Before becoming Hollywood legends, Robert Duvall, Dustin Hoffman, and Gene Hackman were roommates in a cramped New York City apartment, sharing dreams and survival jobs.

The legendary living arrangement began in 1956 when Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall met at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. Dustin Hoffman joined the group shortly after, and the trio became inseparable as they navigated the competitive acting scene. They famously shared a two-bedroom apartment on 109th Street and Broadway, where they lived on a diet of cheap food and shared a single telephone to receive calls from agents.During this period, all three men worked various menial jobs to survive. Hackman worked as a truck driver and a doorman, while Hoffman worked as a coat checker and a psychiatric aide. Duvall spent six years working at a post office to pay his bills. They were frequently told by casting directors that they lacked the physical appeal required for stardom, yet they remained committed to the Method acting style taught by Sanford Meisner.The trio's persistence eventually led to a seismic shift in Hollywood's aesthetic during the late 1960s and 1970s. Hackman's breakthrough came with "Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967, Hoffman's with "The Graduate" in 1967, and Duvall's with "The Godfather" in 1972. Collectively, they have been nominated for 19 Academy Awards. Their story is often cited by film historians as the definitive example of the "New Hollywood" era, when talent and realism began to outweigh traditional movie-star looks.