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Why Dustin Hoffman Turned Down The Lead In One Of Martin Scorsese's Greatest Movies

By Witney Seibold

May 16, 2026 7:00 pm EST

Warner Bros.

In the mid-1970s, Dustin Hoffman was already rolling high. He had scored his breakout role in Mike Nichols' 1967 dramedy "The Graduate," a film that, adjusted for inflation, made more money at the North American box office than "The Dark Knight," "The Avengers," and "Jurassic World." That's correct: A moody, cynical coming-of-age movie about a young man being seduced by an older woman did modern franchise tentpole business in its day. "The Graduate" was also nominated for seven Academy Awards, with Hoffman getting a Best Actor nod.

Two years later, Hoffman appeared in the Best Picture winner "Midnight Cowboy," which landed him another Best Actor Oscar nomination. Then, not to be outdone, he was nominated for Best Actor a third time for his turn in Bob Fosse's 1974 biographical drama "Lenny." Yeah, Hoffman was kind of a big deal and was, as one can see, in decidedly high demand back then.

Indeed, sometime in the middle of all this, Hoffman was approached by a rising director named Martin Scorsese. Between 1967 and 1974, Scorsese had made four movies, having announced himself as an artist to pay attention to. His 1973 film "Mean Streets" was lauded endlessly by critics, and his 1974 drama "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was nominated for three Oscars (with Ellen Burstyn winning for her lead performance). So, given their mutual stature in Hollywood, it would've made sense for Scorsese and Hoffman to collaborate on something.

As it so happens, Scorsese tried to net Hoffman for the role of Travis Bickle in his then-upcoming 1976 classic-in-the-making "Taxi Driver." Hoffman, however, wasn't actively following Scorsese's career at the time, didn't know who the filmmaker was, and was baffled by the project's lack of a script when Scorsese pitched it to him. As such, he turned the offer down.

Dustin Hoffman passed on Taxi Driver after being baffled by Martin Scorsese's pitch

Columbia Pictures

Years later, Dustin Hoffman recounted Martin Scorsese pitching him "Taxi Driver" on "Late Show with David Letterman":

"Honest, this guy came up to see me. [.] He was a little guy. He said his name was Marty Scorsese, and he started talking to me about ['Taxi Driver']. I didn't know what he was talking about. There was no script. He was going on and on and on and on, talking a mile a minute. After he left, I said, 'Who is that guy?' And I think he may have been asking me for it because he was trying to raise the money for it."

So, Hoffman missed out on "Taxi Driver," but it wasn't necessarily a bad decision. Instead, 1976 saw him appear opposite Robert Redford in the Best Picture Oscar-nominated "All the President's Men" while also starring alongside Laurence Olivier in the celebrated thriller "Marathon Man." If one is going to miss out on "Taxi Driver," then working on "All the President's Men" and "Marathon Man" is not at all a bad way to make up for that. And Hoffman has kept the good times rolling ever since then, starring in interesting director-driven films and commercial hits alike. He didn't have to wait long to finally snag a Best Actor Oscar, either, winning for 1979's generational touchstone divorce drama "Kramer vs. Kramer."

As for "Taxi Driver," it might have been just as excellent with Dustin Hoffman handling the lead role instead of Robert De Niro. Hoffman isn't known for playing heavies and menacing figures like De Niro, but a Travis Bickle with Hoffman's nervous, twitchy energy would have been just as terrifying. Scorsese made the right choice, natch, but Hoffman could have pulled it off.