Robert De Niro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert De Niro
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De Niro in 2016
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Robert Anthony De Niro
August 17, 1943 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1963–present |
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| Children | 7, including Drena and Raphael |
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| Awards | Full list |
Robert Anthony De Niro (born August 17, 1943) is an American actor and film producer. Many people think he is one of the greatest actors of his time. De Niro has won many awards. These include two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) and a Golden Globe Award. He has also been nominated for eight BAFTA Awards and four Emmy Awards.
He received special honors like the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003. He also got the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009. In 2011, he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. In 2019, he was given the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is a very high honor.
De Niro learned acting at famous schools like HB Studio and Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. His first movie role was in Greetings (1968). He often worked with director Martin Scorsese. Their first movie together was Mean Streets (1973).
He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for playing young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974). He won another Oscar for Best Actor for playing boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980). De Niro was also nominated for Oscars for movies like Taxi Driver (1976) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012).
He is famous for many other movies too. These include Goodfellas (1990), Heat (1995), and Casino (1995). He also starred in comedies like Meet the Parents (2000) and The Intern (2015). De Niro also directed two films: A Bronx Tale (1993) and The Good Shepherd (2006).
In television, he played Bernie Madoff in the HBO film The Wizard of Lies (2017). He was nominated for an Emmy for this role. He also received Emmy nominations for producing When They See Us (2019). He was also nominated for playing Robert Mueller on Saturday Night Live.
In 1989, De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal started their own company, TriBeCa Productions. This company has made many films. They also started the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002. Many of De Niro's films are seen as important American movies. Six of his films are in the National Film Registry. This means they are important for culture, history, or art.
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Early Life and Learning
Robert Anthony De Niro was born in New York City on August 17, 1943. He was the only child of two painters, Virginia Admiral and Robert De Niro Sr.. His father had Irish and Italian family. His mother had Dutch, English, French, and German family.
His parents met in art classes. They separated when Robert was two years old. His father told them he was gay. Robert was raised by his mother in Greenwich Village and Little Italy. His father lived nearby and stayed close to him.
People called him "Bobby Milk" because he had pale skin. He made friends with many kids in Little Italy. His father did not always like these friends. But some of them stayed his friends for life.
De Niro went to public elementary school. He started acting classes at the Dramatic Workshop. At age 10, he acted on stage for the first time. He played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. He went to different high schools. He found that acting helped him with his shyness. He loved movies.
At 16, he left high school to become an actor. He studied acting at HB Studio and Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. He also learned from Stella Adler. He was inspired by actors like Marlon Brando and James Dean.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Roles and First Big Movies (1963–1973)
De Niro had small movie roles in the mid-1960s. He got a bigger role in Greetings (1968). This was a funny movie about men trying to avoid the Vietnam War draft. This was his first time working with director Brian De Palma.
A year later, he was in Sam's Song. He also appeared in De Palma's comedy The Wedding Party (1969). Even though he was not well-known, critics liked his acting.
He then starred in the crime drama Bloody Mama (1970). He played Lloyd Barker, one of four criminal brothers. Critics said the cast gave "fine performances." Next, he was in De Palma's comedy Hi, Mom! (1970). A critic said he brought "unhinged spontaneity" to his character.
In 1973, De Niro played a lead role in Bang the Drum Slowly. He played Bruce Pearson, a baseball player with a serious illness. The movie was praised by critics. It helped De Niro become more recognized. The Hollywood Reporter said he was "one of the best and most likable young character actors."
In the same year, De Niro started working with director Martin Scorsese. He appeared in the crime film Mean Streets (1973). He played "Johnny Boy" Civello, a small-time criminal. De Niro was very serious about his role. He often stayed separate from the other actors to focus.
Mean Streets was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Critics loved De Niro's acting. Roger Ebert said he gave a "marvelous performance." In 1997, Mean Streets was chosen to be saved in the U.S. National Film Registry.
Working with Scorsese and Winning Awards (1974–1980)
De Niro had a very important role in Francis Ford Coppola's crime movie The Godfather Part II (1974). He played the young Vito Corleone. De Niro had tried out for the first Godfather movie but chose another film. Coppola remembered him and gave him this role.
To play the character, De Niro mostly spoke in different Sicilian dialects. The movie was a big success. It won six Academy Awards, including one for De Niro for Best Supporting Actor. This was his first Oscar win. He and Marlon Brando (who played the older Vito) were the first actors to win Oscars for playing the same character.
After Mean Streets, De Niro worked with Scorsese again on Taxi Driver (1976). This movie is about Travis Bickle, a lonely taxi driver in New York City. De Niro prepared for the role by spending time with soldiers. He also lost weight and learned about taxi drivers.
Critics highly praised the movie and De Niro's acting. The Washington Post called it his "landmark performance." The famous line "You talkin' to me?" was made up by De Niro during filming. It is now one of the most famous movie quotes.
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In 1976, De Niro also starred in 1900, a historical drama set in Italy. He played a landowner named Alfredo. He also appeared in The Last Tycoon. For this role, he lost a lot of weight. The director, Elia Kazan, said De Niro was very careful and imaginative in his acting.
In 1977, De Niro was in Scorsese's musical drama New York, New York with Liza Minnelli. De Niro learned to play the saxophone for his role as Jimmy. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this movie.
In 1978, De Niro starred in The Deer Hunter. This was an epic war film about steelworkers whose lives change after serving in the Vietnam War. He acted alongside Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep. Critics praised the cast's performances. De Niro was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. This film is considered one of the greatest American films.
De Niro and Scorsese worked together for the fourth time in 1980 on Raging Bull. This movie is about the boxer Jake LaMotta. De Niro played LaMotta. He said it was one of his hardest roles. He had to gain 60 pounds and learn how to box.
Critics praised De Niro's realistic acting. The Hollywood Reporter said he was "incredible." He won an Oscar for Best Actor for this role. Raging Bull is now seen as one of the best films of the 1980s.
New Types of Roles and Continued Success (1981–1991)
In 1981, De Niro was in the crime movie True Confessions. He played a priest who had problems with his brother, a detective. Critics liked how well De Niro and his co-star Robert Duvall worked together.
In the 1980s, De Niro wanted to try different kinds of roles. He started doing more comedies. In The King of Comedy (1982), he played Rupert Pupkin, a comedian who was struggling. Even though the movie did not make much money, critics liked De Niro's acting.
His next movie was Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America (1984). He played David "Noodles" Aaronson, a gangster in New York City. The full movie was very long but was praised by critics.
In 1985, De Niro was in his first science fiction movie, Brazil. It was about a man who daydreams in a future society. He also starred in The Mission (1986). This drama was about a missionary in South America in the 1700s.
In 1987, De Niro had smaller roles. He played Louis Cyphre in the horror film Angel Heart. He also played Al Capone in De Palma's crime drama, The Untouchables.
In 1988, he starred in the action-comedy Midnight Run with Charles Grodin. De Niro played a bounty hunter. The movie was a success and made $81 million.
De Niro and Scorsese worked together again in 1990 for the crime film Goodfellas. De Niro played James Conway, a gangster. The movie was very popular with critics. It was nominated for six Academy Awards. It is also considered one of the greatest American films.
Also in 1990, De Niro starred in Awakenings. He played a patient who wakes up after many years. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for De Niro.
In 1991, De Niro was in Guilty by Suspicion. He played a film director during the Hollywood blacklist era. His biggest success that year was Cape Fear. This was his seventh movie with Scorsese. De Niro played Max Cady, a man seeking revenge. Critics loved his performance. The movie made $182 million and earned De Niro another Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Comedies and Thrillers (1998–2006)
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In 1998, De Niro appeared in Great Expectations. Later that year, he starred in Ronin, an action movie about former special agents. Critics praised De Niro's confident acting in this role.
In 1999, De Niro returned to crime-comedy in Analyze This. He played an insecure mob boss with Billy Crystal. The movie was a big hit, making $176 million. De Niro was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor. He also played a police officer in Flawless.
In 2000, De Niro produced and starred in the comedy The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. He voiced the character Fearless Leader. The movie did not get good reviews. He also played Master Chief 'Billy' Sunday in Men of Honor (2000).
That same year, he starred in the comedy Meet the Parents with Ben Stiller. De Niro played Jack Byrnes, a former CIA agent who dislikes Stiller's character. De Niro wanted to do more comedies. The movie was very successful, making $330 million. Critics liked De Niro's funny acting.
After many comedies, De Niro took a lead role in the crime thriller 15 Minutes (2001). He then starred in the heist movie The Score (2001) with Edward Norton and Marlon Brando. The next year, he played a detective in the action-comedy Showtime with Eddie Murphy.
Also in 2002, he played another police detective in City by the Sea. He also appeared in Analyze That (2002), the sequel to Analyze This. De Niro insisted on filming in New York City after the September 11 attacks. He said, "It's a New York story, a New York movie."
Some critics felt De Niro's career was not as strong in the early 2000s. In 2004, he was in the fantasy drama Godsend. He also voiced a character in the animated movie Shark Tale (2004). He returned as Jack Byrnes in Meet the Fockers (2004), the sequel to Meet the Parents.
In 2005, De Niro starred in the horror film Hide and Seek with Dakota Fanning. He played a doctor whose daughter is traumatized. The movie made money, but some critics thought De Niro was not right for the role.
In 2006, De Niro directed his second film, the spy thriller The Good Shepherd. This movie was about the early years of the CIA. It starred Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. The film received mixed reviews. He also voiced a character in Arthur and the Invisibles.
More Film Roles (2007–2016)
In 2007, De Niro was in the fantasy adventure Stardust. He played Captain Shakespeare, a ship leader. The movie was generally well-liked. The next year, he starred in the thriller Righteous Kill with Al Pacino. They played detectives investigating crimes.
He also starred in What Just Happened (2008), a comedy about a producer in Hollywood. In 2009, he played Frank Goode in the drama Everybody's Fine. A critic praised this as "his first decent, watchable performance in quite a while."
In 2010, he had a small part in Machete. He also starred in Stone, a crime drama where he played a parole officer. He then appeared in Little Fockers (2010), the third movie in the Meet the Parents series. Even though critics did not like it, the movie made over $310 million.
In 2011, De Niro was in four films: Manuale d'amore 3, Killer Elite, Limitless, and New Year's Eve. Limitless was well-received. De Niro was also the head of the jury for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2012, he starred in the drama Being Flynn. He played an estranged father. Critics praised his acting as "unpredictable and subtle." He also appeared in the thrillers Red Lights and Freelancers.
De Niro made his first movie with director David O. Russell in 2012, the romantic comedy Silver Linings Playbook. He played the father of Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper). The movie was a big success and earned eight Oscar nominations, including one for De Niro for Best Supporting Actor. Critics loved the whole cast.
In 2013, he was in The Big Wedding, Killing Season, and The Family. These movies mostly received negative reviews. His other 2013 movie, Last Vegas, received some good reviews. He starred with Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline. The movie is about three friends who go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party.
He also starred in Grudge Match (2013) with Sylvester Stallone. They played aging boxers who have one last fight. In 2014, De Niro appeared in a documentary about his father, Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro Sr.
In 2015, he starred in the comedy The Intern with Anne Hathaway. Critics liked De Niro's "fresh, relaxed lightness" in his performance. He was nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor in a Comedy.
He also appeared in two short films: Scorsese's The Audition and JR's Ellis. He starred in the heist film Heist. He was also in the biographical drama Joy (2015) with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper.
In 2016, he co-starred in Dirty Grandpa with Zac Efron. This movie received very mixed reviews. He also appeared in Hands of Stone (2016), a sports drama about boxer Roberto Durán. His last movie that year was The Comedian.
Recent Work and Scorsese Reunion (2017–present)
In 2017, De Niro played Bernie Madoff in the HBO film The Wizard of Lies. He received praise for his acting and an Emmy nomination. In 2019, he was praised for playing Robert Mueller on Saturday Night Live. He also received an Emmy nomination for producing the series When They See Us.
In 2019, De Niro starred in Joker, playing talk show host Murray Franklin. The movie was a big success. Also that year, De Niro worked with Scorsese again for The Irishman. This was their ninth movie together. He starred with Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, and Joe Pesci. Critics loved the film and De Niro's "sensational" performance.
In 2020, De Niro appeared in the short comedy film Father of the Bride Part 3(ish). He also starred in the crime comedy The Comeback Trail. In 2021, he joined the historical comedy Amsterdam. He played an army veteran. Critics said he brought "just the right gravitas" to his role.
In 2022, De Niro starred in Savage Salvation. In 2023, he played William King Hale in Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Scorsese. He starred with Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. De Niro received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this role.
In 2023, De Niro also appeared in the comedy About My Father and the TV series Nada. He will produce and star in the Netflix series Zero Day. He also starred in the film Ezra, which premiered in 2023. De Niro was interested in this film because it shows the challenges of raising a child with autism. He has an autistic son himself.
Business Ventures
In 1989, Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal started their film production company, TriBeCa Productions. This company also organizes the Tribeca Film Festival.
De Niro owns Tribeca Grill, a restaurant in Tribeca, Manhattan. It opened in 1990. He also owns the Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca. De Niro is also a co-owner of Nobu restaurants and hotels. The first Nobu Hotel opened in Las Vegas in 2013.
Personal Life
De Niro has lived in New York City for a long time. He has invested in the Tribeca neighborhood since 1989. He owns properties on both the east and west sides of Manhattan. He also has a large estate in Gardiner, New York, where he mainly lives.
In October 2003, De Niro was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had surgery in December 2003. In 2006, he became an Italian citizen. In 2012, he joined a campaign against fracking, which is a way of getting gas from the ground.
Family Life
De Niro married actress Diahnne Abbott in 1976. They have a son named Raphael. Raphael used to be an actor and now works in real estate. De Niro also adopted Abbott's daughter, Drena, from her earlier relationship. He and Abbott divorced in 1988.
After that, he was in a relationship with model Toukie Smith from 1988 to 1996. They have twin sons, Julian and Aaron.
In 1997, De Niro married actress Grace Hightower. Their son, Elliot, was born in 1998. They separated in 1999 but never officially divorced. In 2004, they renewed their marriage vows. In 2011, their daughter Helen was born through a surrogate. In 2018, De Niro and Hightower separated after 20 years of marriage.
De Niro has four grandchildren. One is from his daughter Drena, and three are from his son Raphael. In April 2023, De Niro welcomed his seventh child, a daughter named Gia, with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen. At 79 years old, De Niro is one of the oldest fathers on record.
Movies and Awards
De Niro has made many movies since the 1970s. Some of his most praised films include Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), Mean Streets (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995), Meet the Parents (2000), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Irishman (2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
De Niro has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars) for these performances:
- 47th Academy Awards (1974): Best Supporting Actor, won, for The Godfather Part II
- 49th Academy Awards (1976): Best Actor, nominated, for Taxi Driver
- 51st Academy Awards (1978): Best Actor, nominated, for The Deer Hunter
- 53rd Academy Awards (1980): Best Actor, won, for Raging Bull
- 63rd Academy Awards (1990): Best Actor, nominated, for Awakenings
- 64th Academy Awards (1991): Best Actor, nominated, for Cape Fear
- 85th Academy Awards (2012): Best Supporting Actor, nominated, for Silver Linings Playbook
- 92nd Academy Awards (2019): Best Picture, nominated (as producer), for The Irishman
- 96th Academy Awards (2023): Best Supporting Actor, nominated, for Killers of the Flower Moon
De Niro has won two Golden Globe Awards. He won Best Actor for Raging Bull. He also received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for his amazing work in entertainment. He was also given the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Leonardo DiCaprio, who acted with De Niro, presented him the award. DiCaprio said De Niro was a big inspiration to him.
Images for kids
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De Niro in 2016
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De Niro and Dominique Sanda play a married couple in the film 1900
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De Niro at the Deauville Film Festival, 1988
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De Niro in 1998
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De Niro at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 2008
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De Niro at the Cannes Film Festival, 2011
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De Niro (right) and Al Pacino during the 25th Critics' Choice Awards in January 2020
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De Niro with Grace Hightower in April 2012
See Also
In Spanish: Robert De Niro para niños
- 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 categories
