Robert De Niro is considered one of the greatest actors of all time. Many of his memorable roles include those in The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Deer Hunter.
Born on August 17, 1943, this New Yorker studied acting since his childhood, eventually training under Stella Adler and Lee Strasburg. De Niro spent most of the 1960s in theater workshops and off-Broadway plays, and first acted on film in The Wedding Party, which was shot in 1963 but was only released in 1969. His official film debut was the 1968 film Greetings, directed by Brian de Palma, who also directed him on The Wedding Party.
Robert De Niro’s performance as a dying Major League baseball player in the 1973 film Bang the Drums Slowly earned him praise from audiences. In the same year, he started his long-time collaboration with director Martin Scorsese, in the film Mean Streets. In 1974, De Niro played the role of a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, earning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1976, De Niro appeared in his most important film, Taxi Driver. His role as Travis Bickle, a taxi driver who is deranged by his depression, shot him to fame, and earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards. He won a Best Actor Oscar for his 1980 film Raging Bull.
Robert De Niro’s collaboration with Martin Scorsese extended with films such as 1977’s New York, New York, 1983’s The King of Comedy, 1990’s Goodfellas, 1991’s Cape Fear, and 1995’s Casino. He also starred in films like The Deer Hunter; Midnight Run; The Fan; Awakenings, opposite Robin Williams; and Heat, opposite Al Pacino.
He has also directed two films: 1993’s A Bronx Tale, and 2006’s The Good Shepherd, which stars Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. He has also contributed his voice to the animated feature Shark Tale.