Robert De Niro's Insane Method Acting
by The-Social-Introvert | created - 14 Sep 2015 | updated - 30 Oct 2015 | PublicOver the years Robert De Niro has build a reputation for himself for carrying out heavy research, almost to the point of obsession, in preparation for film roles
Which of the following movies do you feel he put in the most amount of effort for?
Discuss the list here
See also: Daniel Day Lewis' Insane Method Acting
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1. The Godfather Part II (1974)
R | 202 min | Crime, Drama
The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Votes: 1,359,015 | Gross: $57.30M
He lived in Sicily for three to four months, learning the local language and way of life.
2. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 916,555 | Gross: $28.26M
He got a cab licence and worked for fifteen hours a day for a month as a taxi driver in order to get into the right frame of mind. He also heavily studied mental illnesses.
3. New York, New York (1977)
PG | 155 min | Drama, Music, Musical
An egotistical saxophonist and a young lounge singer meet on VJ Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long, uphill climb.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Lionel Stander, Barry Primus
Votes: 21,800 | Gross: $16.40M
He learned to play the saxophone to authenticate his performance.
4. The Deer Hunter (1978)
R | 183 min | Drama, War
An in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of several friends in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania.
Director: Michael Cimino | Stars: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage
Votes: 361,063 | Gross: $48.98M
Insisted that a live round was put into the gun during the famous Russian roulette scene. (It was checked, however, to ensure the bullet would not be in the chamber when the trigger was pulled).
5. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 378,952 | Gross: $23.38M
He gained a then-record of 60 pounds to play the older Jake LaMotta after having gone through intense physical training in order gain the muscle mass to play the younger LaMotta. He also trained as a boxer with the real Jake LaMotta (as many as one thousand rounds) and took place in three professional fights, winning two.
6. Brazil (1985)
R | 132 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond
Votes: 210,753 | Gross: $9.93M
His need for obsessively researching for his relatively minor role was so frustrating to director Terry Gilliam that Gilliam “wanted to strangle him.”
7. The Untouchables (1987)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
During Prohibition, Treasury agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone, and assembles a small, incorruptible team to help him.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Charles Martin Smith
Votes: 329,789 | Gross: $76.27M
He tracked down Al Capone’s original tailors and asked them to make him identical clothing for the film. He also insisted that he work the same style of silk underwear that Capone wore, even though these are never shown on screen.
8. Midnight Run (1988)
R | 126 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A bounty hunter pursues a former Mafia accountant who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter, the F.B.I., and his old mob boss after jumping bail.
Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton
Votes: 93,967 | Gross: $38.41M
He spend time with real life bounty hunters as part of his preparation.
9. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,252,112 | Gross: $46.84M
He phoned Henry Hill several times a day in order to discuss aspects of his character, from his posture to how he holds his cigarette.
10. Awakenings (1990)
PG-13 | 121 min | Biography, Drama
The victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years ago have been catatonic ever since, but now a new drug offers the prospect of reviving them.
Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson
Votes: 157,960 | Gross: $52.10M
He spent an extended amount of time in Sacks hospital observing patients in order to perfect his character’s disorder.
11. Cape Fear (1991)
R | 128 min | Crime, Thriller
A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 215,774 | Gross: $79.10M
He took a tape recorder and extracts of the movie’s script to southern towns and asked locals to read lines so that he could perfect his accent. He also did intense physical training for the role, reportedly taking his body fat level down to 3% He paid a dentist $5000 to make his teeth look bad, and then paid $20,000 to have them repaired.
12. Being Flynn (2012)
R | 102 min | Drama
Working in a Boston homeless shelter, Nick Flynn re-encounters his father, a con man and self-proclaimed poet. Sensing trouble in his own life, Nick wrestles with the notion of reaching out yet again to his dad.
Director: Paul Weitz | Stars: Paul Dano, Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore, Olivia Thirlby
Votes: 17,825 | Gross: $0.53M
He spent nights on the streets to get the feel of a homeless man. His look was so authentic that he was denied permission into his own hotel.
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