70 years ago today in Greenwich Village, one of our greatest actors came into this world. Jumping into acting in his early 20’s, Robert De Niro has gone on to deliver a variety of iconic roles, most notably his eight collaborations (hopefully soon to be nine) with Martin Scorsese, resulting in such memorable characters as Travis Bickle, Rupert Pupkin and his portrayal of Jake La Motta, as well as other films such as The Godfather Part II and The Deer Hunter. To commemorate the special day, we’ve rounded up a few of the best interviews featuring the actor.
First up, airing on January 31st, 1999, we have his episode of Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton. Detailing his early life and his family background, it’s a fascinating, rare look at how he came into his profession, his collaborations with Scorsese and much, much more. We’ve also included an interview conducted just a few years prior with Quentin Tarantino upon the release of one of his more under-appreciated films, Jackie Brown. Lastly, they were last seen together in Heat (we’re wiping Righteous Kill from our memory), but in 2008, De Niro teamed with another acting great, Al Pacino, for a 30-minute interview with Brian Williams. Check out everything below.
Update: The Inside the Actors episode has been removed. See the rest below.
What’s your favorite Robert De Niro role?