BRAVO'S 'INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO' WELCOMES MILESTONE 200TH GUEST DUSTIN HOFFMAN AS HE DISHES ON HIS LIFE, CAREER AND THE ROLES THAT MADE HIM FAMOUS

BRAVO'S 'INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO' WELCOMES MILESTONE 200TH GUEST DUSTIN HOFFMAN AS HE DISHES ON HIS LIFE, CAREER AND THE ROLES THAT MADE HIM FAMOUS

SPECIAL TWO-HOUR EPISODE PREMIERES SUNDAY, JUNE 25 FROM 9:00 - 11:00 PM/ET

New York, NY � June 14, 2006 - This summer, Bravo's "Inside the Actors Studio" proudly rolls out the red carpet for Dustin Hoffman as the eleven-time Emmy-nominated series commemorates its 200th guest. James Lipton sits down for a candid tell-all of Hoffman's life and career as one of the most prominent actors of his time. This special two-hour episode premieres Sunday, June 25 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

Born in Los Angeles, Hoffman originally planned to be a concert pianist before turning to acting. He gained experience at the Pasadena Playhouse for two years, honing his craft before moving to New York City. There Hoffman worked a series of odd jobs before landing bit parts in Broadway and off-Broadway shows. He made his film debut with "The Tiger Makes Out," but didn't gain infamy until his breakout role in "The Graduate." His performance earned him an Oscar nomination, and led to other memorable and Oscar-nominated roles in "Midnight Cowboy," "Rainman" and "Kramer vs. Kramer." Hoffman also went on to produce and star in many films such as "Tootsie" and "Wag the Dog," and also returned to Broadway as Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman."

During his interview with Lipton, Hoffman candidly speaks on a range of topics:

ON HIS HORRIBLE AUDITION FOR THE FILM THAT MADE HIM FAMOUS, "THE GRADUATE": "I went to shake the prop guy's hand, and all my subway tokens fell out (of my pocket). And he picked them up and handed them back to me, saying 'Here kid, you're gonna need these.'"

ON WHAT MOVIES AFFECTED HIM WHEN HE WAS A CHILD: "Oh, I identified with Dumbo. He had the ears, but I had the nose."

ON HIS FIRST LEADING ROLE AS TINY TIM IN GRADESCHOOL: "I was dared to say 'God bless us all, Goddammit.' I was suspended (again)."

ON HIS MOTIVATION TO BECOME AN ACTOR "A friend told me to take acting, and I asked him 'Why? I don't want to act.' And he said 'Because no one failed acting.'"

ON FRIEND AND FELLOW PASADENA PLAYHOUSE MEMBER, GENE HACKMAN: "It's not that he wasn't asked back (to Pasadena Playhouse). He was kicked out after 3 months! They said he had no talent."

ON THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS CHARACTER ENRICO SALVATORE "RATSO" RIZZO IN "MIDNIGHT COWBOY": "I went out looking for a limp - a limp that was so graphically described in the novel. And I found this guy on 42nd street -and I was following him for the limp - and then the light changes, and he's the first to cross. Even with his limp! And I thought 'that's my guy.'"

ON HIS REASONS TO PLAY A WOMAN IN THE FILM "TOOTSIE": "If I had met myself (as a woman) at a party, I wouldn't go up and talk to myself. And I thought, but I was very interesting! I'd be a very interesting woman. And look what I'd be missing out on."

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed drama series, movies, comedy and music specials, and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 80 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Blow Out", "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List", "Inside the Actors Studio," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye" and the Emmy-nominated hit competition series, "Project Runway."

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information visit www.bravotv.com.