ceremonies, Frank Sinatra responded strongly: "Contrary to what Mr. Hoffman thinks, it is not an obscene evening. It is not garish and it is not embarrassing".
