Dustin Hoffman Says ‘The Graduate’ Slap Scene Took 27 Takes and Was Cut

Dustin Hoffman has recalled the difficult conditions surrounding his breakthrough role in The Graduate, saying the production was a painful experience despite ultimately changing his life. He shared the account in a guest article for The New Yorker.

Hoffman was struggling to find acting work and earn money when director Mike Nichols approached his agent in the mid-1960s. Nichols wanted him to play Benjamin Braddock, the lead in his film adaptation of Charles Webb’s novel.

According to Hoffman, he initially believed he was unsuitable for the part. Braddock was presented as a wealthy, typically American young man, an athletics star, top student and debate-team leader—very different from how Hoffman viewed himself. His agent persuaded him to audition, and Nichols eventually chose him.

Rather than feeling triumphant, Hoffman said he immediately felt uncomfortable and undeserving. He was intimidated by Nichols, whom he described as known for mood swings and frequent irritation. Hoffman often feared he would be fired and said he felt he did not know what he was doing while filming some of the movie’s most famous sequences.

He specifically recalled a scene in which Katharine Ross had to slap him. Nichols reportedly ordered 27 takes, repeatedly telling Ross to hit Hoffman harder. She tried not to hurt him, but struck his ear several times, leaving him dizzy. The scene, which showed Benjamin arriving soaked from the rain to tell Elaine that he had been having an affair with an older woman—who turns out to be her mother—was ultimately cut from the film.

Hoffman said the effects continued into the following day, when he filmed an underwater sequence. After resurfacing, he noticed that his ear was bleeding. He attributed the injury to the previous day’s slaps combined with the water pressure and said his eardrum had been damaged.

The Graduate was released in cinemas on December 22, 1967, and became a success. Hoffman received a Golden Globe for newcomer of the year, while Nichols won the Oscar for best director.

Sources: Der Spiegel.