Robert De Niro, who is thought of as one of the greatest actors of his time, was born in New York City in 1943 to two artists. He was trained at the Stella Adler Conservatory and the American Workshop. He first gained fame for his role in Bang the Drum Slowly, but he gained his reputation as a volatile actor in Mean Streets, which was his first film with director Martin Scorsese. In 1974 De Niro received an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in The Godfather: Part II and received Academy Award nomations for best actor in Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, and Cape Fear. He won the best actor award in 1980 for Raging Bull. De Niro currently heads his own production company, Tribeca Film Center, and made his directorial debut in 1993 with A Bronx Tale.


Little Fockers (2010): $20,000,000
Stone (2010): $2,500,000
Meet the Fockers (2004): $20,000,000
Analyze That (2002): $20,000,000
Showtime (2002): $17,500,000
The Score (2001): $15,000,000
Meet the Parents (2000): $13,500,000
Analyze This (1999): $8,000,000
Ronin (1998): $14,000,000
Sleepers (1996): $6,000,000
The Last Tycoon (1976): $200,000 + percentage of gross
Taxi Driver (1976): $35,000
The Wedding Party (1969): $50

After marrying African-American Diahnne Abbott he adopted her daughter 'Drena De Niro', Abbott's daughter from her previous marriage. Drena refuses to identify her biological father. He also has son Raphael De Niro with Abbott. He married his second wife Grace Hightower in 1997 and she gave birth to their son, Elliot De Niro on March 18, 1998. In 1999 he renewed his marriage vows to Grace at their Ulster County farm near New York's Catskill Mountains, but later in the year he filed for divorce. Their fallout continued into 2001 as a potential custody battle over their son Elliott heated up. However, the divorce was never finalized and they managed to smooth over their troubles. Growing up in the Little Italy section of New York City, his nickname was "Bobby Milk" because he was so thin and as pale as milk. Son of painter Virginia Admiral and abstract expressionist Robert De Niro Sr. Despite being raised Presbyterian, Virginia was an atheist for most of Robert's childhood. Robert Sr was raised Catholic but was not religious in any way. After De Niro was born, his father Robert Sr came out as a homosexual male and eventually divorced Robert's mother. In his 1980 Oscar acceptance speech he thanked Joey LaMotta (brother of Jake LaMotta), who was at the time suing United Artists for the portrayal of him in Raging Bull (1980). Although he is commonly referred to as an Italian-American actor, De Niro is actually one-quarter Italian in ancestry. His father was half-Irish and half- Italian. His mother was of French, Dutch and German ancestry. He was, however, quite close to his Italian paternal grandfather, whom Robert visited frequently in Syracuse, NY when he was young. De Niro has stated that he identifies "more with [his] Italian side". Inducted into the Italian-American Hall of Fame in 2002. He first discovered his love for acting at age 10 when he portrayed The Cowardly Lion in a local production of "The Wizard of Oz." He dropped out of high school to join a gang. Three movies (at least) that De Niro has appeared in have the song "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones noticeably featured in the soundtrack - - The Fan (1996), Casino (1995) and Goodfellas (1990). In 1993 he was tapped to star as Enzo Ferrari in the film "Ferrari", which was budgeted at $65 million (U.S.) and had Michael Mann attached as director. The project fell through. Has said that Meryl Streep is his favorite actress to work with. British pop group Bananarama had a hit song dedicated to him called "Robert De Niro's Waiting." De Niro heard about it and arranged to meet the three girls, but they got so nervous, while waiting for him, that they got drunk before he even arrived. Spent four months learning to speak the Sicilian dialect in order to play Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II (1974). Nearly all the dialogue that his character spoke in the movie was in Sicilian. According to a profile in Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue, is the first actor to do a method interpretation of a cartoon character as Fearless Leader in The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000). Was in Ossining, New York (home of the infamous Sing Sing penitentiary) to shoot three different movies: Analyze This (1999), Analyze That (2002) and Hide and Seek (2005). Was voted the Number 2 greatest movie star of all time in a Channel 4 (UK) poll, narrowly being beaten by Al Pacino. He was voted the 34th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Finley Quaye mentions him in the song "Sunday Shining", in the line "I'm a hero like Robert De Niro". Was good friends with comedian John Belushi, who died of a drug overdose on March 5, 1982. In fact, De Niro and Robin Williams were the last stars to see Belushi alive, albeit on separate visits to Bungalow #3 of L.A.'s Chateau Marmont hotel that fateful day. De Niro visited Belushi at 3:00 am on the morning of his death, but, according to eyewitnesses, left minutes later after seeing that Belushi was ill. Less than an hour earlier, Belushi had been visited by Robin Williams, who also left straight away. At the age of 17, after leaving the movies with a friend, he unexpectedly stated that he was going to be a film actor. No one believed him until he dropped out of his senior year of high school and joined Stella Adler's acting school. Rarely does interviews and is known as one of the most ultra-private celebrities. He was the subject of a late 90s interview (and cover photo) for Esquire magazine. Most of the article focused on how guarded he is with his personal life, what few details are known about him, what rumors are speculated while only a minority of the article dealt with the actual interview itself. The writer noted that while the interview was ultimately agreed upon, he was given a substantial list of off-limit subjects NOT to ask De Niro about. They included: politics, religion, his family, his reported interest in fine wines, and so on. He and Martin Scorsese were brought up blocks apart in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan, but never formally met when they were young. When introduced at a party in 1972, the two came to realize that they had seen each other many times but had never spoken. Very good friends with fellow actor and frequent co-star Joe Pesci. In fact, De Niro was considered for the role of Harry in Home Alone (1990) that went Pesci. Both of his Oscar-winning performances involved Marlon Brando. His first Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor, had him playing the younger version of Brando's character Vito Corleone. His second, for Best Actor in Raging Bull (1980), he recited Brando's famous lines from On the Waterfront (1954). Is left handed. However, he wrote with his right hand in Taxi Driver (1976). Shares a birthday with friend and sometime-co-star Sean Penn. He is a staunch supporter of the US Democratic Party. He lobbied Congress against impeaching President Bill Clinton in 1998. He supported Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election and supported John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election. Supported Democratic senator Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential election. His performance as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976) is ranked #42 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). Early on, before Tim Burton was commissioned as director, was considered for the role of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Turned down the role of Tony D'Amato in Any Given Sunday (1999). After Once Upon a Time in America (1984), director Sergio Leone planning to cast De Niro in a film he was working on about the siege of Leningrad in World War II, but that project never came about due to Leone's death in 1989. Accidentally broke a rib of Joe Pesci in a sparring scene in Raging Bull (1980). This shot appears in the film: De Niro hits Pesci in the side, Pesci groans, and there is a quick cut to another angle. Owns residences on the east and west sides of Manhattan as well as near Marbletown, New York. Played a real life CIA director in "The Good Shepherd" (2006) and another real life CIA agent in "Ronin" (1998), as well as fictional CIA agent in "Meet the Parents" (2000). Attended the star-studded opening of Dubai's lavish Atlantis Palms resort. Guests were welcomed in style with a display of one million fireworks, said to be visible from space. [November 11, 2008] Made his directorial debut in A Bronx Tale (1993). He based the movement of his character Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976) on that of a crab. He thought the character was indirect and tended to shift from side to side. Was cited as one of the most promising movie personalities of 1973 in John Willis' 1974 Film Annual "Screen World" book. Mentioned in Jay-Z's and Alicia Keys' song "Empire of State". He studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.