OVERLAY REPORT

In *Kramer vs. Kramer* (1979), the lead actor is **Dustin Hoffman**, who played Ted Kramer (the father). His performance earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor. **Meryl Streep** starred opposite him as Joanna Kramer and won Best Supporting Actress, though many consider her a lead as well. Since you likely recognize Hoffman from a variety of iconic roles across different decades, here is a comprehensive look at his filmography with specific details to help you identify where you've seen him. ### The Most Iconic Roles * ***The Graduate* (1967):** Hoffman’s breakout role. He played Benjamin Braddock, the awkward college graduate who is seduced by the older Mrs. Robinson. * ***Midnight Cowboy* (1969):** He played "Ratso" Rizzo, a sickly, limping street hustler in New York City. This is where his famous improvised line "I'm walkin' here!" comes from. * ***All the President's Men* (1976):** He played journalist Carl Bernstein (alongside Robert Redford as Bob Woodward) investigating the Watergate scandal. * ***Tootsie* (1982):** He played Michael Dorsey, a difficult actor who disguises himself as a woman (Dorothy Michaels) to land a role on a soap opera. * ***Rain Man* (1988):** He played Raymond Babbitt, an autistic savant, traveling cross-country with his brother (played by Tom Cruise). This role won him his second Oscar. * ***Hook* (1991):** He was unrecognizable under heavy makeup as the villainous **Captain Hook** in Steven Spielberg’s Peter Pan sequel. * ***Meet the Fockers* (2004):** He played Bernie Focker, the eccentric, hippie father of Ben Stiller’s character. --- ### Full Filmography (Chronological) If you are looking for a specific film, you may have seen him in one of these: #### 1960s – 1970s (The "New Hollywood" Era) * **The Tiger Makes Out (1967):** His film debut. * **Madigan's Million (1968):** A comedy-thriller where he plays a bumbling inspector. * **John and Mary (1969):** A romantic drama with Mia Farrow. * **Little Big Man (1970):** He played Jack Crabb, a 121-year-old man reflecting on his life in the Old West. * **Straw Dogs (1971):** A controversial thriller about a quiet mathematician defending his home. * **Papillon (1973):** He played Louis Dega, a prisoner attempting to escape a French penal colony with Steve McQueen. * **Lenny (1974):** A biopic of the provocative comedian Lenny Bruce. * **Marathon Man (1976):** Famous for the "Is it safe?" torture scene; he plays a grad student caught in a Nazi conspiracy. * **Straight Time (1978):** A gritty crime drama where he plays an ex-con. * **Agatha (1979):** A fictionalized account of Agatha Christie's disappearance. #### 1980s – 1990s (The Blockbuster Years) * **Ishtar (1987):** A famous box-office flop comedy where he and Warren Beatty play untalented lounge singers. * **Dick Tracy (1990):** He played the mumble-mouthed gangster "Mumbles." * **Billy Bathgate (1991):** A mob drama where he played Dutch Schultz. * **Outbreak (1995):** He played a military doctor fighting a deadly virus. * **Sleepers (1996):** He played a washed-up, alcoholic lawyer. * **Wag the Dog (1997):** He played a Hollywood producer hired to fake a war to distract from a presidential scandal. * **Sphere (1998):** A sci-fi thriller about a mysterious object on the ocean floor. #### 2000s – Present (Later Roles & Voice Work) * **Finding Neverland (2004):** He played theater owner Charles Frohman. * **I Heart Huckabees (2004):** He played an "existential detective." * **Stranger Than Fiction (2006):** He played a literary professor helping Will Ferrell. * **Kung Fu Panda Series (2008–2024):** He provides the voice for the red panda mentor, **Master Shifu**. * **Barney's Version (2010):** He played the father of Paul Giamatti’s character. * **The Meyerowitz Stories (2017):** He played the patriarch of a dysfunctional family (with Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller). * **Megalopolis (2024):** A recent role in Francis Ford Coppola's experimental epic. ### A Note on Meryl Streep If you were thinking of the "lead actress," Meryl Streep has an equally massive filmography. You likely know her from **The Devil Wears Prada** (Miranda Priestly), **Mamma Mia!** (Donna), **Sophie’s Choice**, and **Out of Africa**.