Dustin Hoffman: 5 Awesome Performances & 5 That Sucked
2. Ratso Rizzo - Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Hoffman wanted to break away from the typecasting he received after The Graduate, so he went in the complete opposite direction for Midnight Cowboy, where he plays a ratty, nasally voiced con man. Hoffman wanted the role so much he slicked back his hair, dirtied up his face and wore homeless clothing for his first meeting with the director; he won the role on the spot. He completely inhabits the character of Ratso, who is a sickly hustler with dreams of making a better life for himself. The relationship he forms with Jon Voights character comes out of necessity for both of them, but it becomes genuinely touching the more their friendship develops. The final scenes on the bus to Miami are the most heartbreaking of the film, and showed Hoffmans critics he was capable of playing any role he put his mind to. It says a lot that Ratsos most famous line Im walkin here! was improvised in the moment, and has since been voted one of the most popular lines in cinema.
