Robert De Niro performs eighty years.103 movies, eight nominations to the Oscarsr, with two victories, 67 awards amply deserved. De Niro is one of the greatest actors ever. He is also a champion of numbers in his private life, with his seven children by four different women (the last one is Gia Virginia), two wives, two companions. And an unspecified number of flirts. After all, who can resist the charm of Hollywood’s starliest star?
Robert De Niro: A Blazing Career
You say actor and you think of him: of his smile in the last scene of Once upon a time in Americaby Sergio Leone, to his fury in Cape Fear And Wild bullby Martin Scorsese. Robert De Niro went to school at the Actor’s Studio with the greatest masters of acting: Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, who taught him the Stanislavsky method at the Actor’s Studio. That is: how to get into the shoes of the character. After all, who did it better than him?
To interpret Taxi Driver got a taxi driver’s license. To wear the shoes of Noodles aged in Once upon a time in America he watched the elders for days. He studied for a long time the interpretation of Marlon Brando in the role of don Vito Corleone, in order to be able to reproduce his voice, but in a young version in Godfather part two. He put on thirty pounds to turn into Jake LaMotta from wild bull, an interpretation that earned him the Oscar for best leading actor. Before Cape Fear he had the shape of his teeth changed.. In The Irishman her over-seventy-year-old body had to match a computer-reworked forty-year-old face.
Robert De Niro at the British Academy Film Award in London.
Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese are his favorite directors
It was to find out Brian DePalma, which made him star in three films. But it was Martin Scorsese to give him fame. In 1973 he is Johnny Boy, in the film mean streets. Then he becomes Travis Bickle in the film Taxi Driver, also by Scorsese (Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1976). With Francis Ford Coppola it was the young Corleone in the Godfather part twowhich earned him his first Oscar.
In Italy he acted with Bernardo Bertolucci. He was the young Berlinghieri, a Po landowner in the first half of the 20th century Novecento act I and II.
It is no coincidence that Robert De Niro is Nanni Moretti’s favorite actor. Defining him multifaceted is an understatement. He was a gangster, in Those good guysby Martin Scorsese e Once upon a time in Americaby Sergio Leone. Soldier in the movie The hunter by Michael Cimino. Meryl Steep Lover in To fall in loveilliterate cook in Love letters. He terrified us as Max Cady, murderous psychopath in Cape Fear, headland of fear, softened when he played the catatonic patient in You awaken. But we can go on quoting many other masterpiece films, from Mission to Brazilto The Untouchables.
Robert De Niro is Al Capone in the film “The Untouchables”, by Brian De Palma.
In recent years, it must be said, his career has tarnished a bit. If we make an exception for The Irishman, in the other films he seems a bit like a caricature of himself: forced to act. At the last Cannes Film Festival he presented Killers of the Flower Moonfilm directed by Martin Scorsese which received non stop applause for 9 minutes.
The stormy private life of Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro has been married twice. In 1976 with the actress Diahnne Abbottmet on the set of Taxi Driver. with whom she had two children: Drainadopted by the plaintiff, e Raphael (1976). They separated in 1988 after 12 years of marriage. The second companion of hers was Touki Smith (sister of Will Smith), with whom he had twins in 1995, Aaron Kendrick and Julian Henryfrom a surrogate mother.
In 1996, the relationship with Smith ended. In 1997 De Niro marries Grace Hightower and the following year the son was born Eliot. After two years of marriage, a first temporary break, then the rapprochement in 2004. A new daughter (Helen Grace), through surrogate mother in 2011. In 2018 the final separation from Hightower. Divorce that puts Robert De Niro in serious economic difficulties.
In April 2023 he became a father for the seventh time: the baby’s name is Already Virginia and the mother is Tiffany Chen, Bob’s new flame, martial arts champion, met on the set of the film The unexpected intern. Several flirts attributed to the American actor: from Naomi Campbell to Bette Midler, from Uma Thurman to Witney Houston. Grandfather Bob De Niro has four grandchildren. One of them, Leandro, died at the age of 19 last July, probably from an overdose.
De Niro movies to watch on tv
It will be broadcast on August 17 on Rete 4 Cape Fear – Cape of fear, directed by Martin Scorsese with Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange. Rai Movie chooses to celebrate it with The absolution (1981) and The Fan – The myth (1996). The Iris channel will pay tribute to him on Friday 18 with The Untouchables, The good shepherd and, Saturday 19, with Goodfellas and Everybody’s Fine.
The special bond with Italy
This year, on vacation for a few days in Naples, he met Paolo Sorrentino on the set of the Neapolitan director’s latest film.
The actor has a special bond with Italy. His paternal grandparents left Molise to move to America.
«I have a very special bond with Italy. My grandparents Giovanni De Niro and Angelina Mercurio arrived in the United States from Ferrazzano (Campobasso). «My career would not have been the same if I hadn’t worked with great Italian and Italian American directors like Scorsese, Coppola, Bertolucci, De Palma, Leone. Thank you Italy,” she said. And Italy thanks you: happy birthday, Robert.
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