Thursday, November 1, 2007

Robert De Niro--The Greatest Living Movie Icon Of The Past Fourty years

During the past 40 years thousands of actors have come and gone. Some were good and a few were in the wrong line of work. But what makes an actor a great movie icon in his own life time? Robert De Niro just happens to be such a person.

See how much you can learn about actor when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information.

The most celebrated American film actor of his era, Robert De Niro won an Oscar as best supporting actor for The Godfather, Part II in 1974. Over the next few decades he became known for his intense portrayals of mobsters, tough guys, loners and other types.

Born august 17th, 1943 in New York City, His ancestry - strangely, given his cinematic connection with the Mafia - is more Irish than Italian. His parents were both respected artists. His father, Robert Sr, was a painter, sculptor and poet, an abstract expressionist by style. His mother, Virginia Admiral was also a painter.

Robert Jr caught the acting bug early, appearing as The Cowardly Lion in a local production of The Wizard Of Oz at the age of 10. His first break came in 1963 when he appeared in the Wedding Party. [Which was released in 1969]

De Niro entered his most demanding period of work, landing himself an exceptional series of unforgettable roles. First he played the young Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part 2, taking the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his efforts (he and Brando are the only actors to have both won Oscars for the same role).

Then he was back with Scorsese as the unforgettable vigilante Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. He played Monroe Stahr, the big-time Hollywood producer looking for love in The Last Tycoon, and starred in Bertolucci's unmoving epic 1900. And one of my favorites the "Deer Hunter". Having been Oscar-nominated for Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter (he'd later also be nominated for Cape Fear and Awakenings). He finally took Best Actor for his depiction of boxer Jake La Motta in Scorsese's Raging Bull, a role for which he actually put on 60 pounds.

In the next couple of decades he steadily enhanced his reputation. He was fantastic as Rupert Pupkin, the crazy funnyman kidnapping Jerry Lewis in "King Of Comedy", unforgettable as a baseball-bat-wielding Al Capone in the "Untouchables" in 1978.He also stared as Louis Cyphre in Angel Heart. Then there were excellent oddities like The Mission, Terry Gilliam's Brazil and the ludicrouslycomedy Midnight Run. He hit it big again with Scorsese in "Goodfellas, as the demeaning Max Cady in Cape Fear, and as the Joe Pesci tormented Ace Rothstein in Casino.And what about "Ronin"?

He gave a stunning performance as a conservative security guard who has to endure speech therapy with a transvestite after suffering a stroke. Then came The Adventures ofRocky and Bullwinkle. With Men Of Honor, where he played an alcoholic raciest who had to train Cuba Gooding to be the first African American navy diver. A Golden Globe nominee in "Meet The PARENTS".

And the hits just keep on coming in "15 Minutes","The Score","Showtime","City By The Sea","Analyze with Billy Crystal, "Godsend""Meet The Fockers that broke both Christmas and New Years records at the box office."The Bridge Of San Luis Rey""Hide And Seek"

No wonder that De Niro is an icon in the movie world. And the one important thing that he has always done is to keep his private life absolutely quiet. He has been married twice.He has one adopoted daughter Drena and 3 sons. Aaron,Julian[twins] and Elliot.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of actors. Share your new understanding about actors with others. They'll thank you for it.

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