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Robert De Niro, Jr. (born August 17, 1943 in New York City) is an acclaimed American film actor who is noted for having starred in several of director Martin Scorsese's films. Praised for his commitment to his roles, De Niro gained 60 pounds (27 kg) and learned how to box for his portrayal of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, ground his teeth for Cape Fear, and learned to play the saxophone for New York, New York (all Scorsese films).
Although not articulate, De Niro is generally considered a skilled observer of physical tics and details, and an intense perfectionist.
A graduate of the Little Red School House, De Niro made his first film appearance in 1968 in Greetings (directed by Brian De Palma). After that, he played some major and minor roles in other films not widely seen, until he gained popularity with his role in Bang the Drum Slowly (1973). He began to work with Martin Scorsese in the same year when the two collaborated on Mean Streets. Later Scorsese films in which De Niro has participated are Taxi Driver (1976), New York, New York (1977), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), and Casino (1995). In these films, De Niro has primarily played charming but emotionally unstable characters who have sociopathic tendencies.
In the mid-1980s, De Niro began expanding into occasional comedic roles, and has had much success in that area as well with such films as Brazil (1985), Midnight Run (1988), Wag the Dog (1997), Analyze This (1999), and Meet the Parents (2000).
He has won two Academy Awards: as Best Actor for his role in Raging Bull; and as Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather, Part II.
Interestingly, De Niro and Marlon Brando are the only pair of actors who have won Academy Awards for portraying the same person: De Niro won for playing young Vito Corleone in The Godfather, Part II, and Brando had won previously (although he declined the award) for playing the elderly Don Vito in The Godfather.
Contrary to popular belief De Niro is primarily Irish-American, not Italian. In October 2004 he canceled an appearance in Rome, Italy after Italian officials claimed he had presented negative stereotypes of their ethnicity in his films. In December De Niro attended an art exhibit in Rome where he presented his late father's art for the first time - Italian officials were surprised and claim that there are now no hard feelings.
De Niro is often compared to fellow iconic actor Al Pacino and they finally teamed together in Michael Mann's Heat (1995). De Niro played a younger version of Pacino's father in The Godfather, Part II.
In 2004 De Niro re-married his wife Grace Hightower.
Selected additional filmography
External links - Robert De Niro (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000134/) at the Internet Movie Database
- Full filmography of De Niro (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800010759&cf=movies&intl=us)
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