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Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his
collaborations
Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Mos ...
with Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, the Cecil B. DeMille Award
The Cecil B. DeMille Award is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment". The HFPA board of directors selects the honorees from a variet ...
, and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
The Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award is presented by the Screen Actors Guild's National Honors and Tributes Committee for "outstanding achievement in fostering the finest ideals of the acting profession." It predates the 1st Screen Actor ...
. In 2009, De Niro received the Kennedy Center Honor
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five honor ...
, and earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
from U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
in 2016.
Born in Manhattan in New York City, De Niro studied acting at HB Studio
The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency prog ...
, Stella Adler Conservatory
The Stella Adler Studio of Acting (formerly Stella Adler Conservatory) is a prestigious acting school that was founded by actress and teacher Stella Adler.
, and Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...
's Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
. His first major role was in ''Greetings'' (1968), and he gained early recognition with his role as a baseball player in the sports drama ''Bang the Drum Slowly
''Bang the Drum Slowly'' is a novel by Mark Harris, first published in 1956 by Knopf. The novel is the second in a series of four novels written by Harris that chronicles the career of baseball player Henry W. Wiggen. ''Bang the Drum Slowly'' ...
'' (1973). De Niro's first collaboration with Scorsese was ''Mean Streets
''Mean Streets'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973. De Niro won the National ...
'' (1973), where he played small-time crook "Johnny Boy". Stardom followed with his role as young Vito Corleone
Vito Corleone (born Vito Andolini) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and in the first two of Francis Ford Coppola's film trilogy. Vito is originally portrayed by Marlon Brando in the 1972 film ''The Godfather ...
in Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
's crime epic ''The Godfather Part II
''The Godfather Part II'' is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is partially based on the 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. ''Part II'' s ...
'' (1974), which earned De Niro an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...
. For his portrayal of Travis Bickle
Travis Bickle is a fictional character and the anti-hero protagonist of the 1976 film ''Taxi Driver'' directed by Martin Scorsese. The character was created by the film's screenwriter Paul Schrader. He is played by Robert De Niro, who received an ...
in ''Taxi Driver
''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying and ...
'' (1976), and a soldier in the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
drama ''The Deer Hunter
''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Chr ...
'' (1978), he earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to th ...
.
De Niro won an Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
boxing champion Jake LaMotta in Scorsese's biographical drama ''Raging Bull
''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: My St ...
'' (1980), his first Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
in this category. He soon diversified to other roles, playing a stand-up comic in '' The King of Comedy'' (1982), and gained further recognition for his performances in Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...
's epic
Epic commonly refers to:
* Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation
* Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements
Epic or EPIC may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
''1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...
'' (1976), Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...
's ''Once Upon a Time in America
''Once Upon a Time in America'' ( it, C'era una volta in America) is a 1984 epic crime film co-written and directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone and starring Robert De Niro and James Woods. The film is an Italian–American venture produce ...
'' (1984), Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including ''Time Bandits'' (1981), ''B ...
's dystopian
A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...
''Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
'' (1985), the religious epic '' The Mission'' (1986), and the comedy ''Midnight Run
''Midnight Run'' is a 1988 American road action comedy film directed by Martin Brest and starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, and Philip Baker Hall play supporting roles.
At the ...
'' (1988)''.'' De Niro portrayed gangster Jimmy Conway in ''Goodfellas
''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' Wis ...
'' (1990), a catatonic
Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...
patient in ''Awakenings
''Awakenings'' is a 1990 American drama film directed by Penny Marshall. It is written by Steven Zaillian, who based his screenplay on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir ''Awakenings''. It tells the story of neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams ...
'' (1990), and a criminal in the psychological thriller '' Cape Fear'' (1991). All three films received praise for De Niro's performances. He then starred in ''This Boy's Life
''This Boy's Life'' is a 1993 American biographical coming-of-age drama film based on the memoir of the same name by author Tobias Wolff. It was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Tobias "Toby" Wolff, Robert De Niro a ...
'' (1993), and directed his first feature film with 1993's ''A Bronx Tale
''A Bronx Tale'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age crime film directed by and starring Robert De Niro in his directorial debut and produced by Jane Rosenthal, adapted from Chazz Palminteri's 1989 play of the same name. It tells the coming of ...
.'' His other critical successes include ''Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
'' (1995) and ''Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
'' (1995).
De Niro is also known for his comic roles in ''Wag the Dog
''Wag the Dog'' is a 1997 American political satire black comedy film produced and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. The film centers on a spin doctor and a Hollywood producer who fabricate a war in Alb ...
'' (1997), ''Analyze This
''Analyze This'' is a 1999 American mafia comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Kenneth Lonergan, and Peter Tolan. The plot follows a crisis-stricken mafioso (Robert De Niro) who solicits the assista ...
'' (1999), and ''Meet the Parents
''Meet the Parents'' is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. It chronicles a series of unfortunate events that befall a good-hearted but hapless nurse (Ben Stiller as Greg Focker) while v ...
'' (2000). After appearing in several critically and commercially unsuccessful films, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in David O. Russell
David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American filmmaker. His early directing career includes the comedy films ''Spanking the Monkey'' (1994), '' Flirting with Disaster'' (1996), ''Three Kings'' (1999), and ''I Heart Huckabees'' (200 ...
's 2012 romantic comedy ''Silver Linings Playbook
''Silver Linings Playbook'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O. Russell. The film was based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel ''The Silver Linings Playbook''. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawre ...
''. In 2017, De Niro portrayed Bernie Madoff
Bernard Lawrence Madoff ( ; April 29, 1938April 14, 2021) was an American fraudster and financier who was the admitted mastermind of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth about $64.8 billion. He was at one time chairman of the NASDA ...
in ''The Wizard of Lies
''The Wizard of Lies'' is a 2017 American television biopic film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Sam Levinson, Sam Baum, and John Burnham Schwartz, based on the 2011 non-fiction book of the same name by Diana B. Henriques. The film star ...
'', earning a Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination. More recently, he starred in the psychological thriller '' Joker'' (2019) and Scorsese's crime epic ''The Irishman
''The Irishman'' (subtitled onscreen as ''I Heard You Paint Houses'') is a 2019 American epic gangster film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book '' I Heard You Paint Hou ...
'' (2019).
De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal
Jane Rosenthal (born September 21, 1956) is an American film producer.
founded the film and television production company TriBeCa Productions
Tribeca Productions is an American film and television production company co-founded in 1989 by actor Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal in the lower Manhattan neighborhood of Tribeca.
History
The production company was founded in 1989 ...
in 1989, which has produced several films alongside his own. Also with Rosenthal, he founded the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
in 2002. Six of De Niro's films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic ...
by the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Early life
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. was born in theManhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
borough of New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on August 17, 1943, the only child of painters Virginia Admiral
Virginia Holton Admiral or Virginia De Niro (February 4, 1915 – July 27, 2000) was an American painter, poet and the mother of actor Robert De Niro. She studied painting under Hans Hofmann in New York, and her work was included in the Peggy ...
and Robert De Niro Sr.
Robert Henry De Niro (May 3, 1922 – May 3, 1993), better known as Robert De Niro Sr.,According to the Social Security Death Index. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/ssdi was an American abstract expressionist painter a ...
His father was of Irish and Italian descent, while his mother had Dutch, English, French, and German ancestry. His parents, who had met at the painting classes of Hans Hofmann
Hans Hofmann (March 21, 1880 – February 17, 1966) was a German-born American painter, renowned as both an artist and teacher. His career spanned two generations and two continents, and is considered to have both preceded and influenced Abstrac ...
in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Provincet ...
, separated when he was two years old after his father announced that he was gay. He was raised by his mother in the Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
and Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are s ...
neighborhoods of Manhattan. His father lived nearby, and remained close with De Niro during his childhood. Nicknamed "Bobby Milk" because of his pale complexion, De Niro befriended many street kids in Little Italy, much to the disapproval of his father. Some, however, have remained his lifelong friends. His mother was raised Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
but became an atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
as an adult, while his father had been a lapsed Catholic
A lapsed Catholic is a Catholic who is non-practicing. Such a person may still identify as a Catholic, and remains one according to canon law. Excommunication or an act of defection only separate a person from the sacraments. Nothing can terminate ...
since the age of 12. Against his parents' wishes, his grandparents had De Niro secretly baptized into the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
while he was staying with them during his parents' divorce.
De Niro attended PS 41
Public School 41, Greenwich Village School, is a public elementary PreK–5 neighborhood catchment school. Founded in 1867, P.S. 41 is located in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, New York City. In 1957, the old PS 41 was torn down and replaced by a ...
, a public elementary school in Manhattan, through the sixth grade. He began acting classes at the Dramatic Workshop Dramatic Workshop was the name of a drama and acting school associated with the New School for Social Research in New York City. It was launched in 1940 by German expatriate stage director Erwin Piscator. Among the faculty were Lee Strasberg and Ste ...
and made his stage debut in school at age 10, playing the Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak.
Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly ...
in '' The Wizard of Oz''.Stated on ''Inside the Actors Studio
''Inside the Actors Studio'' is an American talk show that airs on Ovation. The series premiered in 1994 on Bravo where it aired for 22 seasons and was hosted by James Lipton from its premiere until 2018. It is taped at the Michael Schimmel Cente ...
'', 1998 He later went to Elisabeth Irwin High School
The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, also referred to as LREI, is a school in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by Elisabeth Irwin in 1921 as the Little Red School House and is one of the city's first progressive s ...
, the upper school of the Little Red School House
The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, also referred to as LREI, is a school in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by Elisabeth Irwin in 1921 as the Little Red School House and is one of the city's first progressive s ...
, for the seventh and eighth grades. He was then accepted into the High School of Music and Art for the ninth grade, but attended for only a short time before transferring to a public junior high school: IS 71, Charles Evans Hughes Junior High School. De Niro attended high school at McBurney School
McBurney School was a boys college-preparatory school in Manhattan run by the YMCA of Greater New York. Its name commemorates Robert Ross McBurney, a prominent New York YMCA leader during the late 19th century.
Among its alumni are actors Henry W ...
and later, Rhodes Preparatory School
Rhodes Preparatory School (1912–1987) was a private school located for much of its history at 11 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City, United States. It included a lower school with students in seventh and eighth grades and an upper ...
. He found performing as a way to relieve his shyness, and became fascinated by cinema, so he dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue acting. He later said, "When I was around 18, I was looking at a TV show and I said, 'If these actors are making a living at it, and they're not really that good, I can't do any worse than them.'" He studied acting at HB Studio and Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. De Niro also studied with Stella Adler
Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher.
''
''
Stanislavski system. As a young actor, De Niro was inspired by the work of
De Niro had two other film releases in 1976. He starred in ''1900'', a historical drama directed by
De Niro and Scorsese soon reunited for their sixth collaboration in 1990, with the crime film ''
''
De Niro began 1998 with an appearance in Great Expectations (1998 film), ''Great Expectations'', a modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1861 Great Expectations, novel of the same name, in which he played Arthur Lustig. Later that year, his next major role came in Ronin (film), ''Ronin'' (1998), about a team of former Special forces, special operatives that are hired to steal a mysterious briefcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties. De Niro plays Sam, an American mercenary formerly associated with the CIA. ''Ronin'' premiered at the 1998 Venice Film Festival to favorable response; Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' praised De Niro's confident portrayal as an action hero. In 1999, De Niro ventured back into crime-comedy; he was cast as an insecure mob boss opposite Billy Crystal and Lisa Kudrow in Harold Ramis' ''
Also in 2002, he collaborated with Michael Caton-Jones in ''City by the Sea'', who had previously directed De Niro in ''This Boy's Life''. Starring opposite Frances McDormand and James Franco, he portrayed another police detective in the drama. The film received mixed reviews and under-performed at the theaters. He appeared in ''Analyze That'' (2002)'','' a sequel to 1999's ''Analyze This.'' Filming began in New York City, seven months after the September 11 attacks. De Niro insisted on filming there, stating "It's a New York story, a New York movie. We always intended to keep it there and I'm glad we were able to do it". Upon release, most critics thought the sequel was weak; CNN's Paul Clinton remarked "Unfortunately the result is just a bunch of one-liners strung together, of which some work and some don't. The actual story never gets off the ground". Despite these failures, De Niro served as a producer for the critically acclaimed romantic-comedy ''About a Boy (film), About a Boy'' (2002), and appeared in ''9/11 (2002 film), 9/11'' (2002), a CBS documentary about the September 11 attacks, told from the New York City fire department's point of view.
Several critics consider De Niro's career as having begun to slump in the early 2000s, with De Niro starring in roles that were less dramatic than those in the previous decade. He returned to the screen in 2004, playing a doctor in the Fantasy film, fantasy drama Godsend (2004 film), ''Godsend''. As of 2020, the film is De Niro's poorest-performing work; Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 4% based on 139 critic reviews. He voiced a character in DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks' animation of ''Shark Tale'' (2004). Most critics were also unimpressed, but it was a high earner at the box office. After co-producing ''Stage Beauty'' (2004), De Niro reprised his role of Jack Byrnes in 2004's ''Meet the Fockers,'' the sequel to ''Meet the Parents''. In a scathing review of De Niro, the critic from ''Slant Magazine'' wrote "In self-parody mode for the umpteenth time, De Niro mugs for the camera with a series of overblown grimaces and faux-menacing glares". The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004 film), ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'', was De Niro's last release of 2004, based on Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey, novel of the same name. It was also critically panned.
In 2005, De Niro starred in the horror Hide and Seek (2005 film), ''Hide and Seek'' opposite Dakota Fanning, playing Dr. David Callaway who leaves the city with his traumatized daughter after the mother's suicide. Although the film was a financial success, some critics thought De Niro had been miscast, and queried his decision to star in a mediocre feature. In 2006, De Niro turned down a role in ''The Departed'' to direct his second film, the Spy film, spy thriller ''The Good Shepherd (film), The Good Shepherd'', a fictional account about the growth of the CIA during its formative years''.'' The film reunited him onscreen with Joe Pesci, co-star from ''Raging Bull'', ''Goodfellas'', ''A Bronx Tale'', ''Casino'', among others''.'' Based on the screenplay by Eric Roth, the project was personal for De Niro, who was raised during the Cold War and fascinated by it. Despite starring some of Hollywood's leading actors; Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Alec Baldwin, the film garnered a mixed reception. Writing for The Sydney Morning Herald, ''The'' ''Sydney Morning Herald'', Sandra Hall noted its slow pace, stating "There's a potentially fascinating slice of History of the United States, American history here, but De Niro has carved it up with an excruciatingly dull knife". The critic from ''USA Today'' found the plot initially hard to follow, but praises De Niro for "creating a stirring personal tale". ''The Good Shepherd'' was nominated for Academy Award for Best Production Design, Best Art Direction at the 79th Academy Awards. Finally in 2006, he voiced the character Emperor Sifrat XVI in ''Arthur and the Invisibles.''
In 2010, he had a minor part as Senator John McLaughlin in the action film ''Machete (2010 film), Machete''. That same year, he starred in ''Stone (2010 film), Stone'' opposite Milla Jovovich and Edward Norton, co-star from ''The Score''. It is a crime drama where De Niro plays a manipulated Probation officer, parole officer. The film was met with a divided reception; ''Toronto Star'' critic thought De Niro delivered a respectable performance due to Jovovich's support. Another critic, Jesse Cataldo from ''Slant Magazine'' noted the film's restraint and thought De Niro is repeating himself by playing the same basic characters. Next he starred in ''Little Fockers'' (2010), the third sequel to ''Meet the Parents'' and ''Meet the Fockers''. Despite universally negative reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, grossing over $310 million worldwide. In one review, ''The Daily'' ''Telegraph'' wrote "Despite the farcical script, De Niro in particular has his Pater familias, paterfamilias character sensitively tuned". That year, De Niro was cast in ''Edge of Darkness (2010 film), Edge of Darkness'', but he left the project citing creative differences. He was replaced by Ray Winstone.
In 2011, De Niro starred in the Italian comedy ''Manuale d'amore 3''. He also appeared in three other films: ''Killer Elite (film), Killer Elite'', ''Limitless (film), Limitless'', and ''New Year's Eve (2011 film), New Year's Eve''. Except for ''Limitless'', which received an approval rating of 69% from Rotten Tomatoes, the other two films were met with mixed-to-negative reviews. De Niro was also appointed President of the Jury for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, making it the second time he has served. Continuing into 2012, he starred in the drama ''Being Flynn,'' based on ''Another Bullshit Night in Suck City,'' a memoir by Nick Flynn. It was met with a mixed response; critic A. O. Scott complimented De Niro's ability for playing an estranged father (opposite Paul Dano), calling him "unpredictable and subtle", despite an uncertain plot. De Niro also appeared in the thrillers ''Red Lights (2012 film), Red Lights'' and ''Freelancers (film), Freelancers'' (both 2012).
De Niro made his first appearance in a
In 1984, the English girl group Bananarama's fan song "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." reached the third place of the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the charts for 12 weeks. Honors
De Niro married actress Diahnne Abbott in 1976. They have a son, Raphael De Niro, Raphael, a former actor who works in New York real estate. De Niro also adopted Abbott's daughter Drena De Niro from a previous relationship. He and Abbott divorced in 1988. Afterwards, he was in a relationship with model Toukie Smith between 1988 and 1996. De Niro has twin sons, Julian and Aaron, conceived by in vitro fertilization, ''in vitro'' fertilization and delivered by a Surrogacy, surrogate mother in 1995.
In 1997, De Niro married actress Grace Hightower. Their son, Elliot, was born in 1998 and the couple split in 1999. The divorce was never finalized and in 2004 they renewed their vows. In December 2011, their daughter was born via surrogate. In 2014, he and Hightower moved into a 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom apartment at 15 Central Park West. Four years later, it was reported De Niro and Hightower had separated after 20 years of marriage. De Niro has four grandchildren; one from his daughter Drena, and three from his son Raphael. On April 19, 2021, De Niro's lawyer argued in a virtual divorce hearing presided by a Manhattan judge that he is "working at an unsustainable pace" in order "to support Hightower and pay off all his back taxes". Hightower's lawyer claimed that since the pair filed for divorce in 2018, De Niro had been "unfairly decreasing" the agreed-upon payments to her.
Tribeca Film
* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:De Niro, Robert Robert De Niro, Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors AFI Life Achievement Award recipients American film directors of Italian descent American film producers American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Dutch descent American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent Anti-fracking movement Best Actor Academy Award winners Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Best Supporting Actor AACTA International Award winners Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners Citizens of Italy through descent De Niro family, Robert Film festival founders Kennedy Center honorees Little Red School House alumni Male actors from New York City McBurney School alumni People from Marbletown, New York People from Tribeca Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Stella Adler Studio of Acting alumni New York (state) Democrats 1943 births
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
, Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''.
He is best remembered ...
, James Dean
James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...
, Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...
, Geraldine Page
Geraldine Sue Page (November 22, 1924June 13, 1987) was an American actress. With a career which spanned four decades across film, stage, and television, Page was the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Acade ...
, and Kim Stanley
Kim Stanley (born Patricia Kimberley Reid; February 11, 1925 – August 20, 2001) was an American actress, primarily in television and theatre, but with occasional film performances.
She began her acting career in theatre, and subsequently at ...
.
Career
1963–1973: Early roles and breakthrough
De Niro's had minor film roles in ''Encounter,Three Rooms in Manhattan
''Three Rooms in Manhattan'' (french: Trois chambres à Manhattan) is a black-and-white 1965 French drama film filmed in New York City. It is based on the 1946 novel "Trois Chambres à Manhattan" (which has been translated into English as "Three ...
'' (both released in 1965) and ''Les Jeunes Loups'' (1968). Shortly afterwards, De Niro landed a major role in ''Greetings'' (1968), a satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
film about men avoiding the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
. The film marked the first of a series of early collaborations between De Niro and director Brian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
. A year later, De Niro appeared in the drama '' Sam's Song'' in which he portrays a New York City filmmaker. Also in 1969, he appeared in De Palma's comedy '' The Wedding Party''; although it was filmed in 1963, it was kept unreleased for six years. De Niro, who was still unknown at the time, gained a favorable review from ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' Howard Thompson: "This farcical comedy, modestly produced by a trio of young people and utilizing some unfamiliar faces, is great fun".
He then appeared in Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...
's low-budget crime drama ''Bloody Mama
''Bloody Mama'' is a 1970 American exploitation crime film directed by Roger Corman and starring Shelley Winters in the title role, with Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, Robert Walden, Alex Nicol, and Robert De Niro in supporting roles. It was very lo ...
'' (1970), a loose adaptation of Ma Barker
Kate Barker (born
Arizona Donnie Clark; October 8, 1873 – January 16, 1935), better known as Ma Barker (and sometimes known as Arizona Barker and Arrie Barker), was the mother of several American criminals who ran the Barker–Karpis Gang ...
's life, who was the mother of four American criminals, of which De Niro portrayed one: Lloyd Barker. Thompson praised the film and thought the cast gave "fine performances". Next, De Niro starred in De Palma's comedy ''Hi, Mom!
''Hi, Mom!'' is a 1970 American black comedy film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and is one of Robert De Niro's first films. De Niro reprises his role of Jon Rubin from ''Greetings'' (1968). In this film, Rubin is a fledgling "adult film ...
'' (1970), a sequel to ''Greetings.'' Writing for ''The'' ''New Yorker'', Richard Brody
Richard Brody (born 1958) is an American film critic who has written for ''The New Yorker'' since 1999.
Education
Brody grew up in Roslyn, New York, and attended Princeton University, receiving a B.A. in comparative literature in 1980. He first ...
opined that De Niro "brings unhinged spontaneity" to his character. He also had a small role in ''Jennifer on My Mind
''Jennifer on My Mind'' is a 1971 American drama film based on the 1968 novel ''Heir'' by Roger L. Simon. It was directed by Noel Black from a screenplay by Erich Segal, stars Michael Brandon and Tippy Walker, and features Robert De Niro in a min ...
'' (1971) and in Ivan Passer
Ivan Passer (10 July 1933 – 9 January 2020) was a Czech film director and screenwriter, best known for his involvement in the Czechoslovak New Wave and for directing American films such as '' Born to Win'' (1971), ''Cutter's Way'' (1981) and '' ...
's '' Born to Win'' (1971). His last film appearance of 1971 was in ''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight
''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' is a 1971 American crime comedy film directed by James Goldstone and written by Waldo Salt, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Jimmy Breslin, which in turn was based on the life of gangster Joe ...
'', a crime-comedy based on the 1969 novel by Jimmy Breslin
James Earle Breslin (October 17, 1928 – March 19, 2017) was an American journalist and author. Until the time of his death, he wrote a column for the New York ''Daily News'' Sunday edition.''Current Biography 1942'', pp. 648–51: "Patterson, ...
.
In 1972, De Niro starred in two performances at The American Place Theatre
The American Place Theatre was founded in 1963 by Wynn Handman, Sidney Lanier, and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church, 423 West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, and was incorporated as a not-for-profit theatre in that year. Tennesse ...
, directed by Charles Maryan. He then returned to the big screen with ''Bang the Drum Slowly
''Bang the Drum Slowly'' is a novel by Mark Harris, first published in 1956 by Knopf. The novel is the second in a series of four novels written by Harris that chronicles the career of baseball player Henry W. Wiggen. ''Bang the Drum Slowly'' ...
'' (1973), in which he played the lead role as Bruce Pearson, a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player with Hodgkin
Hodgkin is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Alan Lloyd Hodgkin (1914–1998), British physiologist and biophysicist
* Dorothy Hodgkin (1910–1994), British chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964, wife of Th ...
disease. His co-stars were Michael Moriarty
Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is an American-Canadian actor and jazz musician. He received an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his first acting role on American television as a Nazi SS officer in the 1978 mini-series ''Holocaust'' ...
and Vincent Gardenia
Vincent Gardenia (born Vincenzo Scognamiglio; January 7, 1920 – December 9, 1992) was an Italian-American stage, film, and television actor. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, first for ''Bang the Drum Slow ...
. Adapted from the 1956 novel of the same name by Mark Harris, the film received critical acclaim and helped De Niro gain further recognition. ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote, "De Niro proves himself to be one of the best and most likable young character actors in movies with this performance". ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine's Alex Belth also took note of De Niro's "touching" portrayal, while Gardenia was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Harris later wrote about De Niro, "He learned only as much baseball as he needed for his role ..I doubt that he ever cared to touch a baseball again".
In 1973, De Niro began collaborating with Martin Scorsese when he appeared in the crime film ''Mean Streets
''Mean Streets'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973. De Niro won the National ...
'' (1973), co-starring Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...
. Although De Niro was offered a choice of roles, Scorsese wanted De Niro to play "Johnny Boy" Civello, a small time criminal working his way up into a local mob
Mob or MOB may refer to:
Behavioral phenomena
* Crowd
* Smart mob, a temporary self-structuring social organization, coordinated through telecommunication
Crime and law enforcement
* American Mafia, also known as the Mob
* Irish Mob, a US crimin ...
. While De Niro and Keitel were given freedom to improvise certain scenes, assistant director Ron Satlof recalls De Niro was "extremely serious, extremely involved in his role and preparation", and became isolated from the rest of the cast and crew. ''Mean Streets'' debuted at the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
, followed by the New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, it is ...
five months later, to a generally warm response. Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
thought De Niro gave a "marvelous performance, filled with urgency and restless desperation". Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael's opinions oft ...
of ''The New York Times'' was equally impressed by De Niro, writing he is "a bravura actor, and those who have registered him only as the grinning, tobacco-chewing dolt of that hunk of inept whimsey ''Bang the Drum Slowly'' will be unprepared for his volatile performance. De Niro does something like what Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
was doing in ''Midnight Cowboy
''Midnight Cowboy'' is a 1969 American drama (film and television), drama film, based on the 1965 Midnight Cowboy (novel), novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars ...
'', but wilder; this kid doesn’t just act – he takes off into the vapors". In 1997, ''Mean Streets'' was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...
by the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
1974–1980: Scorsese collaboration and acclaim
De Niro had a pivotal role inFrancis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
's crime epic
Epic commonly refers to:
* Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation
* Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements
Epic or EPIC may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
''The Godfather Part II
''The Godfather Part II'' is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is partially based on the 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. ''Part II'' s ...
'' (1974), playing the young Vito Corleone
Vito Corleone (born Vito Andolini) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and in the first two of Francis Ford Coppola's film trilogy. Vito is originally portrayed by Marlon Brando in the 1972 film ''The Godfather ...
. De Niro had previously auditioned for the first installment, ''The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'' (1972), but quit the project in favor of doing ''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight''. Coppola, having remembered him, gave De Niro a role in ''Part II'' instead. To portray his character, De Niro spoke mainly in several Sicilian dialects, although he delivered a few lines in English. The film was a commercial success and grossed $48 million at the worldwide box office. ''The Godfather Part II'' received eleven nominations at the 47th Academy Awards
The 47th Academy Awards were presented Tuesday, April 8, 1975, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best films of 1974. The ceremonies were presided over by Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr., an ...
, winning six, including one for De Niro as Best Supporting Actor. It was De Niro's first Academy win; Coppola accepted the award on his behalf as he did not attend the ceremony. De Niro and Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
, who played the older Vito Corleone in the first film, were the first pair of actors to win Academy Awards for portraying the same fictional character.
After working with Scorsese in ''Mean Streets'', De Niro collaborated with him again for the psychological drama ''Taxi Driver
''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying and ...
'' (1976). Set in gritty and morally bankrupt New York City following the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, the film tells the story of Travis Bickle
Travis Bickle is a fictional character and the anti-hero protagonist of the 1976 film ''Taxi Driver'' directed by Martin Scorsese. The character was created by the film's screenwriter Paul Schrader. He is played by Robert De Niro, who received an ...
, a lonely taxi driver who descends into insanity. In preparation for the role, De Niro spent time with members of a U.S. army base to learn their Midwestern
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
accent and mannerisms. He also lost 30 pounds (13 kg) in weight, took firearm training and studied the behavior of taxi drivers. The film was critically acclaimed, in particular for De Niro's performance; ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' critic hailed it as his "landmark performance", and the ''San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' wrote "De Niro is dazzling in one of his signature roles". Despite controversy for Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the ho ...
being cast as a child prostitute, the film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to th ...
for De Niro. His " You talkin' to me?" quote, which he improvised, was selected as the 10th most memorable quote in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes by the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
. In 2005, the film was chosen by ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine as one of the 100 best films of all time.
De Niro had two other film releases in 1976. He starred in ''1900'', a historical drama directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...
. Starring an ensemble
Ensemble may refer to:
Art
* Architectural ensemble
* ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album
* Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary
* Ensemble cast (drama, comedy)
* Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the chorus
* ''En ...
cast, the film is set in the Emilia
Emilia may refer to:
People
* Emilia (given name), list of people with this name
Places
* Emilia (region), a historical region of Italy. Reggio, Emilia
* Emilia-Romagna, an administrative region in Italy, including the historical regions of Emi ...
region of Italy, and tells the story of two men, the landowner Alfredo Berlinghieri (De Niro) and the peasant
A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...
Olmo Dalcò (Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 alm ...
), as they witness and participate in the political conflicts between fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
and communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
in the first half of the twentieth century. Next, he played a CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
in ''The Last Tycoon
''The Last Tycoon'' is an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 1941, it was published posthumously under this title, as prepared by his friend Edmund Wilson, a critic and writer. According to ''Publishers Weekly,'' the novel is "generally ...
'', based on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
's novel of the same name, as adapted by British screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...
. De Niro lost 42 pounds (19 kg) for the role, and director Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan (; born Elias Kazantzoglou ( el, Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου); September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was an American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one o ...
observed that De Niro would rehearse on Sundays, adding "Bobby and I would go over the scenes to be shot. Bobby is more meticulous... he's very imaginative. He's very precise. He figures everything out both inside and outside. He has good emotion. He's a character actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
: everything he does he calculates. In a good way, but he calculates".Kazan, Elia. ''Elia Kazan: A Life'', Da Capo Press (1997) The film received mixed reviews; ''Variety'' magazine critic opined that the film was "unfocused" and called De Niro's performance "mildly intriguing". Film critic Marie Brenner
Marie Harriet Brenner (born December 15, 1949) is an American author, investigative journalist and writer-at-large for '' Vanity Fair''. She has also written for ''New York'', ''The New Yorker'' and the ''Boston Herald'' and has taught at Columbi ...
wrote, "it is a role that surpasses even his brilliant and daring portrayal of Vito Corleone in ''The Godfather Part II''... his performance deserves to be compared with the very finest".
For De Niro's sole project of 1977, he starred in Scorsese's musical drama ''New York, New York'' opposite Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
. De Niro learned to play the saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
from musician Georgie Auld
Georgie Auld (May 19, 1919 – January 8, 1990) was a jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader.
Early years
Auld was born John Altwerger in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. Before the family left Canada, Auld ...
, to portray saxophonist Jimmy, who falls in love with a pop singer (Minnelli). The film received generally mixed reception, although critics were kinder to De Niro. The film was nominated for four Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
awards including Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for De Niro. In 1978, De Niro starred in Michael Cimino
Michael Antonio Cimino ( ; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American filmmaker. One of the "New Hollywood" directors, Cimino achieved fame with ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best D ...
's epic war film ''The Deer Hunter
''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Chr ...
,'' in which he played a steelworker whose life was changed after serving in the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. He co-starred with Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
, John Savage, John Cazale
John Holland Cazale (; August 12, 1935 – March 13, 1978) was an American actor. He appeared in five films over seven years, all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: ''The Godfather'' (1972), ''The Conversation'' (197 ...
, Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
, and George Dzundza
George Dzundza ( ; born July 19, 1945) is an American television and film actor.
Early life and education
Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian-Jewish father, Roman Dzundza, originally from Kalush, Ukraine, and a Polish-Jewish m ...
. The story takes place in Clairton, Pennsylvania, a working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
town on the Monongahela River
The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in North Cen ...
south of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, and in Vietnam. Producer Michael Deeley
Michael Deeley (born 6 August 1932) is an Academy Award-winning British film producer known for such motion pictures as ''The Italian Job'' (1969), ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), and ''Blade Runner'' (1982). He is also a founding member and Honora ...
pursued De Niro for the role, because the fame of his previous films would help make a "gruesome-sounding storyline and a barely known director" marketable. De Niro, impressed by the script and director's preparation, was among the first to sign on to the film. Reviews for ''The Deer Hunter'' were generally positive, and the cast attracted strong praise for their performances. The film received nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
(BAFTAs), and earned De Niro a nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 53rd-greatest American film of all time in their 10th Anniversary Edition of the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list.
The fourth collaboration between De Niro and Scorsese was in 1980, with the biographical drama ''Raging Bull
''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: My St ...
.'' Adapted from Jake LaMotta's memoir '' Raging Bull: My Story,'' De Niro portrays LaMotta, the Italian-American middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
whose violent behavior and temper destroyed his relationship with his wife and family. Co-starring Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank Pesci ( , ; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor and musician. He is known for portraying tough, volatile characters in a variety of genres and for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in the films ''Ra ...
and Cathy Moriarty
Cathy Moriarty (born November 29, 1960) is an American actress and singer whose career spans over 40 years. For her work in Martin Scorsese's 1980 film ''Raging Bull'', she received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress ...
, De Niro later said it was one of the toughest roles to prepare for because he had to gain 60 pounds (27 kg), and had to learn to box. "The book’s not great literature, but it’s got a lot of heart", De Niro told Scorsese at the time. Although the film received critical acclaim, some reviewers were divided and criticized its "exceedingly violent" content; however, De Niro garnered praise for his realistic portrayal. The critic from ''The Hollywood Reporter'' declared that "De Niro is incredible and makes the actor almost unrecognizable as himself; he looks amazingly like La Motta. De Niro's appearance is also astonishing in the final scenes". Michael Thomson of the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
observed "the power of Scorsese is matched by the intensity of De Niro who delves deep into the soul of the boxer". At the 53rd Academy Awards
The 53rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored 1980 in film, films released in 1980 and took place on March 31, 1981, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at ...
, the film received eight nominations, including Best Actor for De Niro for which he won. ''Raging Bull'' has since been regarded as one of the greatest films of the 1980s by American critics. De Niro was strongly considered for the role of Jack Torrance
John Daniel Edward "Jack" Torrance is the main antagonist in Stephen King's horror novel '' The Shining'' (1977). He was portrayed by Jack Nicholson in the novel's 1980 film adaptation, by Steven Weber in the 1997 miniseries, by Brian Mu ...
in Stanley Kubrick's '' The Shining'', but it ended up going to Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
, the director's first choice for the role.
1981–1991: Dramas, comedies and awards success
De Niro returned to the crime genre with '' True Confessions'' (1981), adapted from the 1977 novel of the same name byJohn Gregory Dunne
John Gregory Dunne (May 25, 1932 – December 30, 2003) was an American writer. He began his career as a journalist for ''Time (magazine), Time'' Time (magazine), magazine before expanding into writing criticism, essays, novels, and screenplays. ...
. Less challenging than his previous film, De Niro played a priest who clashes with his brother (Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...
), a detective investigating the murder of a prostitute. Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
of ''The New York Times'' thought the plot was hard to follow at times but praised the actors who "work so beautifully together it sometimes seems like a single performance". To expand his range of acting roles and to prove his acting abilities, De Niro sought out films with a comedic tone throughout the 1980s. He found it in '' The King of Comedy'' (1982), in which he played the struggling stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up.
Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...
Rupert Pupkin. De Niro was first to bring the script to the attention of Scorsese, who then gave it a New York setting and darker tone. The film failed to find an audience, and was a box office disappointment
A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
, grossing only $2.5 million from a budget of $19 million. However, most critics praised De Niro's performance. His next film credit was in Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...
's ''Once Upon a Time in America
''Once Upon a Time in America'' ( it, C'era una volta in America) is a 1984 epic crime film co-written and directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone and starring Robert De Niro and James Woods. The film is an Italian–American venture produce ...
'' (1984), in which he plays David "Noodles" Aaronson, a New York City Jewish gangster. The theatrical cut, with a runtime of 229 minutes, premiered at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival
The 37th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 23 May 1984. The Palme d'Or went to the ''Paris, Texas'' by Wim Wenders.
The festival opened with ''Fort Saganne'', directed by Alain Corneau and closed with '' The Bounty'', directed by Roger D ...
and received a 15-minute standing ovation. The film was shortened for theaters in the U.S. (139 minutes), but this proved to be highly unpopular with critics. After seeing the full cut, Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan (; born October 27, 1946) is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He was a film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1991 ...
of the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' described the film "excessive as well as tightly controlled" with the actors showing "impressive restraint and power".
''Falling in Love
Falling in love is the development of strong feelings of attachment and love, usually towards another person.
The term is metaphorical, emphasizing that the process, like the physical act of falling, is sudden, uncontrollable and leaves the ...
'', a romantic comedy starring opposite Meryl Streep, was his last release of 1984. One year later, De Niro starred in a science fiction for the first time, ''Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,'' about a daydreaming man living in a dystopian society. Although the film was unsuccessful at the box office, ''Brazil'' was included in The Criterion Collection. In May 1986, De Niro returned to the stage at Longacre Theatre, playing the lead role in the production ''Cuba and His Teddy Bear.'' For his next feature film, he co-starred in '' The Mission'' (1986) with Jeremy Irons, a Historical drama, period drama about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in eighteenth century South America. Vincent Canby reviewed the film negatively, and was critical of De Niro's casting: "De Niro, who was very fine as the street-wise priest in ''True Confessions'', is all right here until he opens his mouth". However, the film won an Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Best Cinematography, three BAFTAs, including BAFTA Award for Best Editing, Best Editing, and two Golden Globes for Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, Best Screenplay and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, Best Original Score.
In 1987, De Niro had two minor film roles. In the first, he was cast as Louis Cyphre in Alan Parker's horror ''Angel Heart'', an adaptation of William Hjortsberg's 1978 novel ''Falling Angel.'' In the second, he portrayed Al Capone in De Palma's crime drama, ''The Untouchables (film), The Untouchables.'' While Pauline Kael opined that De Niro was "lazy" for undertaking small roles, De Palma defended him by saying he was "experimenting with those characters". In July 1987, he traveled to Russia to serve as President of the Jury at the 15th Moscow International Film Festival. Finally that year, he provided a voice-over for the documentary ''Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.'' The Buddy cop film, buddy cop film, ''Midnight Run
''Midnight Run'' is a 1988 American road action comedy film directed by Martin Brest and starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, and Philip Baker Hall play supporting roles.
At the ...
'', was his next effort in 1988. Starring opposite Charles Grodin, De Niro played bounty hunter Jack Walsh. The film received amicable reception and was a commercial success, grossing $81 million worldwide. In his mixed review, Hal Hinson of ''The Washington Post'' wrote of De Niro:De Niro has reduced himself in scale here, too, and it's a relief to see him drop the great-actor mantle, and the theatricality. As a result, he hasn't seemed as fresh since ''Mean Streets'' or ''New York, New York.'' Walsh is more of a character role than the ones he played in those films; there's less specificity in the conception – he's more of a type – but the actor fits into him snugly, effortlessly, and the chance to play comedy, particularly opposite a comic foil as ideal as Grodin, appears to have revitalized him.He turned down an opportunity to play Jesus Christ in Scorsese's ''The Last Temptation of Christ (film), The Last Temptation of Christ'' (1988), although he told the director that he would do it as a favor if needed. Scorsese cast Willem Dafoe instead. In 1989, De Niro starred in several films that were not widely seen. He starred alongside Ed Harris and Kathy Baker in the drama ''Jacknife.'' The film revolves around the complex relationship between a Vietnam veteran, his sister and fellow army buddy. Next, he starred in the crime comedy We're No Angels (1989 film), ''We're No Angels'' (1989) with Sean Penn, a remake of the 1955 We're No Angels (1955 film), film of the same name. The pair play escaped convicts who go on the run towards Canada. A year later, he starred in the romantic drama ''Stanley & Iris'' opposite Jane Fonda. Film critics did not receive ''We're No Angels'' or ''Stanley & Iris'' positively; modern review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives them approval ratings of 47% and 33%, respectively.
De Niro and Scorsese soon reunited for their sixth collaboration in 1990, with the crime film ''Goodfellas
''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' Wis ...
.'' It is an adaptation of the 1985 non-fiction book ''Wiseguy (book), Wiseguy'' by Nicholas Pileggi. The film narrates the life of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his friends and family from 1955 to 1980. De Niro played James Conway, an Irish truck Carjacking, carjacker and gangster. ''Goodfellas'' premiered at the 47th Venice International Film Festival to an "enthusiastic" response from Italian critics, although it grossed a moderate $46 million upon its wider release. Writing for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, Peter Travers, praised the cast performances, and called De Niro's character "a smooth killer acted with riveting restraint". ''Chicago Tribune'' Gene Siskel was equally impressed by their improvised performances and concluded "easily one of the year's best films". In the awards season, the film was nominated for six Academy Awards, and De Niro was nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor at the BAFTAs. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 92nd-greatest American film of all time in their 10th Anniversary Edition of the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list. Also in 1990, De Niro appeared in the lead role for ''Awakenings
''Awakenings'' is a 1990 American drama film directed by Penny Marshall. It is written by Steven Zaillian, who based his screenplay on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir ''Awakenings''. It tells the story of neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams ...
'', directed by Penny Marshall. The drama, based on Oliver Sacks' 1973 Awakenings (book), book of the same title, tells the story of Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams), who discovers benefits of the drug L-DOPA, L-Dopa in 1969 and administers it to catatonic
Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...
patients. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for De Niro. Sacks later remarked of the film: "I was pleased with a great deal of it. I think in an uncanny way, De Niro did somehow feel his way into being Parkinsonism, Parkinsonian. ..At other levels I think things were sort of sentimentalized and simplified somewhat".
De Niro's next film project was the drama ''Guilty by Suspicion'' (1991) in which he plays David Merrill, a fictitious film director, returning to the U.S. during the McCarthyism, McCarthy era and Hollywood blacklist. The film received generally favorable reviews. He then had a minor role in the Mystery film, mystery drama Backdraft (film), ''Backdraft'' (1991), playing a veteran fire inspector. De Niro's biggest success of 1991 was '' Cape Fear'', his seventh film with Scorsese and a remake of the 1962 Cape Fear (1962 film), film of the same name. De Niro portrays convicted rapist Max Cady, who seeks revenge against a former public defender who originally defended him. De Niro's performance was widely lauded. David Ansen of ''Newsweek'' remarked that De Niro "dominates the film with his lip-smacking, blackly comic and terrifying portrayal of psychopathic self-righteousness". The film grossed a successful $182 million and earned De Niro a Best Actor nomination at the 64th Academy Awards.
1992–1997: Directorial debut and crime dramas
In 1992, De Niro appeared in two films. The first, ''Mistress (1992 film), Mistress,'' is a comedy-drama in which he played ruthless businessman Evan Wright. Of his performance, the critic from ''The Independent'' called De Niro "more urbane and coherent than we've seen him for a while". Irwin Winkler's ''Night and the City (1992 film), Night and the City'' was his second release, a crime drama remake of the 1950 film noir Night and the City, of the same name. He was cast as New York lawyer Harry Fabian. Owen Gleiberman of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the film a rating of "B−" and was critical of De Niro: "The actor who once got so far inside his roles that he just about detonated the screen – now plays characters who don’t seem to have any inner life at all". Next, he served as a producer for the mystery thriller ''Thunderheart'' (1992)''.'' In 1993, he played crime scene photographer Wayne Dobie in the comedy drama ''Mad Dog and Glory'' with co-stars Uma Thurman and Bill Murray. The feature received reasonable reviews and was lauded for the chemistry between De Niro and Murray; ''The Washington Post'' critic noted that their "real-life friendship spills over into this jittery, very funny look at the male bonding experience". Next, De Niro starred in the Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age film ''This Boy's Life
''This Boy's Life'' is a 1993 American biographical coming-of-age drama film based on the memoir of the same name by author Tobias Wolff. It was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Tobias "Toby" Wolff, Robert De Niro a ...
'' (1993), based on the memoir of the same name by Tobias Wolff. It features Ellen Barkin and Leonardo DiCaprio. Playing stepfather Dwight Hansen of Wolff (DiCaprio), the film was mostly well received, although ''Time Out (magazine), Timeout'' magazine believed that "DiCaprio steals the show".
De Niro starred in his directorial debut, ''A Bronx Tale
''A Bronx Tale'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age crime film directed by and starring Robert De Niro in his directorial debut and produced by Jane Rosenthal, adapted from Chazz Palminteri's 1989 play of the same name. It tells the coming of ...
'' (1993), a coming-of-age story about an Italian-American boy who is torn between the temptations of organized crime, racism in his community, and the values of his decent father. The film also stars Chazz Palminteri, who wrote the A Bronx Tale (play), play of the same name, and is based on his childhood. ''A Bronx Tale'' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to a positive response; Marjorie Baumgarten of ''The Austin Chronicle'' wrote "De Niro's choices as a director all seem prudent and un-showy, designed to draw attention to the characters and the story rather than its technical assemblage and much-lauded star". ''Variety'' magazine Todd McCarthy took issue with the film's slow start but complimented De Niro's "impressive sensitivity to the irrational roots of racism and violence". A year later, De Niro was cast in the lead role of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film), ''Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'', an adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein.'' Although the film was commercially successful, earning $112 million worldwide, the general consensus of reviews were largely negative. Film critic James Berardinelli opined that it was entertaining and De Niro gave a strong performance, despite the film's "frantic" pace.
''Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
'' (1995) marked De Niro's return to the crime genre with Scorsese in their eighth collaboration. Co-starring Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci, the film is based on the book ''Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas'' by Nicholas Pileggi. De Niro portrays Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a mob-connected casino operator in Las Vegas. The film's themes revolve around greed, betrayal, wealth, status, and murder that occur between two mobsters, Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Pesci), and a trophy wife (Stone) over a gambling empire. ''Casino'' was released to mostly positive critical reception, and was a success at the worldwide box office. Roger Ebert was impressed with the lead performers' abilities to "inhabit their roles with unconscious assurance", and ''The Globe and Mails critic thought "De Niro does an extraordinarily subtle job of capturing the paradox ..that lie at the heart of this picture". Shortly afterwards, he starred in 1995's crime thriller Heat (1995 film), ''Heat'', about a group of professional bank robbers. Art Linson, who had previously produced films starring De Niro, sent him the script first. "It was very good, very strong, had a particular feel to it, a reality and authenticity," De Niro said. Co-starring Al Pacino and Val Kilmer, the film was released to wide acclaim; Michael Wilmington of the ''Chicago Tribune'' wrote: De Niro and Pacino redeem everything. In ''Heat'', they represent a high postwar tradition for movie actors – the ones inspired byIn 1995, De Niro had minor roles in the French comedy ''One Hundred and One Nights'' and in the drama ''Panther (film), Panther.'' In 1996, De Niro starred in the sports thriller ''The Fan (1996 film), The Fan'', based on the The Fan (Abrahams novel), novel of the same name by Peter Abrahams (American author), Peter Abrahams. De Niro plays Gil Renard, a baseball fanatic who loses his sanity. His fiftieth film credit was in the crime drama ''Sleepers'' (1996), about four boys who become involved with crime, and are sentenced to a detention center where they are abused by guards, and seek vengeance upon release. De Niro plays priest Bobby Carillo, a father figure to the four boys. Afterwards, he appeared in Marvin's Room (film), ''Marvin's Room'' (1996) as Dr. Wallace Carter, who treats a woman (Diane Keaton) with leukemia. Writing for the British ''Empire (film magazine), Empire'' magazine, Bob McCabe opined that "Performances are all eminently watchable ..but the truncated feel robs the film of anything more than perfunctory pleasures". Also in 1996, De Niro co-produced the crime-comedy Faithful (1996 film), ''Faithful''. The following year, he appeared in James Mangold's ''Cop Land'' (1997), a crime-drama co-starring Sylvester Stallone,Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ..., John Cassavetes andJames Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...– who aren't afraid of emotion, who run right into the jaws of a scene to grab it. Like others from their generation –Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ..., Gene Hackman,Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...– they have a keener slant on machismo. They easily explore its darker strata.
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...
and Ray Liotta. De Niro plays Internal affairs (law enforcement), Internal Affairs investigator Lt. Moe Tilden, who explores police corruption in a New Jersey town. The film opened to a generally warm response, although Barbara Shulgasser of ''San Francisco Examiner'' criticized De Niro's acting in certain scenes, suggesting Mangold put De Niro in a "manufactured situation", preventing him from realizing his full potential. De Niro co-starred and co-produced ''Wag the Dog
''Wag the Dog'' is a 1997 American political satire black comedy film produced and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. The film centers on a spin doctor and a Hollywood producer who fabricate a war in Alb ...
'' (1997). The film is a political satire about a biased publicist (De Niro) and a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) who fabricate a war in Albania to cover up a U.S. president's sex scandal. In January 1998, a month after its release, the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal dominated the headlines, which helped the film generate publicity. As a result, ''Wag the Dog'' was well-received and made the list of Roger Ebert's ten best films of 1997. De Niro also had a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's ''Jackie Brown'' in that same year.
1998–2006: Comic roles, thrillers, and slump
De Niro began 1998 with an appearance in Great Expectations (1998 film), ''Great Expectations'', a modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1861 Great Expectations, novel of the same name, in which he played Arthur Lustig. Later that year, his next major role came in Ronin (film), ''Ronin'' (1998), about a team of former Special forces, special operatives that are hired to steal a mysterious briefcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties. De Niro plays Sam, an American mercenary formerly associated with the CIA. ''Ronin'' premiered at the 1998 Venice Film Festival to favorable response; Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' praised De Niro's confident portrayal as an action hero. In 1999, De Niro ventured back into crime-comedy; he was cast as an insecure mob boss opposite Billy Crystal and Lisa Kudrow in Harold Ramis' ''Analyze This
''Analyze This'' is a 1999 American mafia comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Kenneth Lonergan, and Peter Tolan. The plot follows a crisis-stricken mafioso (Robert De Niro) who solicits the assista ...
.'' The film was a box office hit, earning $176 million worldwide, and De Niro was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes. In ''Flawless (1999 film), Flawless'' (1999), De Niro appeared as a homophobic police officer, who suffers a stroke, and is assigned to a rehabilitative program with a gay singer. The critic from the BBC gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, and thought De Niro gave a "refreshingly low-key" performance, in comparison to his previous work.
In 2000, De Niro produced and starred in his first Live-action animated film, live-action animation comedy, ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (film), The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.'' He voiced the character Fearless Leader, who is a dictator and employer of two mobsters. The film was critically panned, with Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a 43% approval rating. De Niro played Master chief petty officer, Master Chief 'Billy' Sunday in the biographical drama ''Men of Honor'' (2000), based on the life of Carl Brashear, the first African-American to become a Master diver (United States Navy), U.S. Navy Master Diver. Although the film garnered mixed reviews, Bob Thomas (reporter), Bob Thomas of the ''Associated Press'' wrote "De Niro infuses the role with all his dynamism. It is his best performance in years". That same year, he starred in the comedy ''Meet the Parents
''Meet the Parents'' is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. It chronicles a series of unfortunate events that befall a good-hearted but hapless nurse (Ben Stiller as Greg Focker) while v ...
'' opposite Ben Stiller as Jack Byrnes, a former CIA operative who takes a dislike to Stiller's character. De Niro, who had been seeking comic roles at the time, was encouraged by his producing partner Jane Rosenthal, to take on the role. The film was a high earner at the box office, with $330 million in receipts. Film critics welcomed De Niro's transition as a comic actor and ability to make audiences laugh.
After several comedies, De Niro landed a lead role in the crime thriller ''15 Minutes'' (2001), a story about a homicide detective (De Niro) and a New York City fire marshals, fire marshal (Edward Burns) who join forces to apprehend a pair of Eastern European murderers. The film's reception was generally unfavorable; William Arnold of the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' took issue with the "in-your-face exaggeration", but he thought De Niro delivered "his usual edgy flair, ..on the mean streets of his native Manhattan". De Niro followed up with a Heist film, heist, in Frank Oz's ''The Score (2001 film), The Score'' (2001), starring Edward Norton, Angela Bassett and Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
. He plays a retiring thief when a young man (Norton) persuades him into doing one last heist together. Upon release, ''The Score'' fared well with critics, although Peter Rainer of ''New York (magazine), New York'' magazine did not think the film challenged De Niro or fully utilize his talents. The next year, he played an Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD detective opposite Eddie Murphy in the action-comedy Showtime (film), ''Showtime''. The reviewer from ''LA Weekly'' remarked "De Niro isn't actually playing a part but riffing on his own legend", and thought the references to ''Taxi Driver'' were "cheap".Also in 2002, he collaborated with Michael Caton-Jones in ''City by the Sea'', who had previously directed De Niro in ''This Boy's Life''. Starring opposite Frances McDormand and James Franco, he portrayed another police detective in the drama. The film received mixed reviews and under-performed at the theaters. He appeared in ''Analyze That'' (2002)'','' a sequel to 1999's ''Analyze This.'' Filming began in New York City, seven months after the September 11 attacks. De Niro insisted on filming there, stating "It's a New York story, a New York movie. We always intended to keep it there and I'm glad we were able to do it". Upon release, most critics thought the sequel was weak; CNN's Paul Clinton remarked "Unfortunately the result is just a bunch of one-liners strung together, of which some work and some don't. The actual story never gets off the ground". Despite these failures, De Niro served as a producer for the critically acclaimed romantic-comedy ''About a Boy (film), About a Boy'' (2002), and appeared in ''9/11 (2002 film), 9/11'' (2002), a CBS documentary about the September 11 attacks, told from the New York City fire department's point of view.
Several critics consider De Niro's career as having begun to slump in the early 2000s, with De Niro starring in roles that were less dramatic than those in the previous decade. He returned to the screen in 2004, playing a doctor in the Fantasy film, fantasy drama Godsend (2004 film), ''Godsend''. As of 2020, the film is De Niro's poorest-performing work; Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 4% based on 139 critic reviews. He voiced a character in DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks' animation of ''Shark Tale'' (2004). Most critics were also unimpressed, but it was a high earner at the box office. After co-producing ''Stage Beauty'' (2004), De Niro reprised his role of Jack Byrnes in 2004's ''Meet the Fockers,'' the sequel to ''Meet the Parents''. In a scathing review of De Niro, the critic from ''Slant Magazine'' wrote "In self-parody mode for the umpteenth time, De Niro mugs for the camera with a series of overblown grimaces and faux-menacing glares". The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004 film), ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'', was De Niro's last release of 2004, based on Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey, novel of the same name. It was also critically panned.
In 2005, De Niro starred in the horror Hide and Seek (2005 film), ''Hide and Seek'' opposite Dakota Fanning, playing Dr. David Callaway who leaves the city with his traumatized daughter after the mother's suicide. Although the film was a financial success, some critics thought De Niro had been miscast, and queried his decision to star in a mediocre feature. In 2006, De Niro turned down a role in ''The Departed'' to direct his second film, the Spy film, spy thriller ''The Good Shepherd (film), The Good Shepherd'', a fictional account about the growth of the CIA during its formative years''.'' The film reunited him onscreen with Joe Pesci, co-star from ''Raging Bull'', ''Goodfellas'', ''A Bronx Tale'', ''Casino'', among others''.'' Based on the screenplay by Eric Roth, the project was personal for De Niro, who was raised during the Cold War and fascinated by it. Despite starring some of Hollywood's leading actors; Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Alec Baldwin, the film garnered a mixed reception. Writing for The Sydney Morning Herald, ''The'' ''Sydney Morning Herald'', Sandra Hall noted its slow pace, stating "There's a potentially fascinating slice of History of the United States, American history here, but De Niro has carved it up with an excruciatingly dull knife". The critic from ''USA Today'' found the plot initially hard to follow, but praises De Niro for "creating a stirring personal tale". ''The Good Shepherd'' was nominated for Academy Award for Best Production Design, Best Art Direction at the 79th Academy Awards. Finally in 2006, he voiced the character Emperor Sifrat XVI in ''Arthur and the Invisibles.''
2007–2016: Further film roles
His sole project in 2007 was Matthew Vaughn's Stardust (2007 film), ''Stardust'', a fantasy adventure, based on Neil Gaiman's 1999 Stardust (Gaiman novel), novel of the same name. He plays Captain Shakespeare, the leader of a ship. The film was generally well received, although one critic from ''New York'' magazine thought De Niro's performance was "god-awful – yet his Gung ho, gung-ho spirit wins him Brownie points". The following year, he starred in the police procedural thriller ''Righteous Kill'' opposite Al Pacino, both playing New York City detectives who investigate serial executions of criminals who escaped justice. The film's response was mainly disappointing; Peter Hartlaub of ''San Francisco Chronicle'' thought the story was unoriginal and De Niro lacked energy. The film grossed $78 million from a budget of $60 million. Next, he starred in What Just Happened (2008 film), ''What Just Happened'' (2008), a satirical comedy based on Art Linson's experiences as a producer in Hollywood. The film was screened at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival as an out-of-competition entry. ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' opined that most reviewers gave the film a lukewarm reception because of the character he plays, which is "sympathetic" and quieter than his earlier roles. In 2009, he was cast as Frank Goode in the drama Everybody's Fine (2009 film), ''Everybody's Fine'', a remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's Italian film Everybody's Fine (1990 film), of the same name. Although the film's response was equally mixed, ''The Guardian'' critic praised De Niro for a "his first decent, watchable performance in quite a while".
In 2010, he had a minor part as Senator John McLaughlin in the action film ''Machete (2010 film), Machete''. That same year, he starred in ''Stone (2010 film), Stone'' opposite Milla Jovovich and Edward Norton, co-star from ''The Score''. It is a crime drama where De Niro plays a manipulated Probation officer, parole officer. The film was met with a divided reception; ''Toronto Star'' critic thought De Niro delivered a respectable performance due to Jovovich's support. Another critic, Jesse Cataldo from ''Slant Magazine'' noted the film's restraint and thought De Niro is repeating himself by playing the same basic characters. Next he starred in ''Little Fockers'' (2010), the third sequel to ''Meet the Parents'' and ''Meet the Fockers''. Despite universally negative reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, grossing over $310 million worldwide. In one review, ''The Daily'' ''Telegraph'' wrote "Despite the farcical script, De Niro in particular has his Pater familias, paterfamilias character sensitively tuned". That year, De Niro was cast in ''Edge of Darkness (2010 film), Edge of Darkness'', but he left the project citing creative differences. He was replaced by Ray Winstone.
In 2011, De Niro starred in the Italian comedy ''Manuale d'amore 3''. He also appeared in three other films: ''Killer Elite (film), Killer Elite'', ''Limitless (film), Limitless'', and ''New Year's Eve (2011 film), New Year's Eve''. Except for ''Limitless'', which received an approval rating of 69% from Rotten Tomatoes, the other two films were met with mixed-to-negative reviews. De Niro was also appointed President of the Jury for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, making it the second time he has served. Continuing into 2012, he starred in the drama ''Being Flynn,'' based on ''Another Bullshit Night in Suck City,'' a memoir by Nick Flynn. It was met with a mixed response; critic A. O. Scott complimented De Niro's ability for playing an estranged father (opposite Paul Dano), calling him "unpredictable and subtle", despite an uncertain plot. De Niro also appeared in the thrillers ''Red Lights (2012 film), Red Lights'' and ''Freelancers (film), Freelancers'' (both 2012).
De Niro made his first appearance in a David O. Russell
David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American filmmaker. His early directing career includes the comedy films ''Spanking the Monkey'' (1994), '' Flirting with Disaster'' (1996), ''Three Kings'' (1999), and ''I Heart Huckabees'' (200 ...
film, in the romantic comedy ''Silver Linings Playbook
''Silver Linings Playbook'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O. Russell. The film was based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel ''The Silver Linings Playbook''. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawre ...
'' (2012), as the father of Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper), who is released from a psychiatric hospital and moves back in with his parents to rebuild his life. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for De Niro. The film grossed $236 million worldwide. Critics lauded the entire cast; ''Variety'' magazine Justin Chang noted De Niro's calm performance, writing "it’s hard to remember the last time De Niro was this effortlessly endearing and relaxed onscreen". In 2012, De Niro served as an executive producer for the television series ''NYC 22.''
Next, he was cast in 2013's ''The Big Wedding'', Killing Season (film), ''Killing Season'', and ''The Family (2013 film), The Family''; all three were met with mainly a negative response. His other 2013 release, ''Last Vegas,'' received some respectable reviews. Co-starring Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline and Mary Steenburgen, the film is about three retirees who travel to Las Vegas to have a bachelor party for their last remaining single friend. In a harsh assessment of De Niro's performance, the ''The A.V. Club, A.V. Club'' critic considered it "arguably the low point of De Niro’s career". Shortly afterwards, he starred in ''Grudge Match'' (2013) opposite Sylvester Stallone, as aging boxers stepping into the Boxing ring, ring for one last match. They had previously worked together in 1997's ''Cop Land''. That same year he starred in the crime thriller, ''The Bag Man''. In 2014, De Niro appeared in a documentary about his father, Robert De Niro Sr., titled ''Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro Sr.'' which aired on HBO. In 2015, he starred in Nancy Meyers' comedy ''The Intern (2015 film), The Intern'' alongside Anne Hathaway. The latter fared better with critics; Mark Olsen of the ''Los Angeles Times'' cordially remarked "De Niro brings a fresh, relaxed lightness to his performance, tinged with the gruff charm of Spencer Tracy". His performance won him a nomination from the Critics Choice Movie Awards for Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor in a Comedy, Best Actor in a Comedy.
Also in 2015, he appeared in two short films, Scorsese's The Audition (2015 film), ''The Audition'' and JR (artist), JR's Ellis (film), ''Ellis''. Returning to the heist genre, he starred in ''Heist (2015 film), Heist'', playing Francis "The Pope" Silva, a gangster casino owner who is targeted by criminals. The film was not a box office success. He starred in the biographical drama Joy (2015 film), ''Joy'' (2015), opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, about an American inventor Joy Mangano; it gained generally mixed reviews. In 2016, he co-starred in ''Dirty Grandpa,'' playing a grandfather who goes to Florida during spring break with his grandson (Zac Efron). Upon release, the film received a polarized reception for its reputedly distasteful content, and appeared in several critics' lists of List of films considered the worst, worst films of 2016. He also appeared in ''Hands of Stone'' (2016)'','' a biographical sports drama about the career of Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Durán. His last release of the year was The Comedian (2016 film), ''The Comedian'', which premiered at the AFI Fest, a film festival celebrating filmmakers' achievements.
2017–present: Resurgence and Scorsese reunion
In 2017, De Niro starred asBernie Madoff
Bernard Lawrence Madoff ( ; April 29, 1938April 14, 2021) was an American fraudster and financier who was the admitted mastermind of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth about $64.8 billion. He was at one time chairman of the NASDA ...
in Barry Levinson's HBO film ''The Wizard of Lies
''The Wizard of Lies'' is a 2017 American television biopic film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Sam Levinson, Sam Baum, and John Burnham Schwartz, based on the 2011 non-fiction book of the same name by Diana B. Henriques. The film star ...
'', a performance which earned him critical praise and a Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Television Movie. In 2019, De Niro won acclaim for portraying Robert Mueller alongside Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump in various episodes of ''Saturday Night Live,'' earning him an Emmy nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He received another Emmy nomination for his work as a producer on Ava DuVernay's acclaimed limited series ''When They See Us''.
In 2019, De Niro returned to the screen by playing talk show host Murray Franklin in Todd Phillips' ''Joker (2019 film), ''Joker'''', a possible origin story for the Batman character The Joker (Joaquin Phoenix). The film was a commercial success, and earned eleven nominations at the Academy Awards. Also that year, De Niro reunited with Scorsese for ''The Irishman
''The Irishman'' (subtitled onscreen as ''I Heard You Paint Houses'') is a 2019 American epic gangster film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book '' I Heard You Paint Hou ...
'', based on the 2004 book ''I Heard You Paint Houses'' by Charles Brandt. It is their ninth feature film together and the first since 1995's ''Casino,'' and co-stars Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, and Joe Pesci. The film received critical acclaim; Robbie Collin of ''The Daily Telegraph,'' praised De Niro's "sensational" performance and the chemistry between his co-stars, whom he has worked with in earlier films. ''Variety'' magazine critic also noted the chemistry, calling him "superb", despite perceived weaknesses in the film's special effects.
In September 2020, De Niro appeared in Nancy Meyers' comedy short film ''Father of the Bride (franchise), Father of the Bride Part 3(ish)''. The short co-starred Diane Keaton, Steve Martin, Kieran Culkin, Martin Short and Florence Pugh. Also in that year, De Niro appeared in ''The Comeback Trail (2020 film), The Comeback Trail'', a crime comedy directed by George Gallo. De Niro was cast in James Gray (director), James Gray's period drama ''Armageddon Time'', but he dropped out of the project by the time production began. In January 2021, De Niro signed on for the historical comedy ''Amsterdam (2022 film), Amsterdam'', playing an army veteran. Released in October 2022, the ensemble includes Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant and Anya Taylor-Joy, Anya-Taylor Joy. The reviewer from ''South China Morning Post'' thought De Niro "brings just the right gravitas to his decorated general".
De Niro will appear in ''Savage Salvation'' as Sheriffs in the United States, Sheriff Church; it is set for release on December 2, 2022. In 2023, De Niro will play Cowman (profession), cattleman William Hale in Killers of the Flower Moon (film), ''Killers of the Flower Moon'', an adaptation of the book of the Killers of the Flower Moon, same name by David Grann. He will star alongside Leonardo Di Caprio and Lily Gladstone. Directed by Scorsese, it was reported that the film's budget of $200 million had prompted him to seek Netflix or Apple TV+ for production and distribution. In May 2020, Apple TV was announced to co-finance and co-distribute the film with Paramount Pictures, Paramount. In 2023, De Niro will appear in the comedy ''About My Father'', and in the television series ''Nada.'' In August 2022, De Niro signed on to star in the Warner Bros. mob drama ''Wise Guys (upcoming film), Wise Guys'', directed by Barry Levinson.
Reception and legacy
Several journalists consider De Niro to be among the best actors of his generation. John Naughton of ''GQ'' magazine believes that De Niro has "redefined what we can expect of an actor". A. O. Scott said that De Niro "was transforming himself – physically, vocally, psychologically – with each new role. And in the process, before our eyes, reinventing the art of acting." As early as 1977, ''Newsweek'' remarked that the actor "gives you the shock of becoming, of a metamorphosis that can be thrilling, moving, or frightening." Biographer Douglas Brode praises De Niro's versatility and ability to inhabit any role, althoughPauline Kael
Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael's opinions oft ...
once said in 1983 that she did not like how the actor was "disfiguring" himself in films such as ''Raging Bull''. When asked why he undertook such roles, De Niro responded, "To totally submerge into another character and experience life through him, without having to risk the real-life consequences—well it's a cheap way to do doing things that you would never dare to do yourself."
In 2009, he was announced as one of the Kennedy Center Honors, Kennedy Center Honorees with the commemoration: "One of America's greatest cinematic actors, Robert De Niro has demonstrated a legendary commitment to his characters and has co-founded one of the world's major film festivals". Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
and Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
honored him at the event. In 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
from President Barack Obama. Obama said “Everybody on this stage has touched me in a very powerful, very personal way ..These are folks who have helped make me who I am". White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest added, "There is no arguing that the individuals who will be honored today are richly deserving," he said.
Many De Niro's films have become classics of American cinema, in which six of them have been inducted into the National Film Registry, U.S. National Film Registry as of 2022. Five films are featured on the American Film Institute's (AFI) list of the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies, 100 greatest American films of all time. De Niro and James Stewart share the title for the most films represented on the AFI list. ''Timeout'' magazine's list of 100 best movies included seven of De Niro's films, as chosen by actors in the industry. In 2006, De Niro donated his collection of film-related materials, such as scripts, wardrobe pieces and Theatrical property, props, to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The collection, which took more than two years to process and catalog, opened to the public in 2009.
Fan songIn 1984, the English girl group Bananarama's fan song "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." reached the third place of the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the charts for 12 weeks. Honors
Business interests
In 1989, De Niro and partner Jane Rosenthal co-founded the film production company TriBeCa Productions, which also organizes the Tribeca Film Festival. De Niro owns Tribeca Grill (co-owned with Broadway producer Stewart F. Lane), a New American cuisine, New American restaurant located at 375 Greenwich Street (at Franklin Street) in Tribeca, Manhattan. It opened in 1990. He is also the owner of the Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca. De Niro co-owns Nobu (company), Nobu restaurants and hotels with partners Meir Teper and Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The first Nobu Hotel opened inside Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, in 2013. Two years later, the second Nobu Hotel opened at City of Dreams Manila, City of Dreams in Manila, Philippines. In 2015, De Niro partnered with James Packer after the billionaire acquired a 20 percent stake in Nobu for $100 million. He is a stakeholder in Paradise Found Nobu Resort, a company planning to build a luxury resort on the island of Barbuda. The plan for a luxury resort on the island of Barbuda has been criticized by many residents of Barbuda and the Barbuda People's Movement, as it is in violation of the Barbuda Land Acts, Barbuda Land Act.Activism
In 1998, De Niro lobbied United States Congress, U.S. Congress against impeaching President Bill Clinton. In 2012, De Niro joined the anti-fracking campaign Artists Against Fracking.Personal life
Relationships
De Niro married actress Diahnne Abbott in 1976. They have a son, Raphael De Niro, Raphael, a former actor who works in New York real estate. De Niro also adopted Abbott's daughter Drena De Niro from a previous relationship. He and Abbott divorced in 1988. Afterwards, he was in a relationship with model Toukie Smith between 1988 and 1996. De Niro has twin sons, Julian and Aaron, conceived by in vitro fertilization, ''in vitro'' fertilization and delivered by a Surrogacy, surrogate mother in 1995.
In 1997, De Niro married actress Grace Hightower. Their son, Elliot, was born in 1998 and the couple split in 1999. The divorce was never finalized and in 2004 they renewed their vows. In December 2011, their daughter was born via surrogate. In 2014, he and Hightower moved into a 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom apartment at 15 Central Park West. Four years later, it was reported De Niro and Hightower had separated after 20 years of marriage. De Niro has four grandchildren; one from his daughter Drena, and three from his son Raphael. On April 19, 2021, De Niro's lawyer argued in a virtual divorce hearing presided by a Manhattan judge that he is "working at an unsustainable pace" in order "to support Hightower and pay off all his back taxes". Hightower's lawyer claimed that since the pair filed for divorce in 2018, De Niro had been "unfairly decreasing" the agreed-upon payments to her.
Health
In October 2003, De Niro was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent surgery at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in December 2003.Residency and nationality
De Niro is long-term resident of New York City, and has been investing in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood since 1989. He has properties on the East Side (Manhattan), east and West Side (Manhattan), west sides of Manhattan. He also has a estate in Gardiner, New York, Gardiner, New York, which serves as his primary residence. In 2006, De Niro received Italian citizenship, despite opposition by the Order Sons of Italy in America, Sons of Italy, who believe that De Niro damaged the public image of Italians by portraying criminals.Stance on vaccination
In 2016, De Niro initially defended the inclusion of a controversial documentary, ''Vaxxed'', at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. He explained that his interest in the film was from his personal experience with his Autism, autistic son, Elliot. The film was withdrawn from the schedule after consultation with the festival organizers and scientific community. In February 2017, De Niro took part in a joint presentation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chairman of the anti-vaccine non-profit Children's Health Defense, to discuss their concerns with vaccine safety. De Niro has stated that he is not Vaccine hesitancy, anti-vaccination, but does question their efficacy.Assassination attempt
In October 2018, De Niro was October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts, targeted by an explosive device. The device was found at the Tribeca Grill, which also houses his production company in Manhattan. According to the FBI, similar devices were sent to high-profile politicians including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and former CIA Director John Brennan (CIA officer), John Brennan.Legal issues
In February 1998, De Niro was held for questioning by French police in connection with an international prostitution ring. De Niro denied any involvement, and later filed a complaint against the examining magistrate for "violation of secrecy in an investigation". He stated he would not return to France, but has since traveled there several times including for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. In 1999, De Niro threatened to sue the owners of "De Niro’s Supper Club" in Vancouver, under section 3 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (British Columbia), BC Privacy Act. The restaurant subsequently changed its name to "Section (3)". In 2006, the land trust, trust that owns De Niro's Gardiner estate sued the town to have its property tax Tax assessment, assessment reduced, arguing that $6 million was too high and should be compared only with similar properties in Ulster County, New York, Ulster County, where Gardiner is located. The town, which had been comparing its value to similar estates in Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County, across the Hudson River, and Connecticut's Litchfield County, Connecticut, Litchfield County, where many other affluent New York residents maintain estates on large properties, won in New York State Supreme Court, State Supreme Court. In 2014, the trust's lawyers appealed the decision and the town was unsure if it should continue to defend the suit because of financial limitations (it would have earned far less in payments on the increased taxes than it had spent on legal costs). This angered many residents, who initially sympathized with De Niro, and some proposed to raise money privately to help the town continue the suit. The dispute was publicized by ''The New York Times''. "When he [De Niro] read about it on Election Day (United States), Election Day, he went bananas," due to the negative publicity, said Gardiner town councilman Warren Wiegand. He was unaware that a lawsuit was filed; the trust's accountants took responsibility citing fiduciary duty. Shortly afterwards, De Niro directed his lawyer, Tom Harvey, to withdraw the suit and reimburse the town's legal bills of $129,000. Harvey conveyed to Wiegand that "De Niro didn't want to screw the town". In August 2019, De Niro's company Canal Productions filed a $6-million lawsuit against former employee Graham Chase Robinson, for breaching her fiduciary duties and violating New York's faithless servant doctrine by misusing company funds and watching hours of Netflix during work hours. In October 2019, Robinson filed a lawsuit against De Niro, claiming harassment and gender discrimination.Filmography and accolades
Prolific in film since the 1970s, De Niro's most critically acclaimed films, according to the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, include Bang the Drum Slowly (film), ''Bang the Drum Slowly'' (1973), ''Mean Streets
''Mean Streets'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973. De Niro won the National ...
'' (1973), ''The Godfather Part II
''The Godfather Part II'' is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is partially based on the 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. ''Part II'' s ...
'' (1974), ''Taxi Driver
''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying and ...
'' (1976), ''The Deer Hunter
''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Chr ...
'' (1978), ''Raging Bull
''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: My St ...
'' (1980), '' The King of Comedy'' (1983), ''Once Upon a Time in America
''Once Upon a Time in America'' ( it, C'era una volta in America) is a 1984 epic crime film co-written and directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone and starring Robert De Niro and James Woods. The film is an Italian–American venture produce ...
'' (1984), ''Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), ''Midnight Run
''Midnight Run'' is a 1988 American road action comedy film directed by Martin Brest and starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, and Philip Baker Hall play supporting roles.
At the ...
'' (1988), ''Goodfellas
''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' Wis ...
'' (1990), ''Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
'' (1995), ''Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
'' (1995), ''Meet the Parents
''Meet the Parents'' is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. It chronicles a series of unfortunate events that befall a good-hearted but hapless nurse (Ben Stiller as Greg Focker) while v ...
'' (2000), ''Silver Linings Playbook
''Silver Linings Playbook'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O. Russell. The film was based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel ''The Silver Linings Playbook''. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawre ...
'' (2012), and ''The Irishman
''The Irishman'' (subtitled onscreen as ''I Heard You Paint Houses'') is a 2019 American epic gangster film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book '' I Heard You Paint Hou ...
'' (2019).
De Niro has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following performances:
* 47th Academy Awards
The 47th Academy Awards were presented Tuesday, April 8, 1975, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best films of 1974. The ceremonies were presided over by Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr., an ...
(1974): Best Supporting Actor, win, for ''The Godfather Part II''
* 49th Academy Awards (1976): Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to th ...
, nomination, for ''Taxi Driver''
* 51st Academy Awards (1978): Best Actor, nomination, for ''The Deer Hunter''
* 53rd Academy Awards
The 53rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored 1980 in film, films released in 1980 and took place on March 31, 1981, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at ...
(1980): Best Actor, win, for ''Raging Bull''
* 63rd Academy Awards (1990): Best Actor, nomination, for ''Awakenings
''Awakenings'' is a 1990 American drama film directed by Penny Marshall. It is written by Steven Zaillian, who based his screenplay on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir ''Awakenings''. It tells the story of neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams ...
''
* 64th Academy Awards (1991): Best Actor, nomination, for '' Cape Fear''
* 85th Academy Awards (2013): Best Supporting Actor, nomination, for ''Silver Linings Playbook''
* 92nd Academy Awards (2020): Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture, nomination, for ''The Irishman''
De Niro has won two Golden Globe Awards: Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for ''Raging Bull'' and a Cecil B. DeMille Award
The Cecil B. DeMille Award is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment". The HFPA board of directors selects the honorees from a variet ...
for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment". He was also the 56th recipient of Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
The Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award is presented by the Screen Actors Guild's National Honors and Tributes Committee for "outstanding achievement in fostering the finest ideals of the acting profession." It predates the 1st Screen Actor ...
; Leonardo DiCaprio, who co-starred with De Niro in ''This Boy's Life'', presented him the award, citing him as an inspiration and influence.
See also
* List of Academy Award records *List of actors with Academy Award nominations *List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories *List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categoriesReferences
Sources
* * * * * * * * *External links
Tribeca Film
* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:De Niro, Robert Robert De Niro, Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors AFI Life Achievement Award recipients American film directors of Italian descent American film producers American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Dutch descent American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent Anti-fracking movement Best Actor Academy Award winners Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Best Supporting Actor AACTA International Award winners Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners Citizens of Italy through descent De Niro family, Robert Film festival founders Kennedy Center honorees Little Red School House alumni Male actors from New York City McBurney School alumni People from Marbletown, New York People from Tribeca Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Stella Adler Studio of Acting alumni New York (state) Democrats 1943 births