Now in his mid-seventies, Robert De Niro is one of the most respected and iconic actors in the business. He made a name for himself playing layered characters operating outside the law, soon becoming associated with films about gangsters and mobsters. But, De Niro has proven that he has versatility as an actor, also taking on roles that are worlds away from his frequent characters.

De Niro’s talent as an actor knows no bounds and his methods for immersing himself in the roles that he takes on prove that he’ll go to every effort to execute a flawless performance. Keep reading to find out 15 things that we didn’t know about some of Robert De Niro’s biggest roles, from the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II to Max Cady in Cape Fear.

15 De Niro And Joaquin Phoenix Clashed On The Set Of Joker Over Their Preferred Filming Processes

robert de niro and joaquin phoenix
Newsweek

In 2019’s Joker, Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro came together to create a masterpiece. But according to IMDb, they clashed when it came time to go through the script. They had differing processes, with De Niro following a more traditional read-through method. However, their disagreement didn’t change the fact that Phoenix regards De Niro as his favorite actor.

14 To Prepare For His Role As The Young Vito Corleone, De Niro Spent Three Months Living In Sicily

robert de niro in the godfather
CNN

Before playing the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II, Robert De Niro spent three months living in Sicily. There, he learned Italian and the Sicilian dialect until he was proficient enough to play the role. Although still Italian, Sicilian is a distinct dialect that can sound very different from other Italian dialects.

13 On The Set Of Meet The Fockers, De Niro Spent A Lot Of Time Bonding With The Twin Boys Who Played His Grandson

robert de niro and child on set of meet the fockers
AoM: Movies et Al

In the Meet the Parents franchise, De Niro portrayed Jack Byrnes, patriarch of the Byrnes family. He is especially close to his grandson, also called Jack. In real life, De Niro spent a lot of time bonding with the twins who played his grandson so their on-screen relationship would seem realistic.

12 De Niro Carried Cat Kibble In His Pockets To Get Mr. Jinx To Cooperate With Him In Meet The Parents

cat in meet the parents
Vulture

During the first Meet the Parents film, De Niro’s character of Jack Byrnes has a close relationship with his cat Mr. Jinx. To get the cat to be comfortable around him, the actor carried cat kibble in all of his pockets. This helped the cat to cooperate with him on set.

11 De Niro Picked Out His Character’s Shirt Collars In Analyze This

Robert De Niro in Analyze This
Slate.com

In Analyze This, also starring Billy Crystal as Dr. Ben Sobel, De Niro plays the gangster Paul Vitti who sees a therapist when he begins having panic attacks. The striking shirt collars used by Vitti and the rest of the men in his crew were picked out by De Niro himself.

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10 While Starring Opposite Joe Pesci In Casino, De Niro Improvised Most Of His Lines

robert de niro in Casino
IMDb

One of De Niro’s frequent screen partners is Joe Pesci. When the two starred in Casino together as gangster friends who become enemies in Las Vegas, director Martin Scorsese had them improvise a lot of their conversations, only giving them direction as to where to begin and end the scene.

9 De Niro Had To Get A Real Commercial Driver’s License To Drive The Buses In A Bronx Tale

Robert De Niro In 'A Bronx Tale'
Closer Weekly

In order to prepare for his role in A Bronx Tale, De Niro had to get a commercial driver’s license, class B, with a passenger endorsement. Without this, he wouldn’t have been able to legally drive the buses. At first, he was turned down by the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority. But the New York City Transport Authority was happy to instruct him.

8 To Get The Creature’s Speech Right In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, De Niro Studied Stroke Victims

robert de niro In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Bloody Disgusting

De Niro is almost unrecognizable in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, where he plays The Creature. In preparation for this challenging role, De Niro studied stroke victims so he could master the effect of speech that struggles to come out. He also went through hours of makeup to transform into the fearsome character.

RELATED: The Top 20 Most Dramatic Actor Transformations For A Role

7 The Tattoos De Niro Wore As Max Cady Were Drawn Using Vegetable Dye

Robert De Niro In cape fear
Pinterest

Known for playing gangsters, De Niro is also convincing as psychopathic villains like Cape Fear’s Max Cady. Along with going on a strict diet to reduce his body fat, De Niro was tattooed with vegetable dyes so he wouldn’t have to go through hours of makeup every day. These faded after a few months.

6 While Making Goodfellas, De Niro Called The Real Henry Hill Many Times A Day To Get Notes About The Character Of Jimmy

robert de niro in goodfellas
The Independent

De Niro is the type of actor who goes to every effort to ensure that his portrayals are authentic. While making Goodfellas, he reportedly rang the real Henry Hill up to eight times a day to find out information about his character, Jimmy. He wanted to know every detail, including how the character would hold his cigarette.

5 De Niro Came Up With The Idea Of Jack Walsh Constantly Checking His Watch In Midnight Run

Robert De Niro In Midnight Run
IMDb

In Midnight Run, De Niro plays the law enforcer instead of the criminal for a change. His character, Jack Walsh, can be seen constantly checking his watch and this is a character quirk that De Niro himself came up with while plotting out the character’s backstory. This is further testament to the effort De Niro goes to for every role.

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4 To Prepare For The Role Of Jake Lamotta In Raging Bull, De Niro Entered Real-Life Boxing Tournaments

robert de niro in Raging Bull
Entertainment Weekly

Sometimes, an actor has to go to extreme lengths to prepare for a role. While getting ready to play Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, De Niro actually entered three genuine boxing matches in Brooklyn, after going through extensive training first. He was adequately prepared, even winning two of them.

3 De Niro Was Only Paid $35,000 For His Role In Taxi Driver

robert de niro In Taxi Driver
Screen Rant

The role of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver is one of the most iconic of Robert De Niro’s career. But because he accepted it before he had become an established star, he was only paid $35,000 to portray the infamous character. During filming, he won an Oscar for his role in The Godfather: Part II, but the original contract was not changed.

2 To Achieve The Look Of Max Cady, De Niro Paid Over $25,000 In Dental Work

Robert De Niro In cape fear on the phone
Taste of Cinema

To really instill as much fear as possible in the audience while playing Max Cady, De Niro paid a dentist to make his perfect teeth look neglected. This cost him $5,000. When filming finished and De Niro had to return to the rest of his career, he paid the dentist $20,000 to fix them again.

1 De Niro Recorded His Lines For Shark Tale With His Co-Stars Present

Robert De Niro in Shark Tale
IMDb

In order to provide the voice for Don Lino in Shark Tale, Robert De Niro joined forces with the rest of the all-star cast and recorded his lines with the other actors present in the studio. His co-stars included Will Smith, Jack Black, Renee Zellweger, and his old friend, Martin Scorsese.

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