Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro (born August 17, 1943) is an American actor and producer who has starred in over 90 films. His first major film roles were in the sports drama Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and Martin Scorsese's crime film Mean Streets (1973). In 1974, after being turned down for the role of Sonny Corleone in the crime film The Godfather (1972), he was cast as the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He stands at 5’11”
De Niro's longtime collaboration with Scorsese later earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Jake LaMotta in the 1980 film Raging Bull. He also earned nominations for the psychological thrillers Taxi Driver (1976) and Cape Fear (1991), both directed by Scorsese. De Niro received additional Academy Award nominations for Michael Cimino's Vietnam war drama The Deer Hunter (1978), Penny Marshall's drama Awakenings (1990), and David O. Russell's romantic comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook (2012). His portrayal of gangster Jimmy Conway in Scorsese's crime film Goodfellas (1990) earned him a BAFTA nomination in 1990. De Niro has earned four nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, for his work in the musical drama New York, New York (1977), opposite Liza Minnelli, the action comedy Midnight Run (1988), the gangster comedy Analyze This (1999), and the comedy Meet the Parents (2000). He has also simultaneously directed and starred in films such as the crime drama A Bronx Tale (1993) and the spy film The Good Shepherd (2006). De Niro has also received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003 and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2010. Also in 2006, he received the Italian nationality.
==Film career==
De Niro's first film role came at the age of 20, when he appeared in Brian De Palma's 1963 film The Wedding Party, but the film was not released until 1969. He then appeared in Roger Corman's film Bloody Mama (1970). He gained popular attention with his role as a dying Major League Baseball player in Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and began his collaboration with Martin Scorsese when he played the small-time criminal Johnny Boy in Mean Streets (1973).
De Niro had a pivotal role in the Francis Ford Coppola film The Godfather Part II (1974), playing the young Vito Corleone. Coppola had remembered his previous auditions for the roles of Sonny Corleone, Michael Corleone, Carlo Rizzi, and Paulie Gatto in The Godfather. His performance earned him his first Academy Award, for Best Supporting Actor, although Coppola accepted the award as De Niro was not present at the ceremony. De Niro became the first actor to win an Academy Award speaking mainly a foreign language; in this case, multiple Sicilian dialects, although he delivered a few lines in English. He and Marlon Brando, who played the older Vito Corleone in the first film, are the only actors to have won Oscars for portraying the same fictional character. The two came together onscreen for the only time in The Score (2001).
After working with Scorsese in Mean Streets, De Niro went on to have a successful working relationship with him in films such as Taxi Driver (1976), York, New York (1977), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), and Casino (1995). They also acted together in Guilty by Suspicion (1991) and provided their voices for the animated feature Shark Tale (2004). Taxi Driver was particularly important to De Niro's career; his iconic performance as Travis Bickle catapulted him to stardom and forever linked his name with Bickle's famous "You talkin' to me?" monologue, which De Niro largely improvised. The role of Bickle earned him his first Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor. His portrayal of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull was lauded, as well as his interpretation of Max Cady in Cape Fear.
In 1976, De Niro appeared in 1900, Bernardo Bertolucci's biographical exploration of life in Italy before World War II, seen through the eyes of two Italian childhood friends at the opposite sides of society's hierarchy. He also starred in The Last Tycoon (1976), directed by Elia Kazan. Kazan recalls that De Niro "would do almost anything to succeed" and noted that he cut his weight down from 170 to 128 pounds for the role in this film. Kazan adds that De Niro "is one of a select number of actors I've directed who work hard at their trade, and the only one who asked to rehearse on Sundays. Most of the others play tennis. 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: everything he does he calculates. In a good way, but he calculates." Kazan developed and used those personality traits for his character in the film. And although the film did poorly at the box office, reviewers praised De Niro's acting. Film critic Marie Brenner wrote that "for De Niro, 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".
De Niro played Michael Vronsky in the acclaimed Vietnam War film The Deer Hunter (1978), for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Fearing he had become typecast in mob roles, he began expanding into occasional comedic roles in the mid-1980s and has had much success there as well, with such films as Brazil (1985), Midnight Run (1988), Analyze This (1999), Meet the Parents (2000), and Meet the Fockers (2004). Other films include True Confessions (1981), Falling in Love (1984), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Mission (1986), Angel Heart (1987), The Untouchables (1987), Goodfellas (1990), Awakenings (1990), Heat (1995), The Fan (1996), Sleepers (1996), Wag the Dog (1997), Jackie Brown (1997), Ronin (1998) and Flawless (1999).
In 1987, De Niro was the President of the Jury at the 15th Moscow International Film Festival. He appeared in This Boy's Life (1993). Around this time, he was offered the role of Mitch Leary in In the Line of Fire (1993). However, due to scheduling conflicts with his directorial debut A Bronx Tale (1993), he gave up the role to John Malkovich, who later received an Academy Award nomination for it. In A Bronx Tale, which De Niro agreed to direct after seeing the screenwriter's one-man off-Broadway play, he played a bus driver who struggles to keep his son away from a local mobster. At the 20th Moscow International Film Festival in 1997, he was awarded an Honorable Prize for contribution to cinema.
De Niro would reference In the Line of Fire, along with Dirty Harry (1971) and Magnum Force (1973), two more of Eastwood's films, in Righteous Kill (2008). He also appeared in the crime drama Cop Land (1997). He starred in the police action-thriller Heat (1995), along with fellow actor and long-time friend, Al Pacino. The duo drew much attention from fans, as both have generally been compared throughout their careers. Though Pacino and De Niro both starred in The Godfather Part II (1974), they shared no screen time. They once again appeared together in Righteous Kill (2008).
De Niro played Master Chief Billy Sunday in the biographical film Men of Honor (2000), based on the life of Carl Brashear, the first African American to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver. He also hosted 9/11 (2002), a documentary about the 9/11 attacks, shown on CBS and focusing on video footage made by Jules and Gedeon Naudet that showed the role of firefighters following the attacks. He reprised his role as Jack Byrnes in Meet the Fockers (2004) and was featured in Stardust (2007). All of the films were successful at the box office, but received mixed reviews. When promoting Shark Tale, De Niro said that his first experience with voice acting was enjoyable.
De Niro had to turn down a role in The Departed (2006) due to commitments with preparing The Good Shepherd (2006). He said: "I wanted to. I wish I could've been able to, but I was preparing The Good Shepherd so much that I couldn't take the time to. I was trying to figure a way to do it while I was preparing. It just didn't seem possible." In June 2006, it was announced that De Niro had donated his film archive (including scripts, costumes, and props) to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. On April 27, 2009, it was announced that the De Niro collection at the Ransom Center was open to researchers and the public. De Niro directed and starred in The Good Shepherd (2006). The film reunited him onscreen with Joe Pesci, with whom he had starred in Raging Bull, Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, Once Upon a Time in America, and Casino. The same year, De Niro appeared as himself in an episode of the BBC series Extras, as Ricky Gervais' character claimed it was his ambition to meet De Niro.
De Niro announced that he would appear in the film version of the BBC crime series Edge of Darkness in 2010; however, just after he arrived to begin shooting, De Niro left the film due to creative differences. He was replaced by Ray Winstone. He appeared as Senator John McLaughlin in the action film Machete (2010), and starred in the thriller Stone (2010). He again reprised his role as Jack Byrnes in Little Fockers (2010). He appeared in the action film Killer Elite (2011), Limitless (2011) and the romantic comedy film New Year's Eve (2011).
De Niro starred in the film Manuale d'amore 3 (2011). In January 2011, CBS picked up De Niro's crime pilot, NYC 22 (originally titled Rookies), but it was cancelled after airing only four episodes. In 2011, De Niro was the President of the Jury for the 64th Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, he starred in the films Silver Linings Playbook, Freelancers, Red Lights, and Being Flynn. He received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Silver Linings Playbook.
De Niro has said that he is working with Martin Scorsese on a new project: "I'm trying to actually work... [screenwriter] Eric Roth and myself and Marty are working on a script now, trying to get it done."
On April 8, 2015, De Niro revealed that he'll play Enzo Ferrari in a movie to be released in 2016.
==Filmography==
===Acting===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1965	Three Rooms in Manhattan 	Client at the diner 	Uncredited
1968	 	Client at the club Chez Popov 	
1968	Greetings 	Jon Rubin 	
1969	Sam's Song 	Sam 	
1969	 	Cecil 	
1970	Bloody Mama 	Lloyd Barker 	
1970	Hi, Mom! 	Jon Rubin 	
1971	Jennifer on My Mind 	Mardigian, Cab driver 	
1971	Born to Win 	Officer Danny 	
1971	 	Mario Trantino 	
1973	Bang the Drum Slowly 	Bruce Pearson 	
1973	Mean Streets 	John "Johnny Boy" Civello 	First collaboration with Martin Scorsese
1974	 	Vito Corleone 	Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1976	Taxi Driver 	Travis Bickle 	
1976	1900 	Alfredo Berlinghieri 	
1976	 	Monroe Stahr 	
1977	New York, New York 	Jimmy Doyle 	
1978	 	Michael Vronsky 	
1979	 	Sam Nicoletti 	Re-release of Sam's Song
1980	Raging Bull 	Jake LaMotta 	Won the Academy Award for Best Actor
1981	True Confessions 	Monsignor Desmond "Des" Spellacy 	
1983	 	Rupert Pupkin 	
1984	Once Upon a Time in America	David "Noodles" Aaronson 	
1984	Falling in Love 	Frank Raftis 	
1985	Brazil 	Archibald 'Harry' Tuttle 	
1986	 	Rodrigo Mendoza 	
1987	Angel Heart 	Louis Cyphre 	
1987	 	Al Capone 	
1988	Midnight Run 	Jack Walsh 	
1989	Jacknife 	Joseph "Jacknife" Megessey 	
1989	We're No Angels 	Ned 	
1990	Stanley & Iris 	Stanley Everett Cox 	
1990	Goodfellas 	James "Jimmy" Conway 	
1990	Awakenings 	Leonard Lowe 	
1991	Guilty by Suspicion 	David Merrill 	
1991	Backdraft 	Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale 	
1991	Father of the Bride 	Officer in the Background 	Only line is very short
1991	Cape Fear 	Max Cady 	
1992	Mistress 	Evan M. Wright 	
1992	Night and the City 	Harry Fabian 	
1993	Mad Dog and Glory 	Wayne "Mad Dog" Dobie 	
1993	This Boy's Life 	Dwight Hansen 	
1993	 	Lorenzo Anello 	Also director
1994	Mary Shelley's Frankenstein	The Creature 	
1995	 	Le mari de la star-fantasme en croisière	
1995	Casino 	Sam 'Ace' Rothstein 	Last collaboration with Martin Scorsese
1995	Heat 	Neil McCauley 	
1996	 	Gilbert "Gil" Renard 	
1996	Sleepers 	Father Bobby 	
1996	Marvin's Room 	Dr. Wally 	
1997	Cop Land 	Lt. Moe Tilden 	
1997	Jackie Brown 	Louis Gara 	
1997	Wag the Dog 	Conrad Brean 	
1998	Great Expectations 	Arthur Lustig 	
1998	Ronin 	Sam 	
1999	Analyze This 	Paul Vitti 	
1999	Flawless 	Walter Koontz 	
2000	 	Fearless Leader 	
2000	Men of Honor 	Chief Leslie William "Billy" Sunday 	
2000	Meet the Parents 	Jack Tiberius Byrnes 	
2001	15 Minutes 	Det. Eddie Flemming 	
2001	 	Nick Wells 	
2002	Showtime 	Det. Mitch Preston 	
2002	City by the Sea 	Vincent Anthony LaMarca 	
2002	Analyze That 	Paul Vitti 	
2004	Godsend 	Dr. Richard Wells 	
2004	Shark Tale 	Don Lino 	Voice
2004	Meet the Fockers 	Jack Tiberius Byrnes 	
2004	 	Archbishop of Lima 	
2005	Hide and Seek 	David Callaway / Charlie 	
2006	Arthur and the Invisibles 	The King 	Voice
2006	 	General Bill Sullivan 	Also director
2007	Stardust 	Captain Shakespeare 	
2008	Righteous Kill 	Det. Thomas "Turk" Cowan 	
2008	What Just Happened 	Ben 	
2009	Everybody's Fine 	Frank 	
2010	Machete 	Senator McLaughlin 	
2010	Stone 	Jack Mabry 	
2010	Little Fockers 	Jack Tiberius Byrnes 	
2011	Manuale d'amore 3 	Adrian 	
2011	Killer Elite 	Hunter 	
2011	Limitless 	Carl Van Loon 	
2011	New Year's Eve 	Stan Harris 	
2012	Being Flynn 	Jonathan Flynn 	
2012	Red Lights 	Simon Silver 	
2012	Freelancers 	Sarcone 	
2012	Silver Linings Playbook 	Pat Solitano, Sr. 	
2013	 	Don Griffin 	
2013	Killing Season 	Benjamin Ford 	
2013	 	Fred Blake/Giovanni Manzoni 	Also known as Malavita
2013	Last Vegas 	Paddy 	
2013	American Hustle 	Victor Tellegio 	Uncredited
2013	Grudge Match 	Billy "The Kid" McDonnen 	
2014	 	Dragna 	Also known as Motel
2015	Bus 657 	Frank "The Pope" Silva 	In post-production
2015	 	Ben Whittaker 	
2015	Hands of Stone 	Ray Arcel 	
2015	Joy 	 	In post-production
2016	Dirty Grandpa 	Dick Kelly 	In post-production
===Producing===
Year	Title 	Role
1989	We're No Angels 	Executive producer
1991	Cape Fear 	Producer (uncredited)
1992	Thunderheart 	Producer
1992	Mistress 	Producer
1993	The Night We Never Met 	Producer (uncredited)
1993	A Bronx Tale 	Producer
1994	Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 	Associate producer
1995	Panther 	Producer (uncredited)
1996	Faithful 	Producer
1996	Marvin's Room 	Producer
1997	Wag the Dog 	Producer
1998	Witness to the Mob 	Executive producer
1999	Entropy 	Producer
1999	Flawless 	Producer
2000	The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle	Producer
2000	Meet the Parents 	Producer
2000	Holiday Heart 	Executive producer
2001	Prison Song 	Producer
2002	About a Boy 	Producer
2004	Stage Beauty 	Producer
2004	Meet the Fockers 	Producer
2005	Rent 	Producer
2006	The Good Shepherd 	Producer
2008	What Just Happened 	Producer
2009	Public Enemies 	Executive producer (uncredited)
2010	Little Fockers 	Producer
2010	20% Fiction 	Executive producer
2010	36 	Producer
2011	Warrior Queen 	Producer
2011	The Undomestic Goddess 	Executive producer
2014	Mercury 	Co-producer
Category:1943 births
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American film directors of Italian descent
Category:American film directors
Category:American film producers
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American people of Dutch descent
Category:American people of English descent
Category:American people of French descent
Category:American people of German descent
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American people of Italian descent
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners
Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
Category:Best Supporting Actor AACTA International Award winners
Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
Category:Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners
Category:English-language film directors
Category:Film directors from New York City
Category:Kennedy Center honorees
Category:Living people
Category:Male actors from New York City
Category:Male actors of Italian descent
Category:People from Manhattan
Category:People from Marbletown, New York