7 Fascinating Facts About ‘The Graduate’—From Its Iconic Poster to the Star Who Almost Played Ben

Released in 1967, The Graduate stands as one of the most enduring and influential films, captivating audiences with its unique story and iconic soundtrack. With its story of post-college ennui, charismatic cast and memorable Simon & Garfunkel songs, the darkly funny yet poignant film captured the mood of a generation, and over 50 years after it was released, it still feels as vital as ever.

While you likely know the plot of The Graduate, you may not be as familiar with some of the lore behind the hit film. From the cast to the soundtrack to the famous poster, every element of the coming-of-age classic has some seriously fascinating trivia. Here are seven facts you might not have known about The Graduate—we’re sure they’ll seduce you.

1. Anne Bancroft was only 6 years older than Dustin Hoffman

While the character of Mrs. Robinson is synonymous with the idea of older women seducing younger men, the age difference between Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman wasn’t as big as you might have thought. During filming Bancroft was 36, while Hoffman was 30.

On top of that, Katharine Ross, who played Bancroft’s daughter, was 27 in real life, making her just nine years younger than her onscreen mom!

2. A future president was almost cast in the film

The Graduate director Mike Nichols originally wanted none other than Ronald Reagan to play Hoffman’s father. The plan fell through when the actor-turned-politician began his run for Governor of California in 1966, right as the film was going into production. The role ended up going to William Daniels.

3. Robert Redford lost out on playing the lead for a hilarious reason

When The Graduate was being made, an exciting new crop of actors was on the rise—among them Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson, both of whom were considered for the protagonist role.

One of the actors who almost played the lead lost out on the role for a hilarious reason. Nichols interviewed “hundreds, maybe thousands, of men” for the role and was considering casting Robert Redford. He quickly realized that the dashing, sandy-haired star wasn’t the man for the job, recalling, “I said, ‘You can’t play it. You can never play a loser.’ And Redford said, ‘What do you mean? Of course I can play a loser.’ And I said, ‘OK, have you ever struck out with a girl?’ and he said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he wasn’t joking.”

4. Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs. Robinson’ wasn’t originally about Mrs. Robinson

Before Simon & Garfunkel became involved with The Graduate, Nichols, who was already a big fan of the duo, used a number of their songs as part of a temporary soundtrack in the editing process. When he approached Simon & Garfunkel about using their music, they revealed they were in the middle of writing “Mrs. Roosevelt,” a song inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt. Once they started working on The Graduate’s soundtrack, they changed it to “Mrs. Robinson,” and one of the most recognized songs of the era was born.

At the time they were writing “Mrs. Roosevelt,” they had no idea what a big hit it would become, and Art Garfunkel even called it, “A trifle song we were about to throw out.”

5. The leg in the famous poster belongs to a ‘Dallas’ star rather than Anne Bancroft

In one of The Graduate’s most famous scenes, Bancroft thrusts her leg in front of Hoffman, leading him to ask if he’s trying to seduce her. The scene was also featured on the film’s poster, but surprisingly, the leg used in the poster image didn’t actually belong to Bancroft but to future Dallas star Linda Gray.

Gray, who was working as a model at the time, recalled, “I think she was absent that day. I got paid $25. For one leg, that was good.” Gray had a full circle moment decades later, when she played Mrs. Robinson in the Broadway adaptation of The Graduate in 2002.

6. ‘The Graduate’ is based on a book—and there’s even a sequel

Because The Graduate became such a hugely successful movie, it’s easy to forget it was actually adapted from a book. The Graduate was written by Charles Webb in 1963, and over 40 years later, in 2007, he penned a sequel, Home School, in which Hoffman and Ross’ characters are grown and married with kids. Webb was uncomfortable with the movie’s popularity, and even chose to give away the royalties he earned from the book.

7. Dustin Hoffman collected unemployment checks after the film was released

The Graduate made Hoffman into a star and his character became a touchstone of the ’60s. It would seem, then, like he’d have instant financial success once the film became a blockbuster, but this wasn’t actually the case.

In a New York Times article published shortly after the film’s release, Hoffman said he made only $20,000 from the low-budget film, and after taxes and living expenses that number went down to $4,000, leading him to file for unemployment.