Dustin Hoffman describes why he loves the film: Next came director Barry Levinson's "Rain Man" (1988), where Hoffman starred as an autistic savant, opposite Tom Cruise. Levinson, Hoffman and Cruise worked for two years on the film, and Hoffman's performance gained him his second Academy Award. Behind Hoffman's motivation for doing the film, he has said, "Deep inside, "Rain Man" is about how autistic we all are." In preparation for the part, Hoffman spent two years befriending autistic people, which included taking them bowling and to fast food restaurants. "It fed my obsession," he has stated. Hoffman worked at the New York
Dustin Hoffman Hoffman then studied at Actors Studio and became a dedicated method actor. Sidney W. Pink, a producer and 3D-movie pioneer, discovered him in one of his off-Broadway roles and cast him in "Madigan's Millions". Through the early and mid-1960s, Hoffman made appearances in television shows and movies, including "Naked City", "The Defenders" and "Hallmark Hall of Fame". His first critical success was in the play "Eh?", by Henry Livings, which had its U.S. premiere at the Circle in the Square Downtown on October 16, 1966. Hoffman made his film debut in "The Tiger Makes Out" in 1967, alongside Eli Wallach.