Dustin Hoffman says his experience filming *The Graduate* in 1967 was a “terrible experience,” despite the film becoming a career-defining success. He raises the account in an excerpt from an upcoming memoir and in coverage that also points to an essay where he discusses what went on during production.
Multiple outlets report that Hoffman describes director Mike Nichols as having him subjected to repeated physical slaps for a scene, and frames the episode as involving a form of on-set “sadism.” While the reports align on Hoffman’s broad claim that the filming was unpleasant, they differ in how specifically they emphasize the memoir versus the essay, and how they characterize the director’s role in the moment.
Overall, the coverage centers on Hoffman’s retrospective comments about a landmark film and his portrayal of what he endured during shooting, with outlets focusing either on the memoir angle or on the detailed slap account.
