Dustin Hoffman has spoken about how close he came to never directing his 2012 film "Quartet", revealing he had "talked himself out of" making it for 34 years before finally taking it on. The remarks shed light on the long and hesitant path to Hoffman's directorial debut, which arrived decades into his acclaimed acting career and only after he overcame years of self-doubt about stepping behind the camera.

"Quartet", based on Ronald Harwood's play, follows a group of retired opera singers at a home for musicians and stars Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins. Hoffman had reportedly been linked to the project long before its eventual release, only committing to direct after nearly three and a half decades of uncertainty, making it a notably delayed passion project within his celebrated body of work.