Robert De Niro is one of the most legendary actors in film history. His roles in films like Taxi Driver, The Godfather Part II, and Goodfellas helped make him a movie star. He has reached such a level of fame and reverence that most interviewers would be honored to sit down with him.

However, that doesn't mean that the experience will be a positive one. Over the years, De Niro has developed a reputation as a terrible guest on talk shows. He is known to say very little and give one-word answers. Hosts such as Jimmy Fallon and Graham Norton have attested to this.

One of the hosts De Niro regularly visits is Stephen Colbert. With De Niro's reputation in mind, Colbert decided to turn the tables on the actor. The results were both funny and awkward.

Jimmy Fallon Said Robert De Niro Was The 'Most Awkward' Interview He's Ever Done

In 2011, Fallon appeared on Watch What Happens Live and was asked by a caller what his most awkward interview was. Fallon said it was De Niro and mentioned it was the first interview he ever did for The Late Show.

Since Fallon had not yet started his own late night career, there was a risk attached to being one of his first guests. Fallon talked about how he wanted someone A-list to be his first guest. However, publicists of A-list stars often shy away from a brand-new talk show.

"So I was like, ‘I want to get somebody A-list,’ and I want someone in New York," Fallon explained. "And here’s the coolness of Robert De Niro, he didn’t have a movie coming out, had nothing to promote, he said, ‘Absolutely, yes’, as soon as I asked him."

However, Fallon would soon experience firsthand just how difficult it was to interview De Niro. Fallon explained that De Niro would give one-word answers to his questions the entire time.

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"It’s flop sweat coming down my face," Fallon said. "My hair looked like it had a comb-over…At one point I was delirious, I couldn’t even see him…I was just getting loopy, but he’s the best."

Related: Robert De Niro Paid His Nanny Over $46 An Hour For Overtime Work, But Was Still Sued By Her For Thousands Due To Lack Of Compensation

In 2015, De Niro made an appearance on The Tonight Show when Fallon officially began hosting. During the chat, Fallon reminded De Niro of the interview and Fallon apologized for the way he handled it.

"I gotta say, I had no idea what I was doing," Fallon told De Niro. "I ran out of questions to ask you because you don’t even like doing talk shows that much."

Graham Norton Once Said Robert De Niro Was The Worst Guest On His Show

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Norton has been a staple of UK television for decades. His famous chat show now attracts viewers from all around the world thanks to YouTube. His style of interviewing involves getting a bunch of celebrities sitting on the same couch. Norton usually asks them questions one at a time. However, this can make for some brilliant interactions between the celebrity guests.

Related: Robert De Niro's Gave His Ex-Wife A Monthly Allowance After His Restaurant Chain Took A Massive Financial Hit

However, this can also make for some awkward moments as well. This is something Norton reflected on when speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Norton revealed that De Niro was the worst guest he ever interviewed on his show.

"He’s not a storyteller, or very verbal," Norton said. "He’s a benign presence. Last time he started telling a story – he went on and on. We were all leaning in, willing it to be amazing... then he finally went, ‘why am I telling this?’ Nobody had an answer. We cut it."

Stephen Colbert Gives Robert De Niro A Taste Of His Own Medicine

De Niro has made several appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert over the years. In one appearance, De Niro even revealed that he suggested casting Ray Liotta in Goodfellas when speaking to director Martin Scorsese.

"I told Marty (Scorsese) I saw him in the Jonathan Demme film [Something Wild]," De Niro said. "I said 'This guy, you should look at him, he's terrific in the movie.' How much that was an influence on Marty, I don't know, but that's what I said."

"He just had a great quality," De Niro said of Liotta. "He was right for the part if you want to cast it that way. Marty had seen people, I don't know who, but I know he went through everybody, and chose Ray so that was great."

Colbert seemed to figure out how to get more out of De Niro than other hosts. However, Colbert was still aware of De Niro's reputation as a guest. Therefore, while De Niro was promoting The Irishman, Colbert decided to turn the tables on the actor.

Related: Stephen Colbert Handled An Awkward Interview Like A Pro In His Most-Watched Youtube Video Of All Time

Colbert asked De Niro to switch places with him, with De Niro sitting in the hosts' chair. This was a spot De Niro previously occupied in the Joker film. Colbert instructed De Niro to ask him a series of questions as a host.

However, as De Niro asked the questions, Colbert gave short, one-word answers. This clearly frustrated De Niro, but it also made him laugh. De Niro was clearly amused by the situation, but it became clear how difficult it was to interview him.