Robert De Niro

Photo of Robert De Niro

Biography

After gaining attention in "Bang the Drum Slowly" (1973), De Niro exploded onto the public's consciousness as the reckless Johnny Boy in "Mean Streets" (1973), which commenced his partnership with Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest actor-director combos of all time. He earned his first Academy Award as a young Vito Corleone in "The Godfather Part II" (1974) and delivered his most iconic performance as would-be vigilante Travis Bickle in …
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Job Title

Actor, Director, Producer

Born

Robert Mario De Niro on August 17, 1943 in New York City, New York, USA

Career Milestones

2012

Co-starred with Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy in the drama thriller "Red Lights"

2012

Played the title character's con man father in "Being Flynn," based on Nick Flynn's book Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir

2011

Cast in the ensemble romantic comedy "New Year's Eve," directed by Garry Marshall

2011

Co-starred with Clive Owen and Jason Statham in the action feature "Killer Elite"

2011

Played a business mogul opposite Bradley Cooper in "Limitless"

2010

Once again reprised the role of Jack Byrnes for the comedy sequel "Little Fockers"

2010

Played a parole officer in the thriller "Stone"

2010

Appeared in the action thriller "Machete," directed by Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez

2009

Played a widower who reunites with his children in the drama "Everybody's Fine"

2008

Starred as a fading Hollywood producer in Barry Levinson's "What Just Happened"

2008

Again teamed with Al Pacino as cops on the hunt of a serial killer in "Righteous Kill"

2007

Co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes in the fantasy adventure film "Stardust"

2006

Directed second feature, "The Good Shepherd," loosely based on the life of CIA agent James Angleton; also co-starred in the film with Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie

2005

Played a widowed father opposite Dakota Fanning in the thriller "Hide and Seek"

2004

Reprised role of Jack Byrnes in the comedy sequel "Meet the Fockers"

2004

Voiced mob boss Don Lino in the animated feature "Shark Tale"

2002

Reprised role of gangster Paul Vitti in the sequel "Analyze That" opposite Billy Crystal

2002

Played a NYC policeman investigating a murder that hits close to home in "City by the Sea"

2002

Teamed with Eddie Murphy for the comedy "Showtime"

2002

Made rare TV appearance as host of the two-hour CBS special "9/11"

2001

Teamed on screen with Marlon Brando and Edward Norton in the heist thriller "The Score"

2001

Portrayed a decorated police detective teamed up with a fire department investigator (Ed Burns) in "15 Minutes"

2000

Enjoyed box office success as the oddball father in Jay Roach's "Meet the Parents"

2000

Starred opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Men of Honor"

1999

Played an ultra-conservative, retired security guard who takes singing lessons from his drag queen neighbor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in Joel Schumacher's "Flawless"

1999

Portrayed a New York gangland boss suffering from anxiety attacks in Harold Ramis' "Analyze This"

1998

Starred in John Frankenheimer's international thriller "Ronin"

1998

Essayed the small role of prisoner-benefactor in the remake of "Great Expectations"

1997

Played a political fixer who hires a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) to stage a nonexistent war in Barry Levinson's "Wag the Dog"

1997

Cast in a supporting role as NYPD internal affairs special agent Moe Tilden in James Mangold's "Cop Land"

1996

Produced and acted in "Marvin's Room," an adaptation of Scott McPerson's off-Broadway play

1995

Reunited again with Scorsese and Pesci for "Casino"

1995

First onscreen pairing with Al Pacino in Michael Mann's "Heat"

1993

Delivered low key turn as nerdy cop in John McNaughton's "Mad Dog and Glory"; Scorsese served as a producer

1993

Feature directorial debut, "A Bronx Tale" (also acted and produced); fourth film with Pesci

1993

Debut as an executive producer, the anthology TV series "Tribeca" (Fox)

1992

First credit as producer on a film in which he did not act, "Thunderheart"

1992

Starred in Winkler's "Night and the City" opposite Jessica Lange

1991

Played the monstrous Max Cady in Scorsese's remake of "Cape Fear"; nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award

1991

First film with Winkler as a director, "Guilty By Suspicion"; played a film director confounded by the blacklist

1990

Reteamed with Scorsese and Pesci for "GoodFellas"

1990

Earned another Best Actor Oscar nomination as a patient who regains consciousness after three decades in a coma in "Awakenings"

1989

Debut as an executive producer, the remake of "We're No Angels"; scripted by Mamet and co-starring Sean Penn

1988

Founded TriBeCa Films with Jane Rosenthal

1988

Matched wits with Charles Grodin in Martin Brest's socko action-comedy "Midnight Run"

1987

Portrayed Al Capone in De Palma's "The Untouchables"; scripted by David Mamet

1986

Made Broadway debut in "Cuba and His Teddy Bear"

1984

Joined director Sergio Leone for his mob tale "Once Upon a Time in America"; second film with Pesci

1983

Played world class loser Rupert Pupkin, who kidnaps a famous late-night talk show host (Jerry Lewis) in Scorsese's "The King of Comedy"

1980

Received Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of boxer Jake La Motta in Scorsese's "Raging Bull"; first film with Joe Pesci who played his brother

1978

Starred as Pennsylvania steelworker-turned Green Beret Michael Vronsky in Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter"; received second Best Actor Academy Award nomination

1977

Re-teamed with Scorsese to portray a musician romancing a band singer (Liza Minnelli) in "New York, New York"; produced by Winkler

1976

Essayed Irving Thalberg-like movie mogul in "The Last Tycoon"; was adapted from the unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald

1976

Re-teamed with Scorsese for "Taxi Driver"; his first solo billing above the title; garnered first Best Actor Academy Award nomination

1976

Portrayed pampered bourgeois grandson of the tyrannical landowner Burt Lancaster in Bernardo Bertolucci's "1900"

1974

Earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as a young Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's "Godfather II"; spoke only eight words in English, rigorously researching and learning the Sicilian dialect which predominates

1973

First film with director Martin Scorsese, "Mean Streets"; the two had actually been boyhood acquaintances but had not seen each other in 14 years

1973

Delivered the poignant portrayal of a dying catcher in the baseball picture "Bang the Drum Slowly"

1971

First collaboration with producer Irwin Winkler, "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight"

1970

Made off-Broadway debut in Winters' play "One Night Stand of a Noisy Passenger"

1970

Co-starred with Shelley Winters in "Bloody Mama"

1970

Reprised "Greetings" role for De Palma's "Hi, Mom!"

1968

First released feature, De Palma's "Greetings"

1966

Made feature starring debut in Brian De Palma's "The Wedding Party" (shelved until 1969)

1965

Had a walk-on role in Marcel Carne's "Trois Chambre a Manhattan/Three Rooms in Manhattan"

Landed bit part on the daytime soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" (CBS, NBC)

1959

Left school at age 16 to begin studying acting with Stella Adler

1953

Had earliest stage experience, playing the Cowardly Lion in a PS 41 production of "The Wizard of Oz"

Awards

2010

Golden Globe Award for Cecil B. DeMille Award

2008

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema

2001

MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo in Meet the Parents

2000

San Sebastian International Film Festival for Donostia Award

2000

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Meet the Parents

1999

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Analyze This

1997

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Marvin's Room

1997

MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in The Fan

1992

MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss in Cape Fear

1992

MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance in Cape Fear

1992

MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in Cape Fear

1991

Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in Cape Fear

1991

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in Cape Fear

1990

Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in Awakenings

1990

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in Awakenings

1990

BAFTA Award for Actor In a Leading Role in Goodfellas

1990

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in Goodfellas

1988

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Midnight Run

1983

BAFTA Award for Actor in The King of Comedy

1981

BAFTA Award for Actor in Raging Bull

1980

Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in Raging Bull

1980

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in Raging Bull

1980

Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor in Raging Bull

1980

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in Raging Bull

1980

National Board of Review Award for Best Actor in Raging Bull

1980

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in Raging Bull

1979

BAFTA Award for Actor in The Deer Hunter

1978

Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in The Deer Hunter

1978

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Deer Hunter

1977

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in New York, New York

1976

BAFTA Award for Actor in Taxi Driver

1976

Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in Taxi Driver

1976

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor in Taxi Driver

1976

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in Taxi Driver

1976

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in Taxi Driver

1976

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in Taxi Driver

1975

BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer To Leading Film Roles in The Godfather, Part II

1974

Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in The Godfather, Part II

1973

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor in Bang the Drum Slowly

1973

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor in Mean Streets