Welcome back to The Deep Dive, the only place
where we take a monumental stack of sources and
distill a half -century of genius into one fascinating
conversation, custom -built just for you. Today
we are talking about an artist whose influence
is so pervasive, so transformative, that his
name alone practically defines the peak era of
American cinema. We are, of course, talking about
Robert De Niro. And we're talking about a verifiable
legend here. I mean, if you look at the American
Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films
list, De Niro shares a record that very few people
realize. What's that? He is tied with only one
other actor, James Stewart, for having the most
films on that list. Wow. James Stewart. That's
incredible company. It is. And that statistic
isn't just about successful movies. It's about
his sustained contribution to what we define
as essential American art. Okay, so let's unpack
this. Our mission today is to move past the classic
cinematic images and really get into the anatomy
of his incredible journey. We'll be investigating
that almost religious commitment he has to the
craft, his legendary partnership with Martin
Scorsese, which has now spanned nine feature
films. An incredible run. His surprising and
very lucrative pivot into comedy. And the remarkable
complexity of his life outside of acting, balancing
the roles of entrepreneur, influential public
figure, and family patriarch. Yeah, we're examining
a career that spans seven decades, marked by
this relentless immersion and reinvention. He
is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most
influential actors of his generation. And the
list of accolades is just staggering. It really
is. Two Academy Awards, multiple recent Emmy
nominations, the Presidential Medal of Freedom
in 2016, and just recently the honorary Palme
d 'Or at Cannes in 2025. He didn't just star
in great films. It feels like he willed those
films into existence through sheer effort and
transformative will. That's a great way to put
it. So let's start where the journey begins.
A surprisingly unconventional sort of of bohemian
upbringing right in the heart of Manhattan. Right.
He was born Robert Anthony De Niro in 1943, the
only child of two abstract expressionist painters,
Virginia Admiral and Robert De Niro Sr. So he
grew up surrounded by art. A very unique cultural
environment, yeah. His parents actually met at
Hans Hoffman's painting classes, but their marriage
was brief. How brief? They separated when Robert
was only two years old after his father announced
he was gay. Oh, wow. So that meant he was raised
primarily by his mother. Primarily by his mother
in these vibrant, artistic communities of Greenwich
Village and Little Italy. What's particularly
poignant, according to the sources we looked
at, is that despite that early separation, he
remained actively close to his father his whole
childhood. He wasn't estranged at all. He was
just navigating two different worlds, really.
You had the bohemian art scene with his father,
and then this more grounded, working -class atmosphere
of Little Italy with his mother. And it was in
Little Italy where he picked up that fantastic
kind of contradictory childhood nickname. Bobby
Mills. Bobby Milk, yes, because of his noticeably
pale complexion in a neighborhood full of, you
know, suntanned Italian kids. Right. And he did
spend a lot of time with the local street kids.
This immersion into the tough, practical street
life apparently caused some disapproval from
his father, who worried about his son's artistic
side. But those early friendships were profound,
weren't they? They connected him so deeply to
the neighborhood that would later form the backdrop
for so many of his greatest roles. Absolutely.
His formal education, though, was just as fragmented
as his early life. He bounced around a bit. A
lot. He went through PS41, Elizabeth Irwin High
School, a very brief period at the High School
of Music and Art, and eventually McBurney School
and Rhodes Preparatory School. It was pretty
clear that traditional schooling just wasn't
holding his interest. And the direction of his
life solidified very early on. And the motivation
here is so key to understanding his later method
approach. Yeah, he found performing to be a crucial
way. to relieve his intense shyness. So by age
16, he drops out of high school completely. Gone.
All in on acting. And his justification for that
huge life decision was incredibly pragmatic,
almost calculating. It was. He later recalled
watching a television show around age 18 and
thinking, if these actors are making a living
at it and they're not really that good, I can't
do any worse than them. That's the kind of confidence
that only comes from knowing you're willing to
put in the work that other people just won't.
Exactly. And that brings us directly to the work
itself. His dedication to formal training was
immense. This wasn't a case of waiting around
to be discovered. No, he became a student. He
dedicated years to mastering the technique. And
crucially, he studied at three major institutions,
which gave him this broad, nuanced understanding
of acting methods. Which were? HB Studio, Lee
Strasberg's famed actor's studio, and the Stella
Adler Conservatory. Okay, now this is where the
analytical depth really comes in. We hear method
acting thrown around all the time, but De Niro's
training specifically with Stella Adler is what
set him apart. It really is. Strasberg famously
focused on effective memory using your own personal
emotional recall. What did Adler give him specifically?
Adler exposed him directly to the techniques
of the Stanislavski system, but with a really
different emphasis. Oh, so. Instead of digging
into past trauma, which is sense memory. Adler
taught psychological realism based on imagination
and research. Ah, so it's external, not internal.
Exactly. It was about thoroughly investigating
the circumstances, the culture, the sociology
of the character. You create the emotional truth
externally and intellectually, which he would
then realize physically. Wow. So that focus on
external, detailed research like studying cab
drivers or learning to box was a direct application
of his training. Precisely. It wasn't just improvisation.
It was calculated immersion based on rigorous
investigation. And his inspirations, Montgomery
Clift, Marlon Brando, James Dean, were all great
method actors. They were, but he took that foundation
and turned it into an external observational
science. He was building this deep, diverse library
of performance strategies. But those first steps
were slow. From 1963 to 1973, he was just grinding
out minor roles. Very minor. Encounter, Three
Rooms in Manhattan in 65, Les Jeunes Loups in
68. His career really gained crucial definition
through his early work with director Brian De
Palma. Right, the De Palma films. He appeared
in Greetings in 68, The Wedding Party, which
was actually filmed way back in 1963 but released
later, and Hi Mom in 1970. And even then, the
critics were picking up on something special.
They were. And hi, mom. The critic Richard Brody
noted that De Niro brings unhinged spontaneity
to his character. That's a fascinating early
indicator of the intensity that would define
his most famous roles. But the true pivotal breakthrough
before Scorsese came along was bang the drum
slowly in 1973. Oh, yeah. He played Bruce Pearson,
a Major League Baseball player with Hodgkin disease.
This role was praised instantly. It established
him as one of the best young character actors
in the business. And what's so telling about
this performance, and it connects right back
to his Adler training, is that anecdote about
his preparation. The author of the original novel
noted that De Niro learned only as much baseball
as he needed for his role. He said, That's that
professional isolation we were talking about.
It was strictly compartmentalized research. And
that seriousness... immediately caught the eye
of Martin Scorsese. And their first official
collaboration was Mean Streets. 1973. De Niro
was cast as Johnny Boy Civello, a small -time,
reckless criminal. And this was the definitive
starting point of that Scorsese -De Niro synergy.
He demonstrated incredible seriousness, right?
Isolating himself from the cast and crew to stay
immersed. He did, even though he was given freedom
to improvise certain scenes with Harvey Keitel.
And critics recognized this intensity instantly.
Roger Ebert praised his marvelous performance.
And perhaps most famously, Pauline Kael called
him a bravura actor, saying he doesn't just act,
he takes off into the vapors. Takes off into
the vapors. I love that. It's perfect, isn't
it? Yeah. And Mean Streets was later selected
for the U .S. National Film Registry. a true
beginning of a legendary run. So after Mean Streets
put him on the map, the next six years delivered
a series of performances that not only changed
De Niro's career, but, I mean, they fundamentally
altered modern cinema. Without a doubt. And it
started with his Oscar -winning turn as the young
Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather
Part II in 1974. It's a classic case of the right
actor finding the right role at exactly the right
time. He had actually auditioned for a role in
the first Godfather, but didn't get it. Right.
He went off to do the gang that couldn't shoot
straight. Exactly. But Coppola remembered the
intensity he brought and gave him the pivotal
prequel role in part two. What's so fascinating
is the sheer commitment to cultural accuracy.
He spoke mainly in several Sicilian dialects
for the role. Yeah, we talk about method acting
as psychological immersion, but here it was linguistic
and cultural immersion. So how did that commitment
affect the characterization of young Vito? I
think it was crucial. By speaking almost entirely
in Sicilian, he created this inherent distance
and mystery for the audience. The character became
defined by his environment, his struggle for
authenticity in a new country. It made the performance
feel both authentic and... Mythic. And the film
was a massive success. De Niro won his first
Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor. And as
the sources note, he holds the distinct honor
of being the first male actor to win an Oscar
for a performance delivered primarily in an Italian
language. And the other unique historical note.
M and Marlon Brando. The first pair of actors
to ever win Oscars for portraying the same fictional
character. At just 31 years old, he'd secured
a permanent place in the pantheon of Hollywood
legends. Absolutely. But the performance that
maybe defines his method era, the kind of total
immersion only he seemed capable of at the time,
was his second major collaboration with Scorsese,
Taxi Driver. 1976. playing the unhinged antihero
Travis Pickle. This is the definitive case study
for De Niro's method, right? Rooted in that Stella
Adler school of research. 100%. The preparation
wasn't just about weight loss, though he did
lose 30 pounds. It was about adopting an entire
lifestyle. Okay, detail the intense preparation
here, because this is where his work just diverges
from everybody else. Well, he took extensive,
rigorous firearm training. He spent weeks immersing
himself in the world of cab drivers, even working
shifts in New York City. Which, given his growing
fame after Godfather II, must have been a significant
undertaking. A huge undertaking. And most importantly,
to perfect Bickle's specific, detached, Midwestern
accent and mannerisms, he spent time with members
of a U .S. Army. So again, this wasn't about
finding a traumatic memory. This was about building
the character from the ground up through observation.
Sociological and psychological observation. He
transformed himself physically, vocally, and
psychologically into a walking time bomb. The
outcome was this iconic, career -defining performance.
Got him a Best Actor Oscar nomination, and the
Washington Post called it his landmark performance.
And of course, the most famous piece of improvisation
in cinema history came from that film. You talking
to me. He made that up on the spot. staring into
a mirror. The American Film Institute ranked
it as the 10th most memorable movie quote of
all time. It's a moment that just perfectly captures
Bickle's desperate loneliness and his descent
into insanity. And throughout the mid -70s, he
was a true cinematic world builder. Right after
Taxi Driver, he was in Bernardo Bertolucci's
massive historical epic 1900. That's the five
-hour film covering Italian political conflicts
through the lives of his character, a wealthy
landowner, and Gerard Depardieu's peasant character.
A huge, sprawling epic. Then came the last tycoon
in 76, playing a powerful CEO where he lost 42
pounds. And the director, Ilya Kazan, who had
trained so many great method actors, observed
something very specific about De Niro's process.
What did he say? He noted that De Niro was, quote,
more meticulous. Very imaginative. He's very
precise. He figures everything out, both inside
and outside. And then he said, everything he
does, he calculates. In a good way, but he calculates.
That concept of calculation is so crucial. It
affirms that his extreme method approach was
disciplined, not just some spontaneous emotional
eruption. Exactly. Even when he took a left turn
with Scorsese for the musical drama New York,
New York in 1977, the commitment was total. Right,
to play the saxophonist Jimmy Doyle opposite
Liza Minnelli. He actually learned to play the
saxophone from the musician Georgie Old. And
while the film wasn't a commercial hit, his performance
earned him a Golden Globe nomination. So critics
appreciated his willingness to stretch. He followed
that up with another dramatic heavyweight, The
Deer Hunter in 1978. playing a steelworker traumatized
by the Vietnam War, leading to yet another Oscar
nomination. Which brings us to the culmination
of this hyper -method era, the role so physically
demanding that we are still talking about it
today. Raging Bull, 1980. His fourth Scorsese
collaboration, portraying the turbulent middleweight
boxer Jake LaMotta. And the physical transformation
for this role isn't just a fun fact. It fundamentally
changed how future actors approached physical
immersion. It is the ultimate method commitment.
To accurately portray LaMotta's decline, he learned
to box so effectively that he actually competed
in three real fights in Brooklyn. And won two
of them. And won two of them. But the real commitment
came during the mid -production break. He famously
gained a staggering 60 pounds. Yeah, 60 pounds.
Eating himself into a heavy, unrecognizable state
just to authentically film the later life scenes
of LaMotta as a bloated nightclub owner. And
this wasn't CGI or prosthetics. This was... The
Hollywood Reporter declared, De Niro is incredible
and makes the actor almost unrecognizable as
himself. He had essentially redefined the limits
of physical transformation for a role. And it
resulted in the Academy Award for Best Actor,
his second Oscar win. This was the peak, and
the price of that peak we're about to see was
incredibly high. So after the immense psychological
and physical toll of Raging Bull, a film that
defined him but also almost consumed him, the
1980s saw a necessary change in strategy. He
actively sought out comedic roles to prove his
versatility and maybe to recover. from the relentless
demands of his method, period. It wasn't laziness.
It was self -preservation and a strategic career
expansion. Exactly. And this move started subtly.
But the deliberate turn toward comedy began with
his fifth collaboration with Scorsese, the king
of comedy, in 1982. Playing the delusional, struggling
stand -up Rupert Pupkin. And it's interesting
that De Niro actually brought this script to
Scorsese. This dark, prescient commentary on
fame and obsession. Critics loved his performance.
They saw this new, awkward side of his intensity.
But the movie? It bombed commercially. Grossed
only $2 .5 million. It proved he could be funny.
but maybe not mainstream funny now yet. He kept
challenging himself, though. In 1984, he starred
in Sergio Leone's sweeping historical crime epic
Once Upon a Time in America, where he played
the Jewish gangster David Noodles Aronson over
several decades. I remember the U .S. theatrical
cut of that being a confusing mess. It was. But
the full, original 229 -minute version received
a 15 -minute standing ovation at Cannes. Critics
praised De Niro's impressive restraint and power.
He was mastering controlled intensity now, not
just the explosive outbursts. He even dove headfirst
into science fiction in 1985 with Terry Gilliam's
Brazil. A cult classic that earned its place
in the Criterion Collection. He was actively
diversifying his portfolio of these challenging,
non -commercial roles. And in 1986, he returned
to the stage for Cuba and his teddy bear. In
film, 1987 saw him take on two really memorable
supporting turns. Louis Cipher in the atmospheric
horror Angel Heart. And of course, the utterly
iconic Al Capone in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables.
Now, regarding those supporting roles, the critic
Pauline Kael actually accused him of being lazy
for taking them on. She felt they didn't require
his full method commitment. Right. Do you think
that criticism was fair? Or was he just experimenting
with different levels of engagement? I think
it's the latter. De Palma defended him, saying
he was experimenting with those characters. If
we apply that lens of the Adler method calculated
research, he was using these smaller roles to
test different accents and physicalities without
the six -month commitment of a raising bull.
He was being efficient. He was efficiently applying
his craft. And that efficiency paid off handsomely
in 1988 with the buddy cop film Midnight Run.
Opposite Charles Grodin. A commercial smash grossed
$81 million worldwide. And critics universally
loved seeing this lighter side of him. The Washington
Post wrote that he reduced himself in scale here,
too, and it's a relief to see him drop the great
actor mantle. They said he hadn't seen this fresh
since Mean Streets. So that film truly legitimized
his ability to carry a commercial comedy with
wit and pace. It absolutely did. And that successful
pivot set the stage for his celebrated return
to Scorsese in the early 90s, where he balanced
comedy with profoundly serious drama. The period
of 1990 to 1991 is just arguably unparalleled
in terms of quality. First up, Goodfellas. His
sixth Scorsese collaboration, playing Jimmy Conway,
and his performance there was praised for its
riveting restraint. Which is a wonderful description
for a character who can kill without changing
his expression. And Goodfellas later became the
ninth De Niro film inducted into the National
Film Registry. But immediately following that
visceral crime drama, he gave us the deeply empathetic
performance in Awakenings opposite Robin Williams.
Earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. And
Oliver Sacks, the author of the book, was astonished.
He noted that De Niro did somehow feel his way
into being Parkinsonian in this uncanny way.
The commitment was still there. but it was directed
toward portraying profound vulnerability. Then
the intensity returned with A Vengeance in Cape
Fear in 91, his seventh Scorsese film. His portrayal
of the psychopathic rapist Max Cady was terrifying.
It led to another Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Newsweek lauded him, saying he dominates the
film with his lip -smacking, blackly comic, and
terrifying portrayal of psychopathic self -righteousness.
So these three films, Back to Back Gangster,
Disabled Patient, psychopath, showed a versatility
that was only hinted at before. It was an incredible
run. This decade also saw him move behind the
camera. In 1993, he directed and starred in a
Bronx tale based on Chaz Palminteri's play. And
he was praised for his impressive sensitivity
as a director, particularly in handling the themes
of racism and violence with prudence. Directing
gave him a new level of control over the narrative.
He also co -starred that year with a very young
Leonardo DiCaprio in This Boy's Life. And if
we're keeping count, we had the eighth Scorsese
film in 1995 with Casino. A complex study of
greed and betrayal in Las Vegas. But 1995 delivered
a truly historic cinematic moment in a non -Scorsese
film, Heat. The critically acclaimed crime thriller
was the first time De Niro and Al Pacino actually
appeared on screen together. And that is the
crucial distinction we need to emphasize. They
were both in The Godfather. Father Part II, but
because of the dual timeline, they never shared
a scene. Never. In Heat, their famous coffee
shop scene finally brought them face to face.
The anticipation must have been palpable. Oh,
it was huge. The Chicago Tribune wrote that De
Niro and Pacino redeem everything, representing
a high post -war tradition for movie actors,
exploring the darker strata of machismo. It was
a masterclass in controlled yet intense confrontation.
Before we move on to the next phase, we have
to pause for this nugget of trivia. It proves
that the serious method actor who gains 60 pounds
is also a genuinely restless, eccentric, creative
mind. Yes. In 1996, De Niro co -produced a surreal
point -and -click puzzle video game. A video
game. Called Nine The Last Resort. Wait, I need
to know more about this. Robert De Niro, the
man who perfected the dead -eyed stare of a mob
boss, helped create a surreal puzzle game. He
did. It was set in this bizarre, spooky hotel
filled with strange, often grotesque characters.
It was a project born from his meeting with the
director. Buzz Hayes, who worked at Lucasfilm.
And how did it do? It was completely niche. It
didn't perform well at all. Hayes described it
as just... Kind of a quiet landing. But it confirms
that De Niro was willing to attach his name and
creative energy to literally any medium that
offered a chance to explore unusual narratives.
The contrast between that high art commitment
and the pursuit of a weird little video game
is just wonderful. It really is. As the 1990s
ended, De Niro's comic transition moved from
a strategic experiment to his dominant, most
recognizable public face. And this phase was
immensely successful commercially, starting with
the political satire Wag the Dog in 1990s. co
-starring Dustin Hoffman. The timing of Wag the
Dog was just uncanny, wasn't it? It was. The
film, about manipulating media during a political
scandal, got this massive unforeseen publicity
boost when the real -life Clint Lewinsky scandal
broke just a month after its release. Roger Ebert
even named it one of his 10 best films of 97.
Then came the back -to -back, defining comedic
smashes. Analyze this in 1999. Opposite Billy
Crystal. A massive worldwide hit earned him a
Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a comedy.
But the true commercial shift, the moment De
Niro became a household name for a whole new
generation, was Meet the Parents in 2000. playing
the intensely intimidating former CIA operative
Jack Burns. And the sources say he was encouraged
to take this role by his producing partner, Jane
Rosenthal, specifically because he had been actively
seeking these mainstream comic roles. That encouragement
resulted in a massive commercial success, $330
million globally. It was the moment he proved
he could make audiences laugh just as easily
as he could make them terrified. However, this
success introduced a critical paradox. The sources
highlight that despite the commercial triumph,
a critical consensus began to emerge. His career
started to slump in the early 2000s, often focusing
on roles that lacked the dramatic intensity or
meticulous preparation of his past work. This
period, spanning nearly 15 years, is often covered
quickly, but we need to analyze why this shift
occurred and persisted. Was it just commercial
fatigue or something else? I think it was a complex
combination of commercial pressure and artistic
choice. He continued directing. releasing his
second film, the spy thriller The Good Shepherd,
in 2006. Which was ambitious but got mixed reviews.
Yeah, it was often cited for its slow pace. He
was praised for creating a stirring personal
tale, but the film didn't resonate broadly. And
while he continued to have financial hits like
voicing a character in Shark Tale and the sequels
Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers, the critical
hits were sparse. The sequels, especially the
Fockers franchise, made huge amounts of money,
but critics were brutal. One noted he was stuck
in self -parody mode for the umpteenth time.
You also see films like God Sent in 2004, which
earned an abysmal 4 % approval rating on Rotten
Tomatoes. Right. The problem wasn't his performance.
It was often the quality of the projects he was
choosing. It suggests a conscious decision to
prioritize commercial viability over the taxing
artistic demands of his method past. In fact,
the sources point out that he turned down a role
in Scorsese's critically acclaimed A Departed
in 2006 to focus on directing The Good Shepherd.
And that choice, prioritizing a passion project
over a guaranteed Scorsese critical hit, really
highlights the complexity of his artistic navigation
during that era. The slump was real, but the
cinematic gods had plans for a major, definitive
resurgence starting around 2012. With David O.
Russell's Silver Linings playbook. This film
was a crucial turning point. It earned him his
first Oscar nomination in over 20 years for Best
Supporting Actor. And critics immediately picked
up on a change in tone and energy. They noted
he was effortlessly endearing and relaxed on
screen. It was a return to respected, nuanced
drama, but with a lighter touch than the intense,
brooding roles of the 70s. Since then, his comeback
has been marked by high profile quality work
across mediums. He portrayed Bernie Madoff in
the HBO film The Wizard of Lies in 2017, which
earned him a primetime Emmy nomination. He also
fully embraced modern political satire. receiving
an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Robert
Mueller on Saturday Night Live. And in 2019,
he starred in the commercially massive and Oscar
-nominated Joker, playing talk show host Murray
Franklin. A character who directly referenced
the toxic fandom themes of his earlier Scorsese
film, The King of Comedy. But the true highlight
of this resurgence, the moment that confirmed
the legend was back, was the grand reunion with
Martin Scorsese. The Irishman, 2019, their ninth
feature film together. A slow, reflective mob
drama co -starring Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. And
the critical acclaim was deafening. The Daily
Telegraph called his performance sensational.
It was praised for focusing on the weight of
age, regret, and betrayal. A far cry from the
youthful, energetic violence of their earlier
work. It just confirmed the enduring magic of
that partnership. And their collaboration continues
to define his current era. In 2023, he took on
his latest Oscar -nominated role in Scorsese's
Killers of the Flower Moon. Playing the chilling
William King Hale, the ruthless cattleman behind
the Osage Indian murders. And this performance,
earning him a Best Supporting Actor nod, was
widely lauded as one of De Niro's best, evoking
a figure of beguiling surface -level charm that
simultaneously cloaks bottomless indifference.
It was a return to that calculated, immersive,
dramatic power we hadn't seen consistently since
the 1990s. And even in his 80s, his pace is incredible.
Looking ahead, he is set to star in the Netflix
series Zero Day and the mob drama The Alto Knights.
The lesson here is clear. The dedication hasn't
faded, even if the roles have shifted. Moving
beyond his work on screen, De Niro has quietly
built a considerable business and cultural empire
strategically rooted in the Tribeca neighborhood
of Manhattan. The community where he spent his
youth. This Tribeca empire is a major part of
his legacy. In 1989, he co -founded Tribeca Productions
with Jane Rosenzal. And what many forget is the
context of their biggest venture, the Tribeca
Film Festival. The festival, co -founded in 2002,
was a direct cultural response to the tragedy
of 9 -11. Its original mission was to revitalize
lower Manhattan after the devastating attacks
by bringing in community, commerce and art. It
quickly became a major international cultural
event for New York City, demonstrating his deep
civic commitment. And his interests stretch deeply
into high -end hospitality. He owns or co -owns
several successful ventures in Tribeca, starting
with the Tribeca Grill in 1990. And most famously,
his global partnership in the Nobu restaurants
and hotels. The scale of Nobu is what's astonishing.
It's a global luxury brand spanning dozens of
locations. For an actor so famous for his method
intensity, his greatest financial legacy might
be co -running one of the most successful international
hospitality brands ever conceived. It showcases
his business acumen and his ability to partner
effectively. Moving to his personal life, De
Niro has an expansive, complex family, spanning
several decades in relationships, making him
one of the oldest fathers on record. We should
probably slow down here and appreciate the timeline
and the themes of fatherhood he has navigated.
He has been married twice. His first marriage
was to actress Diane Abbott from 1976 to 1988.
They had a son, Rafael, who now works in New
York real estate, and he adopted Abbott's daughter,
Drina, from a previous relationship. After their
divorce, he was in a relationship with model
Tookie Smith from 1988 to 1996. During this relationship,
they had... And it's notable that the sources
specifically confirm the twins were conceived
by in vitro fertilization and delivered by a
surrogate mother. His family story has always
been modern and expansive. And there's a recent
development that connects his private life to
his public persona. His daughter Erin came out
publicly as a trans woman in April 2025, and
Robert publicly supported her, stating, I don't
know what the big deal is, just a clear, simple
affirmation of acceptance. He married his second
wife, Grace Hightower, in 1997, separating in
2018. They had two children, son Elliot and daughter
Helen, born via surrogate in 2011. And the sources
note that Elliot is autistic. And De Niro has
been very public about the complexities of parenting
an autistic child. And of course, the most recent
news. In April 2023, at the age of 79, he welcomed
his seventh child, a daughter named Gia, with
his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen. Officially making
him one of the oldest fathers on record. It's
a powerful illustration of fatherhood spanning
half a century. Tragically, the family also experienced
profound loss in 2023 when his grandson, Leandro
De Niro Rodriguez, the son of Greena, died at
age 19. From combined drug intoxication involving
fentanyl and cocaine, De Niro released a statement
expressing profound distress over the loss. That
expansive family life often intersects directly
with his role as a public figure, leading to
sometimes complex or controversial headlines.
Right. Take the issue of his political alignment.
He has always been engaged lobbying against Bill
Clinton's. impeachment in 1998. More recently,
he has been an extremely outspoken critic of
Donald Trump, calling him a buffoon and warning
that he risks becoming a vicious dictator. And
this political visibility had very real world
consequences. In 2018, an explosive device was
discovered targeting him at the Tribeca Grill,
similar to devices sent to other high profile
political figures. Another fascinating public
incident involved the intersection of his public
responsibility and his private role as a father.
The 2016 controversy involving the documentary
Vaxxed. This is a complex situation. He initially
defended the inclusion of the controversial documentary,
which was based on the discredited claim linking
vaccines and autism in the Tribeca Film Festival
lineup. Citing his autistic son, Elliot. Right.
He felt it was a film people should see to spark
debate. So he was acting as a concerned father,
but also as a gatekeeper of a major cultural
festival. How did he resolve that ethical conflict?
After consulting extensively with organizers
in the scientific community, he ultimately withdrew
the film, respecting the scientific consensus.
However, he later publicly expressed regret for
excluding it, stating he still felt the topic
needed public exposure. A tough, nuanced position
where he was attempting to balance personal advocacy
with professional integrity. He has also navigated
legal issues. In 2006, he received Italian citizenship
despite opposition from the Sons of Italy, who
argued that his extensive portrayals of criminals
damage the image of Italian -Americans. There
is also the highly publicized property tax dispute
over his Gardiner estate. His trust sued the
town to reduce the tax assessment. The lawsuit
became public, causing negative press, which
reportedly distressed De Niro as he was unaware
the lawsuit had even been filed by his accountants.
It was quickly settled. Very quickly. And finally,
we note the 2023 lawsuit where his production
company was ordered to pay damages to a former
employee who claimed harassment, though De Niro
was personally found not liable for gender discrimination.
It shows that his business interests are subject
to the same high stakes scrutiny as any large
corporation. Yet none of these public complexities
diminish his towering legacy. He has accumulated
honors spanning the globe in the decades. The
Golden Lion, the AFI Life Achievement Award,
Kennedy Center Honors, Presidential Medal of
Freedom, SAG Life Achievement Award. The list
just goes on. And Leonardo DiCaprio, a subsequent
protege of Scorsese and now his frequent co -star,
presented him with that SAG award. citing him
as a lifelong inspiration. John Naughton of GQ
magazine probably summed up his artistic contribution
best, stating that De Niro redefined what we
can expect of an actor. And De Niro himself provided
the ultimate window into his acting philosophy.
He described his motivation like this. 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. That powerful quote just encapsulates
the psychological risk and transformation he
undertook for half a century. Defining the boundaries
of performance by inhabiting those boundaries
himself. And as a delightful final note on his
sheer cultural reach, the English girl group
Bananarama released a fan song in 1984 called
Robert De Niro's Waiting. Which hit number three
on the UK singles chart. The man literally became
a romantic artistic ideal that transcended cinema
to become pure pop culture. To summarize this
incredible deep dive. Robert De Niro's career
is defined by the monumental scale of his commitment,
the relentless early method work, the mastery
of foreign languages and obscure skills, the
physical transformations, all anchored by his
strategic successful pivot into mainstream comedy
and his enduring collaboration with Martin Scorsese.
He stands as both a cultural icon and a major
industry entrepreneur, responsible for revitalizing
an entire neighborhood through the Tribeca organization,
balancing artistic control with commercial viability.
His legacy isn't just in the awards, but in the
precedent he set for immersion, pushing every
boundary of performance. We've explored his commitment
to external research, his expansive family life,
and his willingness to use his public platform
to navigate complex social issues. Knowing that
his work inspired that fan song, Robert De Niro's
Waiting. Back in 1984, the final provocative
thought we leave you with is this. When a performer
has achieved such complete mastery and transformation
in every genre, what kind of completely unexpected
cinematic experience are you waiting for next
from an actor who has repeatedly transformed
the very definition of performance across seven
decades? And if you want to physically connect
with that work. Remember that De Niro recognized
the historical value of his process. He donated
his extensive collection of film materials, scripts,
and props, including the notes detailing the
creation of those famous method rolls, to the
Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas
at Austin. That archive is a treasure trove of
cinematic history waiting to be explored. Go
check it out. And thank you for joining us for
this deep dive into the transformative career
of Robert De Niro. We'll see you next time.