Dustin Hoffman, known for his role in “Tootsie” where he dressed in drag, kept a serious secret from the public. In 2013, the “Rain Man” actor, then 75, revealed he had secretly been treated for throat cancer. The disease was surgically cured, but he didn’t talk about it further.
Hoffman’s acting career took off in 1967 with “The Graduate,” which earned him his first Oscar nomination. He went on to star in classic films like “All the President’s Men” in 1976 and “Kramer vs. Kramer” in 1979, winning an Academy Award for Best Actor.
In 1983, he starred in “Tootsie,” playing an actor who dresses as a woman to get a role on a soap opera.
In the hit film “Tootsie,” where Dustin Hoffman dressed as a woman, he was told he wasn’t very pretty. This upset him deeply.
“I wanted to be as beautiful as possible if I was going to be a woman, but they told me, ‘That’s as good as it gets,’” Hoffman said in an interview.
Hearing this made him cry, and it changed how he views and treats women. He realized that if he met his character at a party, he wouldn’t talk to her because she didn’t fit society’s standards of beauty.
Although “Tootsie” was one of the highest-grossing films of the year (with “E.T. The Extraterrestrial” being the top), Hoffman didn’t find it funny.
Despite this, Hoffman became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors. He won his second Oscar for “Rain Man” in 1988 and went on to earn six Golden Globes and one Primetime Emmy.
By 2013, Hoffman, who was still active in his career, became quiet and kept a low profile.
A few months after Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut with the British comedy *Quartet* in 2012, and right after finishing filming *Chef* in 2014 with Jon Favreau and Sofia Vergara, his publicist shared why he had been out of the spotlight.
Publicist Jodi Gottlieb told People (via ABC News) that Hoffman had been treated for cancer, which he had kept private. She said, “It was detected early, and he has been surgically cured. Dustin is feeling great and is in good health.”
While the exact type of cancer was not specified, it is believed he had throat cancer. At the time, Hoffman was 75 and would continue with preventative treatments to lower the risk of it coming back.
Even after this news, Hoffman didn’t slow down. He continued to lend his voice to Master Shifu in *Kung Fu Panda* films and appeared in movies like *Sam and Kate* in 2022 and the sci-fi drama *Megalopolis* in 2024.
In early March, 2024, Hello! reports that Hoffman and his wife Lisa Gottsegen – whom he married in 1980 – were spotted strolling through London together, sharing some sweet public displays of affection.
Hoffman married Gottsegen added four children to his brood of two that he started with his ex-wife Anne Byrne.
The outlet writes, “The Hollywood legend looked years younger than 86 as he smiled and waved at the cameras. He was tanned and carefree as he strolled through the city and ducked into boutiques with his wife of 43 years.“
Though Hoffman has never spoken publicly about his battle with cancer, it appears he’s doing very well.
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