Robert De Niro was born on August 17, 1943, in Manhattan, New York City, United States. He is the son of artists Robert De Niro Sr., a painter and sculptor, and Virginia Admiral, a poet and painter. Born as Robert Anthony De Niro, he experienced his parents’ separation at the age of three when his father came out as gay. During this transition, De Niro briefly lived with his grandparents, who had him secretly baptized as a Catholic, despite neither parent being religious.
De Niro attended several schools in New York City, including PS 41, Little Red School House, Elisabeth Irwin High School, and the High School of Music & Art. He later enrolled at McBurney School and Rhodes Preparatory School. At the age of 16, he dropped out of formal education to pursue acting. He trained at the Stella Adler Conservatory and later at Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio, both of which are known for their rigorous focus on method acting.
De Niro made his film debut in 1965 with The Wedding Party, released in 1969. His breakthrough came with roles in Bloody Mama (1970), Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), and Mean Streets (1973), which marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration with director Martin Scorsese.
He portrayed a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974), directed by Francis Ford Coppola, a performance that earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This role made him, alongside Marlon Brando, one of only two actors to win an Oscar for portraying the same character.
De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his intense portrayal of boxer Jake LaMotta in Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980). His commitment to authenticity became a hallmark; for this role, he underwent extensive boxing training and gained significant weight to portray LaMotta later in life.
In 1976, he starred in The Last Tycoon, a lesser-known film that nonetheless drew praise for De Niro’s performance. He continued to demonstrate versatility with roles in The Deer Hunter (1978), Brazil (1985), Midnight Run (1988), Analyze This (1999), Meet the Parents (2000), and its sequel Meet the Fockers (2004).
In 1997, he was honored with a Special Prize for his contribution to cinema at the 20th Moscow International Film Festival.
| Net Worth 2021: | 500 million |
