Robert De Niro

Biography: A legendary actor who will forever be associated with some of the greatest films ever made, Robert De Niro has assured his place in entertainment history.
Born in Greenwich Village to artistically inclined parents, De Niro discovered his love of acting at the age of ten years old when he played the Cowardly Lion in a local production of The Wizard of Oz. Robert dropped out of high school when he was sixteen years old to study theatre at the Stella Adler Conservatory. After cutting his acting teeth in several off-Broadway plays, he was cast by upcoming director Brian De Palma for his film, The Wedding Party. Although the film was shot in 1963, it was only released in 1969. In the meantime, De Niro continued to hone his acting skills on stage.
After several minor films, Robert co-starred in the baseball c, Bang the Drum Slowly alongside Michael Moriarty in 1973. Later that same year, he collaborated for the first time with director Martin Scorsese in the crime-drama Mean Streets. The relationship between De Niro and Scorsese would become one of the most successful actor/director pairing of all time, leading to a total of eight highly acclaimed film efforts, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and the unforgettable Goodfellas.
After learning many of the cinematic "tricks of the trade" from Scorsese and having a creative eye of his own, De Niro tried his hand at directing himself. His first effort, A Bronx Tale, saw him divide his attention behind and in front of the camera. The result was a well received and commercially successful film which he referred to as his proudest professional achievement. Although his effort was a resounding success, Robert found the pressures involved in directing a major motion picture was far greater than acting in one. He said that he would not be in any hurry to try his hand at directing again anytime soon. He was true to his word. His second directorial effort came thirteen years after A Bronx Tale. When The Good Sheppard was released in 2006, it was met with good but not stellar reviews.
A very private man in his personal life, he usually shuns the limelight. He will lend his name to draw attention to causes he feels are worthwhile, such as the 9/11 documentary (which he narrated) or to help the political campaigns of people he feels strongly about, such as former Vice-President Al Gore in 2000 and Senator Barack Obama in 2008.
He and his second wife, Grace Hightower, live in Manhattan with their son, Elliot (born in 1998). Robert has several other children by previous relationships. With his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, he has a son, Raphael, and an adoptive daughter, Drena. He also has twin sons, Julian Henry and Aaron Kendrick with his former girlfriend, Toukie Smith.… Expand