Artistically endowed with exceptional acting talent and impressive personality, Robert De Niro is a stellar actor who needs no introduction of sorts. Fans adore him for his impeccable style, while critics admire and adulate him for his extraordinary passion towards acting. The actor who rose to fame with ‘Bang the Drum’ and ‘Mean Streets’ has had an upward and escalating career ever since, delivering one hit performance after the other. A seasoned character actor, he is applauded and commended by one and all for his meticulous approach that he takes towards acting and his aim for achieving precision and excellence in every role he dons. What is interesting to note is that unlike his colleagues and counterparts, he has shown no signs of taking it slow till date, with the recent release of ‘Silver Lining Playback’ being a testimony to the same. He is one of the best known method actors of Hollywood today who employs even the extremes of tactic to give richness, reliability and tangibility to his characters to elicit the best performance out of himself. In his career that has spanned over five decades and still going strong, he has done various genres of movies, right from, action, romantic, thriller and comedy. This Academy Award winning actor has also donned the hat of a director twice, for the movies, ‘A Bronx Tale’ and ‘The Good Shepherd’.

Early career

De Niro first flourished under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg - one of the greatest forces in method acting - and then was taught at the famed Stella Adler Studio Of Acting. He paid his dues off-Broadway, but soon established himself as a master of disguise, utterly inhabiting his roles in a string of acclaimed films. After several small movie roles, the Manhattan native's career took off with 1973's Bang The Drum Slowly - for which he picked up a New York Film Critics Circle Award - and Mean Streets, his first film with celebrated director Martin Scorsese.

Career success

De Niro went on to find Academy Award glory in 1975, picking up a Best Actor In A Supporting Role trophy for his role in the sequel to The Godfather. Oscar nominations followed in 1977 for Taxi Driver and again in 1979 for The Deer Hunter. He finally took home the Best Actor gong for 1980's Raging Bull - for which he gained 60lbs - and a decade later found himself nominated yet again for the Robin Williams starring Awakenings and 1992's Cape Fear.

Scorsese - who has worked with the legendary actor in ten films and one short film - says De Niro "doesn't look at you; he considers you". And that may be the secret to his commanding performances and longevity. His staying power has also been boosted by a new-found career as the king of comedy in hits such as Meet The Parents with Ben Stiller and its sequel, Meet The Fockers.

De Niro has also worked on the other side of the camera, making his directorial debut with the well-received 1993 film A Bronx Tale. More recently, the popular actor has starred in films including Scorsese's The Irishman (which he also produced), 2022's Amsterdam, and 2023's About My Father.

Personal life

Robert De Niro wed the actress Diahnne Abbott in 1976 and two years later the couple had one child together, Raphael. The couple were together for 12 years and Robert later adopted Drena, Diahnne's daughter from a previous marriage, before the pair divorced in 1988.

In 1995 he and his then girlfriend Toukie Smith had twin boys Julian and Aaron through in vitro fertilization. The pair had been together since the 80s, but split in 1996.

The following year, De Niro walked down the aisle with former model and flight attendant Grace Hightower. The relationship was not without its difficulties, as the pair split and reunited on several occasions. They share two children together, a boy called Elliott and a girl called Helen Grace. The pair separated in 2018, and De Niro is now seeing Tiffany Chen, with whom he welcomed a seventh child, a daughter Gia, in 2023.

Major Works

His breakthrough performance came with ‘Bang the Drum’ and ‘Mean Streets’, both of which, released in a gap of two months, brought widespread acclaim to him as an actor. Additionally, they did a good business at the box office, ‘Mean Streets’ making a whopping $3, 000, 000 profit.
The epic drama, The Godfather Part II’, a Francis Ford Coppola productions, further cemented his position as an actor. The film gained a widespread appeal and recognition, its eleven nominations and eventual six victories at the Oscars standing a testimony to the same. The movie did a business of $193 million at the box office.

Awards & Achievements

He has been nominated seven times for the prestigious Academy Awards, twice in the category of Best Supporting Actor and five times for Best Actor. He twice won the award, Best Supporting Actor for ‘The Godfather Part II’ and Best Actor for ‘Raging Bull’.
He has been nominated eight times for the Golden Globe Awards in various categories such as Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He won the award for his spellbinding performance in ‘Ranging Bull’ in the category of Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.
In 2011, he was conferred with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award, Golden Globe Lifetime Achievement Award for his exemplary artistic skills and exceptional talent.

Personal Life & Legacy

• He walked the aisle with Diahnne Abbot in 1976. The couple was blessed with a son, Raphael. He adopted Abbott’s daughter from previous marriage, Drena. The two parted ways in 1988.
• In 1995, he fathered twin sons conceived by in-vitro fertilization and delivered by a surrogate mother in 1995, out of his relationship with Toukie Smith.
• In 1997, he tied the nuptial knot for a second time with Grace Hightower. The duo was blessed with a son, Elliot the following year. They parted ways in 1998 (not legally though) only to renew their vows in 2004. Following this, they were blessed with a daughter Helen Grace in 2011.
• He faced health concerns in 2003 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, a surgical intervention has helped his medical state.

Quotes

• Acting is a cheap way to do things that you would never dare to do yourself.
• After I give an interview, I spend all my time trying to explain what I meant. After my first movies, I gave interviews... then I thought what’s so important about where I went to school and hobbies? What does any of that have to do with acting, with my own head? Nothing.