Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman traded laughs and appeared at ease on the red carpet Monday night at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of their new thriller, Tuner.

The two actors, who play mentor and mentee in the film, spoke and posed together at the Princess of Wales Theatre as the movie made its festival debut. Woodall, 28, portrays Niki, a keen piano player who becomes embroiled with a gang of thieves; Hoffman, 88, plays his mentor.

Speaking to Variety ahead of the premiere, Woodall said he initially felt a "crippling fear" about working with Hoffman. "To be honest, I had crippling fear at the beginning, because you don’t want to be s**t for someone like Dustin Hoffman," he said, adding that the first few days on set required him to throw himself into the work. He described lengthy improvised scenes with the veteran actor, saying it took several days before he felt comfortable and confident to fully engage in 15- to 20-minute improvisations.

Tuner’s credited cast and filmmakers were on hand in Toronto, including actors Tovah Feldshuh, Lior Raz, Havana Rose Liu and director Daniel Roher. The film does not yet have a UK release date but is anticipated to reach British cinemas in 2026.

Photographs from the premiere showed Woodall and Hoffman engrossed in conversation, sharing laughs and at times appearing to forget the cameras. Woodall wore a checked wool-blend bomber jacket over a shirt and navy tie with suit trousers. Hoffman appeared in a white shirt beneath a navy suit jacket paired with dark chinos.

Hoffman’s appearance at the festival was notable for its relative rarity; the actor has kept a more private public profile in recent years. He has had a career spanning more than six decades with nearly 100 credits and two Academy Awards, in 1980 and 1989.

Hoffman married Lisa in 1980; the couple have four children together. He is also a father to two daughters from his first marriage. In an interview with Closer earlier this year, Lisa described the longevity of their marriage and said their relationship had continued to grow over the decades.

Festival coverage of Tuner has focused both on the film’s plot and the dynamic between its leads, with Woodall’s remarks about working opposite a Hollywood icon drawing attention to the film’s collaborative process. The premiere in Toronto is part of the film’s early publicity run ahead of a wider release next year.