The Robert De Niro Top 10 Movies
Celebrating the 81st Birthday of the talented, acclaimed and iconic actor
The Robert De Niro Top 10 Movies
A brilliant and acclaimed actor, Robert De Niro has written several pages in movie history since the 1970’s when he first got noticed with his memorable role of the young Vito Corleone in the 1974 “The Godfather Part II” which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, he has played pivotal roles in movies such as “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull” (which earned him the Academy award for Best Actor in 1980) and “Cape Fear”. Raised Catholic, De Niro usually tries to step down from roles that directly involves religion, and doesn’t likes to publicly speak about religion neither, he did turned down the role of Jesus Christ on the movie “The Last Temptation Of Christ” directed by his friend and director of many of his movies, Martin Scorsese, but he did played a Catholic penitent on the 1980’s blockbuster “The Mission”. recently he received an Italian passport, which grants him Italian citizenship, despite strong opposition by the Sons of Italy, who believe that De Niro damaged the public image of Italians by portraying criminals. But he does portray them like no other!
Robert De Niro was born on August 17, 1943, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. He was the only child of Virginia Admiral, a painter and poet, and Robert De Niro Sr., an abstract expressionist painter and sculptor. His parents separated when he was two years old, and he was primarily raised by his mother in the Little Italy area of Manhattan.
From a young age, De Niro showed a strong interest in acting. He attended the High School of Music and Art and later studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory and Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio, where he immersed himself in the method acting approach that would define his career.
De Niro’s film career began in the mid-1960s with small roles in films like The Wedding Party (1969) and Greetings (1968). His breakthrough role came in 1973 when he starred in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets as Johnny Boy, a reckless young man involved in organized crime. This film marked the beginning of one of the most significant actor-director collaborations in cinema history.
In 1974, De Niro’s portrayal of the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, earned him widespread acclaim and his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. De Niro’s performance, delivered largely in Sicilian, showcased his deep commitment to his roles and established him as one of the most promising actors of his generation.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, De Niro solidified his status as one of the greatest actors of his time with a series of iconic roles. He reunited with Scorsese for films like Taxi Driver (1976), where he delivered his legendary “You talkin’ to me?” monologue, and Raging Bull (1980), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of boxer Jake LaMotta. De Niro’s physical transformation for the role, gaining and losing significant weight, became a hallmark of his dedication to his craft.
Other notable films from this period include The Deer Hunter (1978), The King of Comedy (1982), and Once Upon a Time in America (1984). De Niro’s ability to inhabit complex, often troubled characters made him a favorite among directors and audiences alike.
In the 1990s, De Niro continued to deliver powerful performances in films like Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), and Casino (1995), all directed by Scorsese. He also expanded into comedy with the success of Analyze This (1999) and Meet the Parents (2000).
In recent years, De Niro’s career has seen him take on a variety of roles in both independent films and major studio productions. He continues to collaborate with Scorsese, starring in The Irishman (2019), a crime epic that revisited the themes of their earlier work. De Niro’s portrayal of aging mob hitman Frank Sheeran earned him critical acclaim and reminded audiences of his enduring talent.
Robert De Niro’s first marriage was to actress Diahnne Abbott in 1976, with whom he has a son, Raphael, and he adopted Abbott’s daughter from a previous relationship, Drena. The couple divorced in 1988. In 1997, De Niro married actress Grace Hightower, and they have two children together. The couple separated in 1999 but later reconciled, though they eventually separated again in 2018.
De Niro also has been outspoken on political and social issues, particularly in his later years. He is the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, established in 2002 in response to the September 11 attacks, aimed at revitalizing lower Manhattan and promoting independent films.
Today, with a career that spans over five decades, Robert De Niro is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema. His ability to portray a wide range of characters, from troubled anti-heroes to comedic figures, has earned him numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.
Beyond his acting, De Niro has also ventured into directing, with films like A Bronx Tale (1993) and The Good Shepherd (2006). His influence extends beyond his own performances, as he has helped to shape the careers of other actors and filmmakers through his production company, Tribeca Productions. Look back at his Top 10 Best Roles.
10 – “The Good Shepherd”, 2006
9 – “The Deer Hunter”, 1978
8 – “The Untouchables”, 1987
7 – “Once Upon a Time in America”, 1984
6 – “The Mission”, 1986
5 – “Goodfellas”, 1990
4 – “Cape Fear”, 1991
3 – “The Godfather: Part II”, 1974
2 – “Raging Bull”, 1980
1 – “Taxi Driver”, 1976
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