“Runaway Jury” marks the first time Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman have starred in a movie together. In this interview with the two legendary actors, Hackman and Hoffman discuss life as roommates, their careers, and working on “Runaway Jury” together.
This is the third time you’ve played a villain in a John Grisham movie. What’s the attraction?
HACKMAN: It just worked out that way. I wasn't searching for that. It's just one of those things.
You play despicable so well. Is that the real you coming out?
HACKMAN: Well, it's part of me [laughing]. What you always try to do is use various things in our personalities that we may not find attractive, but we find them useful.
How good of a housemate was Dustin back in the day?
HACKMAN: He was the worst. We had to hose the rooms down and sweep them out.
HOFFMAN: I slept on his floor because he had this small bedroom and then, he had this little teeny bit larger room where there was the stove with a board over it. Next to the stove was a tub, which was also the sink, and it had a board over it. I would have to take a bath while they were making breakfast. There was also a toilet next to the bath, and all he's thinking about is that when I had to have my morning bathroom, I didn't care whether they were making eggs or not. He's held that against me for forty years.
HACKMAN: It's true.
Did you two dream of being movie stars then? Would you have thought that was crazy?
HACKMAN: I would've been happy with an off, off-Broadway job and that's what happened. We both started in something like that.
HOFFMAN: Gene Hackman lent me to Bob Duvall because it was the only way he could get me out of his apartment. It's true. I was supposed to stay there for two days and I was there for about three weeks. Bob was working all night at the post office, Gene was working for the Greenwich Village Moving Company, I didn't have a job yet, and the three of us rented out together for years. Each one had a different acting gig and this was coming off of the day with Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson and Troy Donahue and good-looking guys and 'Bonanza.' We were character types meaning we're ugly [laughing].
HACKMAN: Speak for yourself.
HOFFMAN: Well, I was more ugly. It's true. If God had come down and said, “The three of you sign a contract now. You will never get very far, but you'll work. I'll give you a part in an off, off-Broadway show for the rest of your life,” we would've signed in a New York minute. I still don't understand it.
What changed in Hollywood that allowed you to be stars?
HOFFMAN: A decline in the culture [laughing].
HACKMAN: Everyone has a chance if you're lucky enough to find the property. We all three individually were very fortunate.
What do you see as the project that changed your fortune?
HOFFMAN: By the way, just a piece of trivia, the first time that we would have worked together would've been “The Graduate.” Gene was cast as Mr. Robinson and we rehearsed for three weeks. It was at Paramount and Gene and I are in the Paramount bathroom, and I think, in my memory, about six urinals separate us. He looks over at me as he's taking a leak, saying, “I'm going to get fired.” And I said, “What are you talking about?” He said, “I'm getting fired today. I can feel it.” And he did, and that opened his career up because Warren Beatty said, “He's not doing it?” And he put him in “Bonnie and Clyde.”
