Angeles Times in 1995 that he got into producing "because I enjoy movies very much. I have the time to do it. And I believe if done wisely, it can be a profitable business." His first foray into film production was a massive success. In the early 1970s, Don McGuire had written a play, Would I Lie to You?, about an unemployed male actor who cross-dresses to get jobs. It was shopped around Hollywood for several years until it came to the attention of comedian and actor Buddy Hackett in 1978. Interested in playing the talent agent, Hackett showed Evans the script. Evans purchased an option on the play. Delays in the film's production forced Evans to renew the option once or twice, but in 1979, he co-wrote a screenplay based on the play with director Dick Richards and screenwriter Bob Kaufman. A few months into the process, Richards showed it to Dustin Hoffman, his partner in a company that bought and developed properties for development into films. Hoffman wanted complete creative control, and Evans agreed to remove himself from screenwriting tasks, instead becoming a producer of the film, which was renamed Tootsie. Before Hoffman officially got involved, his role was offered to Peter Sellers and Michael Caine. The film remained in development for another year as producers waited for a revised script. As pre-production began, the film ran into additional delays when Richards quit as director due to "creative differences". He became a producer instead, and Hal Ashby took over as director. Columbia Pictures then forced Ashby to quit because of the threat of legal action if his post-production commitments on Lookin' to Get Out were not fulfilled. In November 1981, Sydney Pollack signed on to the film as director and producer at Columbia's suggestion. It was Hoffman's idea that Pollack play Michael's agent, George Fields, a role written for Dabney Coleman. Pollack resisted the idea, but Hoffman eventually convinced him; it was Pollack's first acting work in years. Pollack still wanted to keep Coleman on board and cast him as the sexist, arrogant soap opera director Ron Carlisle. To prepare for his role, Hoffman watched the 1978 film La Cage aux Folles several times. He also visited the set of General Hospital for research, and conducted extensive makeup tests. In an interview for the American Film Institute, Hoffman said he was shocked that although he could be made