Dustin Hoffman's Star Shines Bright at Lincoln Center Tribute
By Nitzan Koshet
Fashion Wire Daily - New York - On Monday night, the Film Society at Lincoln Center honored Dustin Hoffman with a star-studded gala sponsored by Lincoln, Bulgari, Bombay Sapphire, American Airlines and Mandarin Oriental. Paying tribute to the legendary thespian were Robert DeNiro, Kevin Bacon, Mike Nichols, Jennifer Beals and David O. Russell, the director of I Heart Huckabees.Ira Resnick, Chairman of the Film Society, opened the evening with a welcoming speech praising the magnificent work of Hoffman. Mike Nichols followed with a speech describing casting and directing Hoffman in "The Graduate," the film that made the actor a star. Bacon, Beals, Russell and Justin Henry, the child actor from Kramer vs. Kramer, each gave a speech to honor Hoffman as well.The guests attending also enjoyed unforgettable Dustin Hoffman film moments from movies such as "The Graduate," "Midnight Cowboy," "Marathon Man," "Rain Man," "I Heart Huckabees" and "Meet the Fockers."Robert DeNiro, who co-stared with Hoffman in several films - most recently "Meet the Fockers"- closed the tributes, warmly hollering towards Hoffman, seated in the audience section, "Here's for doing it right!"Later, in his own thank you speech, Hoffman noted the fact that "Robert DeNiro speaking" is an honor in itself.Hoffman also admitted his decision to go into acting was based on the fact that he was failing all his college courses and a friend telling him that "nobody flunks acting."Through acting, Hoffman found focus for the first time in his life, and recalled that while he had felt like a failure in the past, he took comfort in the thought that while most actors are unemployed, they are still actors. "At least it's respectful [being an unemployed actor]," he said of the career choice that later made him a star.Today, of course, the two-time Academy Award winner (and seven-time nominee) is one of the most respected actors in the industry with roles that have made him a film legend.The Film Society's honor is awarded each year to a major figure in the film industry with a distinguished body of work. Past honorees have included Michael Caine, Susan Sarandon, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Fonda, Al Pacino, Mike Nichols, Martin Scorsese, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood and Charlie Chaplin, who was the first person to receive the award.
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