When Dustin Hoffman slapped Meryl Streep for a movie

According to a new biography of Meryl Streep that was released recently, her critically acclaimed performance in Kramer vs Kramer was the result of Dustin Hoffman’s slapping and taunting. The Dailymail.co.uk reports that Dustin had allegedly slapped Meryl in the face and made fun of her recently deceased partner — The Godfather actor John Cazale — so that she would be able to pull off a realistically emotional performance.

An excerpt from the book also read, “Reality and fiction had become blurry. When Dustin looked across the table, he saw not just an actress making a scene suggestion but shades of Anne Byrne, his soon-to-be ex-wife. In Joanna Kramer, and by extension Meryl Streep, he saw the woman making his life hell.”