In the film, their relationship was strained, their real-life rapport even more sour, yet they achieved success together: the infamous duo whose lives and careers intersected.
In the early days of filming for the 1979 classic 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' a controversial incident took place between its two leading stars, Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. At the time, Streep was just 29 years old and relatively unknown in Hollywood. However, her extraordinary performance as Joanna Kramer would catapult her into stardom, earning her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Hoffman, on the other hand, was at the peak of his career, delivering a powerful performance as Ted Kramer that earned him an Oscar for Best Actor. However, the set was far from peaceful. Hoffman had a reputation for being demanding and his behavior intensified during the film's production. An incident occurred on the first days of filming where Hoffman slapped Streep without warning. The toxic chemistry between the two characters in the film faithfully reflected the conflicts they experienced off-screen. Hoffman's behavior created a tense atmosphere for the entire production team. Despite this, Streep continued acting and confirmed the incident in a 2018 interview. In response, Hoffman publicly apologized for his behavior, stating that he has the utmost respect for women and that he feels terrible if anything he did made Streep feel uncomfortable. Streep, however, was not deterred. She developed professional protection mechanisms, including setting clear boundaries and demanding respect. One of her most notable contributions was rewriting her courtroom speech, transforming the character of Joanna from a one-dimensional villain into a complex and vulnerable woman. Robert Benton, the director of the film, praised Streep's rewritten dialogue, calling it 'wonderful.' Hoffman also used psychological tactics on Justin Henry, who played Billy, to get authentic emotional reactions during filming. Despite their success on-screen, Hoffman and Streep never worked together in another film after 'Kramer vs. Kramer.' In 2012, during a BAFTA event, Hoffman cried on stage while speaking about the film, revealing that he was going through a divorce, partying with drugs, and was exhausted during filming. The film went on to become a huge success, grossing over $173 million worldwide and winning five Oscars, including the two for Hoffman and Streep. The producer of the film was Stanley R. Jaffe, who had previously been a producer on the film 'The Door.' Years later, Streep declared on 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross' that she had forgiven Hoffman for his behavior on the set of 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' but that she was very angry on the day of the slap incident. Despite the past, the impact of their work together continues to resonate in cinema history.
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