A legendary actor revered for his searing screen portrayals of gangsters and other intense characters, De Niro became a star because of his association with three Italian-American directors: Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola and particularly Martin Scorsese. In the '60s, the Stella Adler-trained actor got his start in a trio of now quite dated anti-establishment flicks helmed by De Palma:
Greetings,
The Wedding Party and
Hi, Mom! In 1973, he earned raves as a street tough in Scorsese's
Mean Streets, the first of their eight collaborations. And the next year he essayed his true breakthrough role, the young Vito Corleone in Coppola's
Godfather II, a performance that snagged De Niro his first Oscar. But it was his relationship with Scorsese — a fellow native New Yorker — that would be his most fruitful. Whether playing a washed-up boxer (
Raging Bull, which earned him a second Academy Award), an unhinged cabbie (
Taxi Driver) or a wannabe late-night talk-show host (
The King of Comedy), De Niro inhabited these varied sociopaths with intensity and honesty. In the '80s, he branched out into more whimsical fare — his unrecognizable turn as a plumber/terrorist in the satire
Brazil, a delightfully over-the-top performance as Al Capone in
The Untouchables — and even tried his hand at romance (the tepid
Falling in Love). Although he presumably had his pick of projects, the star didn't always make the best choices (
Backdraft,
Guilty by Suspicion), but his collaborations with Scorsese were always worthwhile. In the '90s he branched out into producing and directing (
A Bronx Tale) and as the decade wore on, he became well-known for his comic turns. He was hilarious as a psychiatrist-dependent mobster in
Analyze This, and scored a monster hit with
Meet the Parents, playing a retired CIA operative who hates his daughter's boyfriend. A longtime downtown New York resident, De Niro was personally devastated by the September 11, 2001, attacks, and the next year founded the Tribeca Film Festival as a way to help his beloved neighborhood get back on its feet. Despite launching the fest and also having his hand in a number of high-end restaurants, he always found time to act, even directing his second feature,
The Good Shepherd, in 2006.
Robert De Niro Fast Facts:
- Dropped out of high school and began studying acting with Stella Adler.
- Had a bit part in the daytime soap Search for Tomorrow.
- Gained 60 lbs. for his Oscar-winning turn as Jake LaMotta in 1980's Raging Bull.
- Was the second actor to win an Oscar for a performance conducted in a foreign language (Sophia Loren in 1960's Two Women was the first).
- He and Marlon Brando are the only two actors to win Oscars for playing the same character: Vito Corleone in The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II, respectively.
- Owns or co-owns several restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
- Robert De Niro Relationships:
- Toukie Smith - Ex-significant Other
- Diahnne Abbott - Ex-wife
- Drena De Niro - Stepdaughter
- Aaron Kendrick De Niro - Son
- Elliott De Niro - Son
- Grace Hightower - Wife
- Julian Henry De Niro - Son
- Raphael De Niro - Son
- Robert De Niro Sr. - Father
- Virginia Admiral - Mother
- Robert De Niro Awards:
- 1977 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 1979 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 1981 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Winner
- 1992 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 1978 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1989 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2000 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2001 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1976 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1978 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1980 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Winner
- 1990 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1991 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1974 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Winner
