Geena Davis took advice from Dustin Hoffman to reject the advances of Jack Nicholson
Geena Davis has revealed that she once used advice handed to her by Dustin Hoffman to turn down a sexual advance from Jack Nicholson. Notably, Davis made her film debut in the 1982 comedy Tootsie opposite Hoffman, and it was then that Hoffman gave her some help with dealing with men in the industry.
During a new interview with The New Yorker, Davis disclosed the sharp advice that Hoffman gave her to spurn advances from men, with him suggesting that she tell them: “Well, you’re very attractive. I would love to, but it would ruin the sexual tension between us.”
Davis then explained that she “saved the advice away” and then eventually used it when the colourful Nicholson made his move.
“After Tootsie, my modelling agent took me and a couple of other actor-slash-models to Hollywood to meet casting directors. He happened to know Jack Nicholson, and every single night Jack Nicholson had dinner with us,” she continued.
“Then one day there was a note under the door that said, ‘Please call Jack Nicholson at this number.’ I was, like, I can’t believe it! So I said, ‘Hello, Mr. Nicholson. This is Geena the model. You called me?’ He said, ‘Hey, Geena. When is it gonna happen?'”
Davis concluded: “I was, like, Oh, no – why didn’t I realise this is what it was going to be about? But it immediately came into my head what to say: ‘Uh, Jack, I would love to. You’re very attractive. But I have a feeling we’re going to work together at some point in the future, and I would hate to have ruined the sexual tension between us’. He was, like, ‘Oh, man, where’d you get that?’ So it worked.”
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