De Niro, Robert (1943- )

US actor. He has frequently appeared in the works of the film-maker Martin Scorsese; for example, Taxi Driver (1976). He won Academy Awards for his performances in The Godfather Part II (1974) and Raging Bull (1980), in which he played a boxer struggling to control his emotional aggression. He is known for his portrayal of violent characters and total immersion in his roles.

Born in New York City, De Niro's first critical success was Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and in the same year he began his long association with Scorsese in Mean Streets. It was his role in Francis Coppola's The Godfather Part II which cemented his reputation as a powerful method actor. In 1988 he founded a production company, Tribeca Films, based in New York City. He made his directorial debut with A Bronx Tale in 1993.

His magnetism and physical presence can also be seen in, among others, The Deer Hunter (1978), The Untouchables (1987), GoodFellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Casino (1995), and Heat (1995). From the late 1990s he made a number of successful lightweight comedies, such as Analyse This (1999), Meet the Parents (2000), Showtime (2002), and City by the Sea (2002).