While Hoffman was still a struggling young actor, before he was cast in "The Graduate," he had a variety of jobs, including working at a counter at Macy's (once blaming a woman for shoplifting just to see what would happen), demonstrating toys for the holiday season, and holding down people who were getting electroshock therapy in a psychiatric institute. Another actor told him that if he ever wanted to get hired, he'd have to look more clean-cut, so Hoffman went out and bought a $150 coat after he'd gotten a check from a role on TV. "I had never spent so much money on myself before," Hoffman said. "I went to pay for it and I was trembling. Such luxury! When I walked out with the coat.... everything went black in front of me.... And I thought – I really did – 'I'm being punished.' What it was was the night of the big blackout."
