‘The Graduate’: the movie rejection that “still hurts” Gene Hackman
As an actor, when your job is to be emotionally vulnerable and transparent, it can be hard to hide your hurt over the losses and rejections that come with being in the business. The highs are as crushing as the lows, with a stream of constant rejection, lack of privacy and the inherent dehumanisation of fame that you can imagine would lead you to slightly lose your mind. However, for actors who are deeply committed to their craft, perhaps the most painful rejection comes when auditioning for a role that you desperately want and being told that the part went to someone else.
In situations like these, we are often told that it ‘isn’t personal’ despite the fact that it very much feels personal. For Gene Hackman, this was a tough pill to swallow, as the actor lost out on a part in one of the most iconic films to emerge from the New Hollywood era.
The Graduate is one of the most influential films of all time, speaking to a generation of lost and disillusioned young people with a rebellious streak that highlighted a bigger societal shift. Following a young man who becomes involved in a secretive affair with an older and married woman, the story explores someone who feels powerless in making decisions about their own life and who exists as a symbol of upper-class norms.
Ben Braddock, the lead character, is trapped by the future that has been pushed onto him by his parents, subconsciously seeking a new way to assert his autonomy and desire away from the ideals that have been thrust onto him. Controversially, this isn’t something he deliberately seeks out himself, inadvertently finding himself in a sexual relationship with a friend of his parents.
Because of the obvious moral complications and taboo around this subject matter, it presents an endless well of nuance and meaning for an actor to pick apart, which is undoubtedly why Hackman was so disappointed when he didn’t book the part of Mr Robinson.
Hackman described his memories of this rejection, saying, “’That’s what I remember most from my early days, and it still hurts. I was going to play Mr Robinson, Anne Bancroft’s husband. But Mike Nichols didn’t think I was doing it well, and so-one, two, three, I was fired. Mike’s a nice guy, but he’ll fire you without blinking an eye.”
Adding: “It didn’t really hurt my career. I had Bonnie and Clyde coming out the same year, and that turned everything around for me. But it was painful. Every time I look at the television schedule and see The Graduate coming on, or sometimes when I see Dusty (Dustin Hoffman), I think about it. And, you know, getting fired from The Graduate can stick with you.”
There are rejections, and then there is being fired from The Graduate, which would undoubtedly stick out as a prominent bookmark in any actor’s career, particularly if such a legendary director didn’t like your performance. However, as Hackman has described, better things ended up coming his way, and while it would sting to see the success of the film and reminisce about your almost involvement in the project, some things are meant to be, and other things are completely out of your hands.
