Robert Anthony De Niro Jr., born on August 17, 1943, in Manhattan, New York City, is an American actor, director, and producer.
The son of painters Virginia Admiral and Robert De Niro Sr., he grew up in the Greenwich Village and Little Italy neighborhoods of Manhattan.
His parents, who met at art classes in Provincetown, Massachusetts, divorced when he was two years old after his father came out as gay.
De Niro was raised primarily by his mother, though he maintained a close relationship with his father, who lived nearby.
Of Irish and Italian descent on his father’s side and Dutch, English, French, and German ancestry on his mother’s, De Niro was immersed in a creative environment from a young age.
Nicknamed “Bobby Milk” for his pale complexion, he spent his youth with street kids in Little Italy, some of whom remained lifelong friends.
His passion for acting emerged early, with his stage debut at age 10 as the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz.
Siblings
Robert has two siblings, a brother, John, and a sister, Joan.
However, little public information exists about John and Joan, as they did not pursue careers in the spotlight like their brother.
Career
De Niro’s career spans over five decades, marked by an extraordinary range of roles and collaborations with some of cinema’s greatest directors, particularly Martin Scorsese.
He first gained recognition for his role in Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and solidified his reputation as a volatile, transformative actor in Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973).
His portrayal of a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974) earned him his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, showcasing his ability to embody complex characters with depth and authenticity.
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De Niro’s intense method acting shone in films like Taxi Driver (1976), where he played the iconic Travis Bickle, and Raging Bull (1980), where his transformative performance as boxer Jake LaMotta won him a Best Actor Oscar.
Throughout the 1980s, he explored diverse genres, from the dark comedy The King of Comedy (1982) to the crime epic The Untouchables (1987) and the action-packed Heat (1995).
De Niro also ventured into directing, debuting with A Bronx Tale (1993) and later helming The Good Shepherd (2006).
His later career included polarizing roles in films like Dirty Grandpa (2016) and critically acclaimed performances, such as in The Irishman (2019) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
Accolades
De Niro’s contributions to film have earned him a plethora of accolades, reflecting his profound impact on the industry.
He has won two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather Part II (1974) and Best Actor for Raging Bull (1980).
He received additional Oscar nominations for Taxi Driver (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), Awakenings (1990), Cape Fear (1991), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
De Niro has also been nominated for eight BAFTA Awards and four Emmy Awards, including a nomination for his portrayal of Bernie Madoff in The Wizard of Lies (2017).
His Golden Globe nominations include nods for New York, New York (1977), Midnight Run (1988), Analyze This (1999), and Meet the Parents (2000), and he received the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2011.
Other honors include the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2019, and the Honorary Palme d’Or in 2025.
Six of his films, including The Godfather Part II and Raging Bull, have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry for their cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.
De Niro’s legacy extends beyond acting, as he also established the Tribeca Film Institute and the Robert De Niro Sr. Prize to support mid-career artists, honoring his father’s artistic legacy.
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