I’ve recently unintentionally stumbled across several Robert DeNiro movies that inspired me to learn a little more about him. I’m not usually one to find interest in an actor since my heroes typically come from sports, but I’m impressed with the variety of roles he plays. We finally got back to the theater yesterday, guilty about not taking full advantage of our Regal annual passes. With all due respect, there haven’t been many movies of late that have stirred my curiosity. My wife wanted to see De Niro’s About My Father and I wasn’t sure quite what to expect after seeing Bad Grandpa. It was De Niro at his worst, seemingly desperate for a role. Amsterdam was also not an impressive performance in my opinion. On the other hand, About My Father was surprisingly good with emotions ranging from laughter to tears.  

A few weeks ago, I bought Bang the Drum Slowly on Netflix after a review mentioned it was one of the best baseball movies ever made. I wouldn’t go that far but was surprised to find out it was one of the roles that vaulted De Niro into the Hollywood spotlight back in 1973, along with Mean Streets, his first collaboration with Martin Scorsese. From then on, it’s been hit after acclaimed hit, starting with “Godfather Part II  (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), The Deer Hunter(1978), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Brazil (1985), The Mission (1986),  Midnight Run  (1988), Goodfellas (1990),  Casino (1995), Heat (1995), Meet the Parents (2000), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and The Irishman (2019). “

Also according to Wikipedia, “De Niro has won two Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Raging Bull and a Cecil B. DeMille Award for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment”. He was also the 56th recipient of Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award; Leonardo DiCaprio, who co-starred with De Niro in This Boy’s Life, presented him the award, citing him as an inspiration and influence.” 

“In 2009, he received the Kennedy Center Honor and earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016.”

Adding to these accolades, Robert DeNiro has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following performances:

  • 47th Academy Awards (1974): Best Supporting Actor, win, for The Godfather Part II
  • 49th Academy Awards (1976): Best Actor, nomination, for Taxi Driver
  • 51st Academy Awards (1978): Best Actor, nomination, for The Deer Hunter
  • 53rd Academy Awards (1980): Best Actor, win, for Raging Bull
  • 63rd Academy Awards (1990): Best Actor, nomination, for Awakenings
  • 64th Academy Awards (1991): Best Actor, nomination, for Cape Fear
  • 85th Academy Awards (2013): Best Supporting Actor, nomination, for Silver Linings Playbook
  • 92nd Academy Awards(2020): Best Picture, nomination, for The Irishman

“Also known for his television roles, De Niro, with the distinctive mole on his right cheek, portrayed Bernie Madoff in HBO’s The Wizard of Lies (2017), earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, and an Emmy Award nomination for producing the Netflix limited series, When They See Us (2019) and for portraying Robert Mueller on Saturday Night Live.” Other notable roles include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Wag the Dog (1997), Analyze This (1999), The Good Shepherd (2006), The Intern (2015), Joker (2019), and he directed A Bronx Tale (1993). 

I may have to take some time and go back through some of these classics, similar with what I did with all the James Bond movies when I initially retired. I’m also looking forward to rewatching Father of the Bride Part 3 and some of his upcoming work, Killers of the Flower Moon, Nada, Zero Day, and Wise Guys.