Robert De Niro
Some people are famous for 15 minutes, others are famous to 15 people but it’s only a chosen few who get to be legends of the Silver Screen. Each month, Jo Mama selects a star and celebrates their life and work. This month: Robert De Niro. Illustration by Leonie Woods.
Quentin Tarantino once said in an interview with Charlie Rose that he believed Robert De Niro deserved his reputation as being the best actor in the world. Quentin enthused, “I’ve never seen an actor so completely consume himself in his character” It’s easy to see why Mr Tarantino would make this remark.
When he was cast as a musician in New York, New York Robert De Niro practised on the sax for 6 hours a day for 3 months until he had mastered the instrument. When he was cast as a boxer in Raging Bull he became match fit and then quickly gained 50 pounds so he could show what his character looked like in his final years. For Cape Fear he mastered a Southern drawl and pumped iron till he became a muscleman. De Niro is known to be a perfectionist who often drives his script editors and fellow actors up the wall by demanding constant re-writes and take after take until a scene is to his liking.
Robert De Niro became a star after making the film Taxi Driver in 1976. The movie was brilliantly scripted by Paul Schrader and featured many classic lines such as; “Someday, a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets” and “One of these days, I’m gonna get organezized”.
When people impersonate De Niro the line from Taxi Driver you always hear them say is, "You Talkin' to me?" When, 24 years later, De Niro appeared as Fearless Leader in the never popular, The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and he said the same "You Talkin' to me?' line again it felt like he’d hit a career low. 21 years have now passed since Rocky & Bullwinkle. De Niro’s made massive hit comedy films with Billy Crystal and Ben Stiller. And De Niro was absolutely fine in some serious films too such as ‘Joker’ and ‘The Irishman’ but it’s hard to imagine anyone who’d only seen the films he’s made from the last 21 years would think De Niro was the best actor in the world.
The last time I witnessed a bit of magic was his cameo in ‘Cop Land’ (1997) when he eats a burger with gusto whilst insulting a deaf police officer, and the last time I thought he was amazing was his portrayal of Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein in 1995s Casino. His fans know De Niro is a good fella who was a product of New York’s mean streets and able to play bad guys but still be likeable. In recent years he’s gone on chat shows and slagged off Donald Trump a lot but De Niro has little interest in giving interviews. He never seems comfortable when talking about being the son of a successful artist or discussing anything to do with his wives or children. He loves researching his characters and putting his heart and soul into his roles. Once seen, his work in films such as King of Comedy and The Deer Hunter is unforgettable. The De Niro film I love the most is called Midnight Run. In 1988 Rolling Stone magazine called it “the Casablanca of buddy movies” and everyone seems to love the chemistry between De Niro and co star Charles Grodin.
Few films are as re-watchable as Midnight Run it’s partly because Yaphet Kotto is so perfect as the tough FBI agent, and partly because George Gallo’s script is so funny. But I think the real reason it’s so wonderful is that De Niro’s face is so fascinating. Although the film has the right mix of philosophical moments, car chases, soppy bits, and dumb jokes – it’s what De Niro does with his face that makes the film 10 out of 10.
All that time De Niro spent studying acting at the Lee Strasberg studio paid off. And when you watch Midnight Run you’ll probably conclude that De Niro is the best actor in the world.
