Ruth C. Sullivan family member with developmental disabilities. She retired from the Autism Services Center on November 1, 2007 at the age of 83. Sullivan assisted in the production of the 1988 movie "Rain Man" by serving as a consultant on autistic behavior, and Dustin Hoffman worked with Sullivan and her son Joseph, who has autism, when practicing for his role. Hoffman thanked her and Joseph in his Oscar speech. Sullivan has the last credit in the movie, and the extended DVD version features an interview with Joe. (Joe Sullivan was not the only inspiration for Hoffman's role; the role was originally written
Philip Seymour Hoffman by the Screen Actors Guild. On stage in 2009, Hoffman played Iago in Peter Sellars' futuristic production of "Othello" (with the title role by John Ortiz), which received mixed reviews. Ben Brantley, theatre critic of "The New York Times", found it to be "exasperatingly misconceived", remarking that even when Hoffman is attempting to "manipulate others into self-destruction, he comes close to spoiling everything by erupting into genuine, volcanic fury". Hoffman also did his first vocal performance for the claymation film "Mary and Max", although the film did not initially have an American release. He played Max, a depressed New Yorker