Many actors want to play Hamlet and Macbeth. Ever since I became an actor, from the very beginning I just wanted to play a Shetland pony. I cannot explain why
Dustin HoffmanI decided to become an actor because I was failing in school and I needed the credits.
Dustin HoffmanOne thing about being successful is that I stopped being afraid of dying. Once you're a star you're dead already. You're embalmed.
Dustin HoffmanThe truth is, the older you get, the less variety of parts you are offered. If you're a star and you've spent most of your career being able to take your pick of the litter, you notice when the offers start to diminish. You're too old to play leads, so you're offered the supporting role - but many stars don't want to make that transition. They see it as a sign of symbolic impotence. And that the audience will no longer regard them as a star. I love acting, and I'm not going to determine what I do based on what I fear other people might think. I do what I want to do.
Dustin Hoffman