In a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, iconic actor Robert De Niro revealed some fascinating details about his career and personal life. The chat show provided a platform for De Niro to reflect on his early days in the neighborhood and his friendship with director Martin Scorsese.
De Niro mentioned that he and Scorsese grew up in the same neighborhood, although they frequented different hangout spots. De Niro’s group would occasionally say hello to Scorsese’s clique, but they didn’t interact much beyond that. However, years later, actor Brian De Palma introduced De Niro to Scorsese, leading to a rekindling of their friendship. It was during this reunion that De Niro showed Scorsese his first film.
As the conversation pivoted to discussing De Niro’s work on the classic film Taxi Driver, the talk show host brought up the iconic line, “You talkin’ to me?” Colbert mentioned that there were rumors producers were pressuring Scorsese to cut that scene due to scheduling issues. De Niro confirmed that they were indeed behind schedule and that the producers were banging on the door, demanding that they move forward. However, they managed to buy themselves a few extra minutes, and De Niro improvised the memorable line during that extra take. Little did they know at the time that this improvisation would become one of the most celebrated moments in film history.
Moving on from his film career, De Niro discussed a more recent venture that had made waves on social media. He and his daughter, Franchesca, have been creating TikTok videos together, garnering attention across various platforms. De Niro explained that his daughter would often come up to him and ask him to participate in a TikTok challenge, even though he initially resisted. However, when he finally gave in, their TikToks went viral, even attracting the attention of an Indian filmmaker.
De Niro also shared an amusing anecdote about Franchesca directing him in a TikTok video. He recalled a particularly challenging moment when he was trying to film something for the movie Killers of the Flower Moon. Franchesca approached him with a list of questions about feminine hygiene, making De Niro feel slightly out of his comfort zone. Nonetheless, he gamely answered the questions, which resulted in a hilarious and unexpected TikTok video.
As the interview concluded, De Niro expressed his gratitude for being able to discuss his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, which is now playing in select theaters and streaming globally on Apple TV+. The talk show appearance was yet another unforgettable moment in the illustrious career of this legendary actor.
Catch the full interview with Robert De Niro on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for a closer look into the mind of a Hollywood icon.
