Although the industry has innumerable young and talented directors working today, there’s no living filmmaker who represents the institution of filmmaking quite like the greatMartin Scorsese. Withover half a centuryand dozens of great films under his belt, Scorsese is perhaps the most influential artist of his generation, and seems to still approach his craft with the same enthusiasm that he did in his youth. Beyond his incredible work behind the camera,Scorsese has helped to produce and promote filmsby the next generation of great directors, and often chimes in when discussing relevant issues of film discourse. Given his undeniable reputation, it can be challenging to remember that Scorsese was once a scrappy young filmmaker who was having trouble getting his project made. Scorsese hit a hurdle during the production ofTaxi Driverwhen the A-list starDustin Hoffmanturned down the lead role.
Taxi Driver
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Why Dustin Hoffman Turned Down Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’
While Scorsese had certainly proven that he was capable of crafting seedy, ethically dubious films aboutthe New York City criminal underworldwith his breakthrough filmMean Streets,Taxi Driverwas arguably the most ambitious project of his career at that point. UnlikeMean Streets, which tellsa more accessible story about the relationship between crime and faith,Taxi Driverfollows a thoroughly unlikable anti-hero whose actions incidentally become the subject of a political movement.Taxi Driverrequired a brave performance at its center from an actor willing to take risks.If handled properly,Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle could be the greatest cinematic anti-hero sinceJohn Wayne’s Ethan Edwards inThe Searchers.
Given the critical challenge that the role presented, Scorsese needed to ensure that the actor cast as Bickle was capable of crafting a character who was both compulsively watchable and utterly terrifying; while the audience needed to be somewhat engaged in Bickle’s trauma, it needed to be clear that he presented a danger to society at large. Given how few actors could have pulled off these dueling responsibilities, it is unsurprising that Scorsese turned to Hoffman for the role. Hoffman’s career was peaking, as he had earned Academy Award nominations for playing the unwitting bachelorBenjamin Braddock inThe Graduateand the streetwise hustler Ratso Rizzo in theBest Picture winnerMidnight Cowboy.
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These two highly acclaimed roles suggested that Hoffman could capture the unique worldview of Bickle; if he merged the perpetual ignorance of Braddock with grounded intensity, Hoffman could easily capture the warped worldview that was essential forTaxi Driver. Unfortunately, it was a casting that wasn’t meant to be, asHoffman revealed that he wasn’t soldon Scorsese’s initial outline for the story. Although Scorsese had attempted to explain what he had in mind forTaxi Driver’s unique visuals, Hoffman was cagey about joining the project becausePaul Schrader’s script was not yet complete. Although he felt that Scorsese was “crazy” at the time, Hoffman later cited turning down the role asone of the biggest regrets of his career.
Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’ Would’ve Been a Risk for Dustin Hoffman
While turning down what would become a quintessential American classic was certainly a major blunder,Hoffman’s concerns aboutTaxi Driverwere not entirely unreasonable. The film had a notoriously challenging production, and began shooting in themidst of a garbage workers strikethat left the set stinking. While Scorsese was intent on shooting the film on practical locations in New York, the lack of proper equipment available meant he had to rely on natural light and the city’s patterns to produceTaxi Driver’s unique visual hue. Although these barriers within the production ultimately forced Scorsese to get inventive and take bold risks that paid off, it may have been hard for Hoffman to envision that before signing on.
Hoffman’s hesitations are also understandable given thatScorsese was not a household name at the time ofTaxi Driver’s release. WhileMean StreetsandAlice Doesn’t Live Here Anymorehad both been well-received, they didn’t receive the mainstream accolades that Hoffman’s films had so often been decorated with. This was a period in Hoffman’s career where he seemed interested in only working with experienced industry veterans with extensive track records; he had been working onthe WesternLittle Big Manwith the iconArthur Penn,and later the prison dramaPapillonwith the Academy Award winnerFranklin J. Schaffner. Despite Scorsese’s enthusiasm aboutTaxi Driver, the film was by no means a safe bet for success.
How Would ‘Taxi Driver’ Have Changed Hoffman’s Career?
While Hoffman’s refusal may linger as one of his greatest regrets,Robert De Niro proved to be the perfect actor to play Bickle. Havingpreviously worked with Scorsese onMean Streets, De Niro understood the intense tone and flagrant dark humor that his director required. While De Niro had already been an acclaimed star, having won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work inThe Godfather: Part II, his performance inTaxi Driversolidifiedhis working relationship with Scorsese that continues to this day.
While he missed out on appearing inone of Scorsese’s greatest films ever,Hoffman’s career did not suffer as a result of him turning downTaxi Driver.The same year of the film’s release, Hoffman appeared in two other ambitious projects that would become future classics;All the President’s Menproved to be one of Hollywood’smost incisive commentaries on the scandalous Watergate incident, andMarathon Manbecame a neo-noir classic that allowed him to work with the late greatLaurence Olivierin one of his last roles.
While it’s hard to imagine anyone but De Niro as Bickle,Hoffman hasn’t shied away from playing dark anti-heroes.He had previously played the violent loner David Sumner in the 1971 thrillerStraw Dogs, and captured the twisted psychology of the comedianLenny BruceinBob Fosse’s biopicLenny. However, his ambition to do morebroad comedies likeTootsiein the immediate aftermath may not have been possible had audiences begun to associate him with characters as disturbing as Bickle.
Taxi Driveris available to stream on The Roku Channel in the U.S.
