The Graduate
If you ever watched The Graduate, you know there’s no one else who could’ve played Benjamin as well as Dustin Hoffman did. Apparently, it isn’t only me who thinks so, as the movie’s director Mike Nichols refused to cast Hollywood heartthrob Robert Redford as the lead character.
Mike Nichols once recalled an encounter he had with the actor to discuss the lead role. The director expressed doubt that Redford could convincingly play a character who is a loser, but the actor was confident he could take such a role. Nichols then asked if Redford had ever experienced rejection from a woman, which left the actor confused – as I bet he had never even heard such a word before.