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Dustin Hoffman for HBO drama

Dustin Hoffman will appear in his first television series role in 40 years in HBO's upcoming horseracing drama, Luck. It is

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Dustin Hoffman will follow a growing parade of film stars who appear in television series as a crooked horseracing shark in HBO’s upcoming drama, Luck.

It is his first major television role in 40 years.

The series by Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Crime Story) and David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood) centres on the worlds of horseracing and gambling told through a diverse group of characters surrounding a racetrack.

Hoffman’s character is described as “an intelligent, intuitive tough man who always has been involved with gambling, from bookmaking and money laundering to casino operations.”

Recently released from prison after four years, he teams with Gus Economou (Dennis Farina), his longtime chauffeur, to craft a complex plan involving the track. They recruit Turo Escalante (John Ortiz), a successful trainer with a sordid reputation.

Hoffman won an Emmy in 1986 for CBS’ adaptation of the 1984 Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of Salesman,” in which he played Willy Loman.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

4 Responses

  1. Good point Neon Kitten. I only have to check out Showcase to confirm there’s some quality fare on offer – Bored To Death and In Treatment are two such recent offerings to feature first class writing, production values, and acting talent. No doubt the fact that the average television viewer has (or will soon have) access to full HD, widescreen, surround sound, etc. is further encouragement for tv producers to push the envelope of the medium.

  3. Quite the opposite, Rhys, especially on US pay TV. These days, the sad carcass of the once-great American film industry is the poor cousin to the innovative, risk-taking (at least on US pay!) television industry. It’s not at all surprising that the likes of Glenn Close, Hoffman etc etc are happy to sign up for extended runs doing it, while Hollywood churns out remakes of old ’50s and ’60s TV shows, remakes of movies from the same era, and remakes in just about every other way. No wonder they’re so desperately scrabbling at the golden goose of 3D. Which, like it has every other time, will get boring to audiences and die.

    Television – not Australian FTA, but real television – is now vastly superior to mainstream movies.

  4. One of the great actors of the modern age appearing on the small screen. Further proof that quality dramatic (and comedic) television is no longer the poor cousin of the motion picture industry.

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