Dustin Hoffman’s Children: A Closer Look at the Actor’s Parenting Journey

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Dustin Hoffman’s had quite the life. The 6-time Golden Globe winner grew up in the show business and was directing before he made a name for himself as an actor in Hollywood. He’s survived cancer, been placed under the microscope (and made amends) with the #MeToo movement, and been married twice. 2 Emmys, 2 Oscars, and nearly 90 movies later, he also has 6 kids whom he adores. Meet Dustin Hoffman’s 6 children: Karina, Jenna, Jacob, Rebecca, Maxwell, and Alexandra.

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Dustin Hoffman’s Unexpected Rise to Fame

Born in Los Angeles in 1937, Hoffman’s father worked as a prop supervisor on movie sets. Dustin was named after Dustin Farnum, a well-known silent film actor and thespian. His early life exposure to the film industry eventually led to the pursuit of an acting career. However, Hoffman first intended to study medicine at Santa Monica College and even considered getting into classical piano.

Told he wasn’t “good-looking enough” to become an actor, Dustin Hoffman tried anyway. By 1960, he was starring in on- and off-Broadway productions. He stage-managed and assistant-directed theatre and picked up random jobs at the same time. Some of those included commercials and TV roles but none were major, and much of the time he was unemployed.

Hoffman’s big break came in 1967. He played Hap in The Tiger Makes Out and then Ben Braddock in The Graduate. His role in The Graduate earned him his first Oscar nomination that same year. It was all uphill from there. Hoffman went on to star in a long list of classic films including Hook, Rain Man, Tootsie, Meet the Fockers, and has even become a voice acting regular with the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He’s now a producer, a director, and one of the most famous faces in Hollywood.

Dustin Hoffman’s Love Life Led to Six Children

American actor Dustin Hoffman with his wife Lisa and two of their children, circa 1983. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

Dustin’s first marriage was to actress Anne Byrne (Kronenfeld). Byrne had a role in Woody Allen’s Manhattan in 1979 alongside Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton. She and Hoffman married in 1969 and had one biological child together. Dustin also legally adopted her older child from a previous relationship. They divorced in 1980 and Hoffman promptly remarried to Lisa Gottsegen. They have had four children together and remain married to this day.

Dustin Hoffman once told Time that he’s paid extra attention to not repeating his parents’ mistakes. “You inherit certain things. My wife, we’ve been together 40 years, and she knew my parents,” he said. “There were times when the kids were little and I would get upset, and she would say, ‘Harry’s coming out.’ And she was right. I don’t think there’s a way around it. You spend a lifetime—I do anyway—trying to un-wreck yourself. Because you’ve been wrecked.”

Hoffman Adopted His Eldest Child, Karina Hoffman-Birkhead

Dustin Hoffman with his wife, American businesswoman Lisa Hoffman and their children Jake Hoffman, Rebecca Hoffman, Max Hoffman, and Alexandra Hoffman attend a red carpet event, circa 1991. (Photo by Kypros/Getty Images)

Karina is Dustin Hoffman’s eldest child and his adopted child from his first marriage. Born in 1966, she’s mostly managed to stay out of the spotlight her entire life. However, in 1998 news broke that she’d been charged with theft and cashing $5,000 worth of bad checks. She was ultimately given community service and Dustin Hoffman publicly apologized for her transgression, calling it a “very disheartening surprise.” Karina was also formerly married to artist Simon Birkhead and their relationship was described as a “whirlwind.” They became pregnant with her daughter, Bryce, just six weeks into dating. They got married one week after Bryce was born but divorced in 1997.

Jenna Byrne (Janna Celia Hoffman)

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 12: Jenna Kelly, Dustin Hoffman and Jake Hoffman attend the San Antonio Spurs Vs. New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on February 12, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

Jenna is Dustin Hoffman’s first biological child. Her mother, like Karina’s, is Anne Byrne. Jenna was born on October 15, 1970. Jenna followed in her parents’ footsteps and has several acting credits under her belt. After her parents divorced, she graduated from Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities in New York City. Her first role was in a film with her father in 1995 called Outbreak. She’s been in other films with Dustin including Wag the Dog and Mad City and was also in The Wedding Singer, Edtv, and Lip Service. Altogether, Jenna Byrne has 16 acting credits to her name not including a 1980 TV show episode of V.I.P.-Schaukel, where she played herself as a child.

Jenna has been married twice. Her first husband was Jason Cottle from 1994 to 1998. Her second husband is Seamus Culligan, whom she married in 2004. Together they have two children, Gus and Daisy.

Jacob Edward “Jake” Hoffman

Jacob is Dustin’s first child with his second wife, Lisa. Born March 20, 1981, Jake bears a striking resemblance to his father. He also picked up the acting bug from a young age. Despite Dustin’s attempts to not overburden his children with his own acting career (he told Time that he encouraged his kids to not watch his films), Jacob found himself in the industry. He’s acted alongside his father and siblings in Hook, Rain Man, and the TV series Luck. He’s also been in The Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman, Sam & Kate, and the TV series Wu-Tang: An American Saga. The latter is his most recent acting project and has run from 2019 through 2023. Jake writes and directs, notably the 2014 film Asthma, in which his younger brother Max played a role.

Rebecca Lillian Hoffman

American actor Dustin Hoffman with his daughter Rebecca circa 1983. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

Rebecca was born on March 17, 1983. Like much of her family, she made an appearance in Hook in 1991. She was also in Le Nozze Di Figaro, a TV movie released in 1996. She studied in Germany until 2004 and then attended Barnard College in New York City. Apart from her two acting roles in the 90s, Rebecca has managed to stay out of the public’s eye and kept her life private.

Maxwell Geoffrey “Max” Hoffman

American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash (1932 – 2003) and family meet actor Dustin Hoffman and his wife, Anne Byrne, at the Ringling Brothers And Barnum & Bailey Circus in Madison Square, New York, May 1971. Left to right: Anne Byrne, Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Cash (holding his 14-month-old son, John Carter Cash), June Carter Cash (1929 – 2003) and her daughters, Rosie (1958 – 2003) and Carlene. (Photo by Tim Boxer/Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Max was born August 30, 1984. His first role was as a young Peter Pan in Hook when he was just 5 years old. Max attended Brown University in 2007 and then the  Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He has 14 acting credits under his belt including as Woody in Meet the Fockers and as Max in Asthma, which was his last published role. He also has one forthcoming part in the film Maybe Next Time.

Alexandra Lydia “Ali” Hoffman

Alexandra was born October 27, 1987. The youngest of Dustin Hoffman’s children, she is also involved in Hollywood. She served as a crewmember on the sets of Deep Impact in 1998 and Stuart Little in 1999. She also played a role in the 2002 film Moonlight Mile alongside her father, Susan Sarandon, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Alexandra briefly dated actor and comedian Jonah Hill for about 9 months and their relationship later inspired James Franco’s 2016 film Why Him? Apparently, Jonah was nervous about going on vacation with Ali and her famous dad, which gave Franco the idea for his plot line!

Read More: Meet Russell Crowe’s Two Children: They Look Just Like Him!

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