The Real Rain Man?

When Kim Peek, a savant, died in December, newspaper articles about his life identified him as the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman’s Rain Man character. In reality, Hoffman’s inspiration for the character wasn’t so clear cut—the actor had met with several savants, including an autistic savant from Annandale named Peter Guthrie. Here is a Washingtonian article from 1992 about Peter Guthrie’s remarkable life, including a look at the time he spent hanging out with Dustin Hoffman while Hoffman researched his role.

Ryan Weisser

UX Designer

As Washingtonian’s UX designer, Ryan works with Washingtonian’s editorial and digital teams to design digital products that address reader’s needs online. Her background in interactive journalism and web production influence design strategies that ensure users have the best possible experience–on any platform.

Ryan enjoys running, trying new restaurants in DC, and Instagramming her favorite places around DC. You can follow her on Instagram (@ryan_weisser) and on Twitter (@Ryan_Weisser).