Dustin Hoffman describes the director of The Graduate as a sadist

Dustin Hoffman shares insights from his upcoming memoir, detailing his challenging experience filming "The Graduate" in 1967. He felt humiliated as the director, Mike Nichols, attempted to alter his appearance to fit a specific image. Hoffman describes the discomfort of being made to sit in makeup for hours and recalls a particularly grueling scene where he was slapped 27 times by co-star Katharine Ross, which ultimately did not make it into the film. He also suffered a ruptured eardrum during underwater scenes, adding to his distress. Despite the film's success, Hoffman viewed the experience as traumatic, feeling that Nichols harbored doubts about his suitability for the role.