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De Niro: A Life
Everyone believes that Robert De Niro is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, actors of all time. His performances, particularly in the first 20 years of his career, are unparalleled. The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull-all dazzled moviegoers-a talent the likes of which we have rarely or never seen. Yet so little is known about De Niro-he is an intensely private man, whose rare public appearances are often marked by inarticulateness and all-around awkwardness. It can be almost painful to watch at times, in such contrast to his on-screen personae. In this elegant and compelling biography, Shawn Levy writes of these many De Niros-of the characters, and of the man, seeking to understand an evolution of an actor who once used roles to hide the nature of his real life, and who now turns down those parts, instead to play characters who possess little challenge to his overwhelming talent. From De Niro's roots as the child of artists (often called Bobby Milk for his pasty complexion) to his marriages and life as a father, restauranteur, and philanthropist, and of course to his current movie career, Levy has written a biography that reads like a novel of a character whose inner turmoil takes him to heights of artistry. Among the many who have been key players in his career are the likes of Martin Scorcese, Francis Ford Coppola, Meryl Streep, John Cazale, and countless others who appear in the book.
608 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2014
161 people are currently reading
1301 people want to read
About the author
Shawn Levy
14 books183 followersShawn Levy is the author of eleven books of biography, pop culture history, and poetry. The former film critic of The Oregonian and KGW-TV and a former editor of American Film, he has been published in Sight and Sound, Film Comment, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Black Rock Beacon, among many other outlets. He jumps and claps and sings for victory in Portland, Oregon, where he serves on the board of directors of Operation Pitch Invasion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
September 12, 2014
De Niro: A Biography by Shawn Levy is an interesting book for someone who likes movies, who is interested about the different styles of acting, who wants to know how much work actors, directors, producers and other staff puts into making a movie, who likes to read about how movies where made in '60 and how they are made now.
It was really good and informative book about Robert De Niro, about his childhood, about his parents, his contemporaries, his families and children. I really liked how in the beginning there are some deeper insights into other actors, directors upbringing and their career and how they influenced or were influenced by De Niro.
Although I know who Robert De Niro is (who wouldn't?) but reading this book made me realize I haven't actually seen the movies that made him famous. My firs memories about him starting with Once Up On Time in America (we called it Thrice in America, since in Europe was shown the uncut version all those years ago and the movie was three hours long:)) but I had never seen the Mean Streets or Taxy Driver or Raging Pull or 1900 .... After reading the book I'm trying to remedy this mistake and I'll watch all the classics.
When in the beginning there where extra info about the people he has been close with, which I really liked, then closer to the end there where extra info about things I do not want to read in somebodies biography - about some robbers that wanted to get rich easy and some information I consider to personal, to read minute description. Just a mention would have been enough on both cases and more time should have been spent on the recent year's movies, even if they have not been as good as the movies that he has done in the past.
Another thing that really started to bother me in the last chapters was that everything about De Niro was in past tense - he was and he did - he still is and he still does and will continue hopefully for a long time.
All in all, it's a good book for somebody who knows the actor De Niro, who loves movies and who is interested to know more (not about the gossip, but about the actor) about one of the movie icons of our time. I just wish that the ending could have been in present tense.
It was really good and informative book about Robert De Niro, about his childhood, about his parents, his contemporaries, his families and children. I really liked how in the beginning there are some deeper insights into other actors, directors upbringing and their career and how they influenced or were influenced by De Niro.
Although I know who Robert De Niro is (who wouldn't?) but reading this book made me realize I haven't actually seen the movies that made him famous. My firs memories about him starting with Once Up On Time in America (we called it Thrice in America, since in Europe was shown the uncut version all those years ago and the movie was three hours long:)) but I had never seen the Mean Streets or Taxy Driver or Raging Pull or 1900 .... After reading the book I'm trying to remedy this mistake and I'll watch all the classics.
When in the beginning there where extra info about the people he has been close with, which I really liked, then closer to the end there where extra info about things I do not want to read in somebodies biography - about some robbers that wanted to get rich easy and some information I consider to personal, to read minute description. Just a mention would have been enough on both cases and more time should have been spent on the recent year's movies, even if they have not been as good as the movies that he has done in the past.
Another thing that really started to bother me in the last chapters was that everything about De Niro was in past tense - he was and he did - he still is and he still does and will continue hopefully for a long time.
All in all, it's a good book for somebody who knows the actor De Niro, who loves movies and who is interested to know more (not about the gossip, but about the actor) about one of the movie icons of our time. I just wish that the ending could have been in present tense.
January 28, 2015
Two interesting things I learned about De Niro were that while he plays a convincing Mafiosa, he would never be a “made man” (only ¼ Italian and culturally more Bohemian NYC than ethnic) and a lot of his films lost money… a lot of money… even award winning films.
The first part, the description of De Niro’s childhood, pulls you in. He lives with his artist, poet, activist, typing and real estate entrepreneur mother and visits his father (a credible, but mostly starving artist) in his nearby studio.
As he becomes an actor you see how De Niro’s single minded devotion to his craft (like his father before him) runs from collecting costumes to sculpting his body into a role, most famously, Jake LaMotta’s fighting body and then its dissipation. De Niro’s attention to detail is enormous. His learning Sicilian is just one preparatory element as he studies Brando’s “Godfather” to bring the character backward in time. He records and practices regional dialects for US roles. He learns to play the saxophone and studies everything from horseback riding to prison culture, to cop culture, to the mentally ill and illiterate for his roles. For the role of Al Capone, Capone’s tailor was enlisted to make suits and De Niro wore Capone’s style of underwear.
There are interesting stories about how some of the films were made and not made. Some of the roles were filled with people merely glimpsed and brought in for screen tests. There are De Niro and Scorsese family members in background scenes. There is the “discovery” of the boy actor: Leonardo DiCaprio.
Because the book is like an annotated filmography, the last third or so of the book is not as strong as the first reflecting De Niro lesser creative choices.
De Niro is famously elusive, shunning interviews and his public speeches are noticeably terse. Much of his personal life comes from public records, such real estate transactions, messy child custody/divorce actions; his potential use of a prostitute; contract performance insurance related to his prostate cancer; large thefts (the owner of the gallery where his father sold his paintings stole $2+ million of them) and small thefts (the housekeeper taking jewelry and clothing), and more.
There are other bios of De Niro. I don’t know how this one stacks up. If you want to learn of De Niro through his films, this is the book for you.
The first part, the description of De Niro’s childhood, pulls you in. He lives with his artist, poet, activist, typing and real estate entrepreneur mother and visits his father (a credible, but mostly starving artist) in his nearby studio.
As he becomes an actor you see how De Niro’s single minded devotion to his craft (like his father before him) runs from collecting costumes to sculpting his body into a role, most famously, Jake LaMotta’s fighting body and then its dissipation. De Niro’s attention to detail is enormous. His learning Sicilian is just one preparatory element as he studies Brando’s “Godfather” to bring the character backward in time. He records and practices regional dialects for US roles. He learns to play the saxophone and studies everything from horseback riding to prison culture, to cop culture, to the mentally ill and illiterate for his roles. For the role of Al Capone, Capone’s tailor was enlisted to make suits and De Niro wore Capone’s style of underwear.
There are interesting stories about how some of the films were made and not made. Some of the roles were filled with people merely glimpsed and brought in for screen tests. There are De Niro and Scorsese family members in background scenes. There is the “discovery” of the boy actor: Leonardo DiCaprio.
Because the book is like an annotated filmography, the last third or so of the book is not as strong as the first reflecting De Niro lesser creative choices.
De Niro is famously elusive, shunning interviews and his public speeches are noticeably terse. Much of his personal life comes from public records, such real estate transactions, messy child custody/divorce actions; his potential use of a prostitute; contract performance insurance related to his prostate cancer; large thefts (the owner of the gallery where his father sold his paintings stole $2+ million of them) and small thefts (the housekeeper taking jewelry and clothing), and more.
There are other bios of De Niro. I don’t know how this one stacks up. If you want to learn of De Niro through his films, this is the book for you.
December 3, 2014
I picked this up and could not put it down. Simply put it is an incredibly thorough and brilliantly realised exploration of the life of one of the greatest screen actors to ever grace the stage. If you are a student of film or acting or you just want to see inside the window of this mans life, grab this book and you wont be able to put it down.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
November 7, 2014
I received a free copy of De Niro: A Life as part of Goodread's new-release giveaway program in exchange for my honest review.
Shawn Levy has written what is, in my estimation, the world's longest curriculum vitae. In picking up De Niro: A Life, one is not reading a biography, or as the title would suggest, the story of a life. But rather, it is a carefully researched 551-page chronological recitation of De Niro's professional choices. To be fair, there is some family background given, and mention of relationships with various women. But somehow, even these serve, not to personalize the De Niro story and endear the reader to its subject, but merely to round out the professional picture, much as one might tack on an obligatory "Interests & Hobbies" at the bottom of their resume.
As one will discover early on in reading De Niro: A Life, it is what is referred to as an "unauthorized biography." Author Levy graciously provides full disclosure by admitting that De Niro & several of his close friends refused to grant any interviews. Undaunted, Levy went on to complete his research using other sources, and reminds his readers that many of the biographies of those we most admire were written long after their death, and without the benefit of an interview. Granted.
However, I am disappointed in De Niro: A Life because I find myself longing for this work to be less perfect in its play-by-play rehearsal of data, and instead to be more of a story. It lacks passion, narrative, personality and, well... life.
~Jen
Shawn Levy has written what is, in my estimation, the world's longest curriculum vitae. In picking up De Niro: A Life, one is not reading a biography, or as the title would suggest, the story of a life. But rather, it is a carefully researched 551-page chronological recitation of De Niro's professional choices. To be fair, there is some family background given, and mention of relationships with various women. But somehow, even these serve, not to personalize the De Niro story and endear the reader to its subject, but merely to round out the professional picture, much as one might tack on an obligatory "Interests & Hobbies" at the bottom of their resume.
As one will discover early on in reading De Niro: A Life, it is what is referred to as an "unauthorized biography." Author Levy graciously provides full disclosure by admitting that De Niro & several of his close friends refused to grant any interviews. Undaunted, Levy went on to complete his research using other sources, and reminds his readers that many of the biographies of those we most admire were written long after their death, and without the benefit of an interview. Granted.
However, I am disappointed in De Niro: A Life because I find myself longing for this work to be less perfect in its play-by-play rehearsal of data, and instead to be more of a story. It lacks passion, narrative, personality and, well... life.
~Jen
April 5, 2019
Книгата на Шон Леви е специално удоволствие за всеки, който обича киното.
Авторът е направил задълбочено проучване на живота на Де Ниро и въпреки че самият актьор е отказал да му съдейства, биографията е пълноценна и вълнуваща.
P.S. Българският превод е безобразен. Кога преводачите ще се научат, че когато става въпрос за кино editor означава монтажист, а не редактор. (Същата тъпотия беше и в биографията на Лукас). Имам чувството, че превеждат с Google Translator. Айде малко по-сериозно, моля ви!
Авторът е направил задълбочено проучване на живота на Де Ниро и въпреки че самият актьор е отказал да му съдейства, биографията е пълноценна и вълнуваща.
P.S. Българският превод е безобразен. Кога преводачите ще се научат, че когато става въпрос за кино editor означава монтажист, а не редактор. (Същата тъпотия беше и в биографията на Лукас). Имам чувството, че превеждат с Google Translator. Айде малко по-сериозно, моля ви!
January 11, 2018
De Niro: A Biography is at its best when it's going in depth into the remarkable lengths DeNiro went to create and get in touch with his characters. In the early years, as he's building up to Raging Bull, when he's passionate and building up a name for himself, that's when the book is interesting. Levy's mistake -- or, as it seems, his handicap -- is that he can't seem to get a firm grasp on what drove DeNiro, why did he have such a strong connection to these intense, ultra-masculine characters? What did his art mean? But honestly, this seems like it might have had more to do with DeNiro's reticence to speak and the protectiveness of the people in DeNiro's life. Still, an entertaining enough read and fulfills the demands of the title. There was a lot, actually, that I didn't know about Robert DeNiro's personal life. It's tough with artists, though. I also don't really care. I don't pay attention to Robert DeNiro in any way because of his sex life, his partying, his children or anything else in his personal life. And it's tough, because it's been forever since he had an earth-shaking performance. Robert DeNiro is important because of, really, "only" a handful of performances: Mean Streets, The Godfather II, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, and Raging Bull. (Jeez, that's one decade worth of work. Amazing.) Now, you can put those five up against any other actor's top five films and DeNiro will more than hold his own. But that's a lot of book that is NOT the most exciting part of what makes De Niro exciting. Tough row to hoe. Still, a solid read for De Niro fans.
off-tbr-and-into-wpb
September 12, 2016Read by Mark Deakins 21:30hrs
HAH look at all the De Niro bios available:
John Baxter
Andy Dougan
John Parker
Alan Gatrell
Douglas Brode
Patrick Agan
Glenn Kenny
Know what [rhetorical]
I can't be bothered to invest my time here. I shall listen to Bananarama and save myself the best part of 22 hours.
June 9, 2025
A super deep dive of Bob De Niro that was interesting at times, but felt too long, repetitive, and not as informative as I had hoped. Levy structures the biography around Bob's filmography, and taking ample time to discuss particular movies that are important to knowing who De Niro is as a person and an actor. Levy would describe the role, summarize the film, explain how De Niro would go to extreme lengths to study and prepare, discuss how the movie was received when released, then move onto the next movie to do it all over again. As someone who has seen most of the movies discussed, it was disappointing not learning a ton of new information or cool anecdotes about some of my favorite movies.
With that being said, this was still an interesting read and thought Levy did a solid job, considering De Niro is infamous for being closed off to media (a point repeated a million times in the book).
I am walking away from this book wanting to rewatch the older De Niro movies (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, etc.) and having a ton of respect for his dedication and love for making movies. I am also affirmed with the idea that he is a pretty bad guy and would not be a fun hang.
With that being said, this was still an interesting read and thought Levy did a solid job, considering De Niro is infamous for being closed off to media (a point repeated a million times in the book).
I am walking away from this book wanting to rewatch the older De Niro movies (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, etc.) and having a ton of respect for his dedication and love for making movies. I am also affirmed with the idea that he is a pretty bad guy and would not be a fun hang.
February 5, 2017
Standard biography which covers details of De Niro's life and work is fine. I don't blame the author for this, who does the best he can given that De Niro is such an intensely private man it seems that details are hard to come by. Each movie role gets some space here (some more than others) as the book chronicles his work from masterpieces such as THE GODFATHER PART II, RAGING BULL and TAXI DRIVER to painful commercial box office hits like MEET THE PARENTS.
The question of what happened to the De Niro of the 70s is answered simply, he just likes to work, even if it means accepting some dubious choices.
The question of what happened to the De Niro of the 70s is answered simply, he just likes to work, even if it means accepting some dubious choices.
August 4, 2017
Actor Robert De Niro has never been very voluble when discussing himself, so it's nice to see a substantial biography of his life and work even if it wasn't sanctioned by the actor himself. As the author says in his acknowledgements, unauthorized doesn't have to mean salacious. He's done a lot of research and has tried to present an even-handed, unsensational, thoughtful, and respectfully critical account of the subject's life and work. He's talked to people who know De Niro personally and dipped into the actor's extensive archives, which contain his annotated scripts and other personal papers, so he seems to have a pretty good grip on his subject. It contains some gems of previously unavailable information and sheds light on every aspect of his career and life. It's a fine read for fans of the actor or for film buffs in general, steering the reader to look at films they may not have previously seen or reminding them of classic performances. A worthy addition to any film library. - BH.
August 17, 2018
This wasn’t remotely planned but it’s very fitting and cool to finish this book on De Niro’s 75 Birthday as this ends on his 70th. Gotta hand it to algorithms because I was looking for a book on Gene Hackman and IBooks steered me toward this one. A huge selling point was author Shawn Levy, who’s Paul Newman book I loved. My standard complaint about the early years stands unlike Michael Douglas’s bio but unlike that bio, Levy delves into EVERY De Niro movie (to date). This one has a real arc as De Niro goes from a real scrapper to the greatest actor to his generation to a paycheck actor but still ends on a hopeful note. I was less interested in the exhaustive real estate stuff but it was a bigger part of his legend than I realized and I admire how much he did for New York after 9/11. It’s very hard for a book this long and dense to be this compulsively readable but Levy did it even better here than with Paul Newman. Now he just has to do Hackman.
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August 26, 2021robert de niro was a whore🙈
October 5, 2019
An enlightening look at an elusive (but seminal) actor. Essential reading for anyone who wants to take a deeper dive beyond what they already know about De Niro.
October 21, 2014
I've been a fan of Robert De Niro's movies for years. He's played such a large range of characters, but it's the tough guy roles I've liked the most. But like many, I've enjoyed the films but didn't know much about De Niro himself, other than the interviews I've seen haven't been that great. Now, in Shawn Levy's over 500 page biography, De Niro: A Life, we can all learn more about the iconic actor.
It's an unauthorized biography in that De Niro himself, along with others, refused to respond to requests for interviews. Fortunately for Levy, there was a lot of material available for researching, and he must have waded through a ton of documents (scripts, notes, articles, etc.) to compile this text.
It was fascinating to read about how De Niro prepared for roles, not just studying the parts, but becoming the characters he was to play on screen. While the portions about his personal life were important for a biography, I didn't care for some of this as much as about the movies. I didn't want to hear about the icon's drug use, trouble with women and so forth. I did enjoy reading about his ventures into directing, producing and his restaurants.
I also found it interesting that the author chose to spend much more time with De Niro's earlier films, which the author (along with many critics) believe to be much better films, with the later movies of the last few years done more for pay checks than art. It is also interesting that one of my favorite tough guys made more money from his comedies than any of his “tough” roles.
While the author did lean toward writing about the earlier films with more enthusiasm and awe, while dismissing a number of his later films, I did think the author provided a fair and unbiased look at an outstanding film actor that has a considerable body of work.
If you like biographies about Hollywood stars, or if you want to learn more about De Niro, a popular actor that has kept private most of his life, I can recommend De Niro: A Life by Shawn Levy. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
It's an unauthorized biography in that De Niro himself, along with others, refused to respond to requests for interviews. Fortunately for Levy, there was a lot of material available for researching, and he must have waded through a ton of documents (scripts, notes, articles, etc.) to compile this text.
It was fascinating to read about how De Niro prepared for roles, not just studying the parts, but becoming the characters he was to play on screen. While the portions about his personal life were important for a biography, I didn't care for some of this as much as about the movies. I didn't want to hear about the icon's drug use, trouble with women and so forth. I did enjoy reading about his ventures into directing, producing and his restaurants.
I also found it interesting that the author chose to spend much more time with De Niro's earlier films, which the author (along with many critics) believe to be much better films, with the later movies of the last few years done more for pay checks than art. It is also interesting that one of my favorite tough guys made more money from his comedies than any of his “tough” roles.
While the author did lean toward writing about the earlier films with more enthusiasm and awe, while dismissing a number of his later films, I did think the author provided a fair and unbiased look at an outstanding film actor that has a considerable body of work.
If you like biographies about Hollywood stars, or if you want to learn more about De Niro, a popular actor that has kept private most of his life, I can recommend De Niro: A Life by Shawn Levy. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
June 30, 2015
I've been reading more actor memoirs lately but haven't delved into any biographies before this. I respect De Niro as an actor, though I knew little about his personal life before this book. He declined Levy's requests for an interview, as he declines most interviews. This could have translated into some juicy "tell all" but it is nothing of the sort. Levy is fair and balanced in his approach. The book really centers on De Niro's acting: what roles he took, his meticulous preparations and approach to each role, how his career has changed over the years. It was fascinating to go behind the scenes, even though I haven't seen most of his more famous roles. (He tends to pick violent movies and I have a very low tolerance.) I also enjoyed learning more about his relationships, especially with his parents. I had no idea he was such a womanizer! Levy becomes more critical of De Niro when he started acting in movies like Meet the Parents and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, and this section of the book faltered for me. But that's a minor note in this solid exploration of De Niro's life and career. (Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book through Blogging for Books in exchange for my fair and honest review. Opinion is my own.)
April 8, 2015
I stopped reading it because I just wasn't ready for 448 pages of Bobby. I'm sure it is a good read though.
January 12, 2020
Straight forward bio. Interesting nuggets about the films but very scarce about De Niro the man
May 26, 2024
Exceptional talent bio with plenty of production anecdotals, b-t-s trivia, and making-of (motion pictures). Some features getting extensive deep-dive treatment, with almost all attributed to DeNiro's extensive research process.
I'd briefly read about De Niro's unpleasantness while shooting Jackie Brown (1997) (particularly with director, Tarantino), but there is almost nothing officially reported -- beyond widely leaked phone conversation between Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein. Levy's De Niro biography makes it pretty plain:
fyi: Sam Jackson's more recent bio goes one step further, chronicling De Niro's antagonistic assholery throughout the 1997 Miramax production (albeit if only in folksy, non-confrontational posturing).
Really never had much of an opinion on De Niro (could take him or leave him), but I'll always remember how much cinephiles felt put out with Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000); particularly the Travis Bickle pantomime -- I just always presumed he did it for his kids (or some other familia bullshit -- even though, now that I think about it, that doesn't really track since his kids would need to be pretty old to ever been R&B fandom).
Low and behold the abhorrent R&B is actually pretty significant milestone in RDN's career trajectory/legacy: De Niro’s acquisition of Jane Rosenthal to oversee his Tribeca Films.
For the layman, RDN's career performance(s) could be categorically divided by decade(s), à la pre-1990s or post-2000s; Levy’s timeline is pretty uncomplicated, imo... RDN's 1970s and 80s output was for and by RDN; After that (starting in 1999) RDN was more or less making films for his production company, Tribeca; More specifically, Jane Rosenthal was arbitrator to most of De Niro's (post-1980s) catalog.
Rosenthal, who happens to be the die hard R&B fan (RDN had no fcking clue the show even existed before her [see below]) turned out to be miserable at acquiring and developing "signature-quality, specialty" projects. She literally drove the company into the ground at first; But finally, after the explosive success of Analyze This (1999), Rosenthal realized she much preferred connecting RDN with more big studio blockbusters, like Meet the Parents (2000), to facilitate Tribeca's ancillaries (primarily real estate holdings). With exception to the occasional auteur collaboration, Robert De Niro has essentially been working for Jane Rosenthal ever since. A genuine cinema dilettante, Rosenthal is more interested in vertical revenue streams (e.g. real estate, restaurant, hotel, entertainment, etc. etc.) ...facilitated off of RDN's credit line, residuals, bank loans, etc. etc.
What a waste. But then again...?
I'd briefly read about De Niro's unpleasantness while shooting Jackie Brown (1997) (particularly with director, Tarantino), but there is almost nothing officially reported -- beyond widely leaked phone conversation between Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein. Levy's De Niro biography makes it pretty plain:
“Rumors from the set indicated, in fact, that De Niro didn’t care for Tarantino’s manner and found the working environment uncomfortable.”
fyi: Sam Jackson's more recent bio goes one step further, chronicling De Niro's antagonistic assholery throughout the 1997 Miramax production (albeit if only in folksy, non-confrontational posturing).
- - - - - - -Almost certainly never would have been into a De Niro biography, beyond aforementioned JB confirmation(s), but I couldn't put down/kept reading, and ultimately doubled back to near-beginning.
Really never had much of an opinion on De Niro (could take him or leave him), but I'll always remember how much cinephiles felt put out with Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000); particularly the Travis Bickle pantomime -- I just always presumed he did it for his kids (or some other familia bullshit -- even though, now that I think about it, that doesn't really track since his kids would need to be pretty old to ever been R&B fandom).
Low and behold the abhorrent R&B is actually pretty significant milestone in RDN's career trajectory/legacy: De Niro’s acquisition of Jane Rosenthal to oversee his Tribeca Films.
For the layman, RDN's career performance(s) could be categorically divided by decade(s), à la pre-1990s or post-2000s; Levy’s timeline is pretty uncomplicated, imo... RDN's 1970s and 80s output was for and by RDN; After that (starting in 1999) RDN was more or less making films for his production company, Tribeca; More specifically, Jane Rosenthal was arbitrator to most of De Niro's (post-1980s) catalog.
Rosenthal, who happens to be the die hard R&B fan (RDN had no fcking clue the show even existed before her [see below]) turned out to be miserable at acquiring and developing "signature-quality, specialty" projects. She literally drove the company into the ground at first; But finally, after the explosive success of Analyze This (1999), Rosenthal realized she much preferred connecting RDN with more big studio blockbusters, like Meet the Parents (2000), to facilitate Tribeca's ancillaries (primarily real estate holdings). With exception to the occasional auteur collaboration, Robert De Niro has essentially been working for Jane Rosenthal ever since. A genuine cinema dilettante, Rosenthal is more interested in vertical revenue streams (e.g. real estate, restaurant, hotel, entertainment, etc. etc.) ...facilitated off of RDN's credit line, residuals, bank loans, etc. etc.
What a waste. But then again...?
“And then came Jane Rosenthal. She had adored Rocky and Bullwinkle as a girl, and her husband, real estate investor Craig Hatkoff, had made a Valentine’s Day present to her of the collected series on DVD. She, like others before her, thought there was a potential film in Ward’s iconic characters and surreal sensibility, and in 1998 she negotiated a deal with Universal Pictures to acquire the rights and produce a $75 million film for the summer moviegoing season.”
...Fearless Leader, a role for which Rosenthal thought De Niro was perfect. When she asked him, she recalled, “he really laughed at me.… He didn’t grow up watching it. It wasn’t his thing.” But she persisted. “I was always joking with him about it. Then I finally said, ‘Okay, you’ve got to get serious here. It’s a three-week role. Do you want it or not?’ ” Amazingly—perhaps because he knew the film was, as he called it, “Jane’s baby”—he did.
Excerpt From: Chapter 25
January 17, 2023
Have to give Shawn Levy credit for attempting to create a fully comprehensive and meticulously detailed and dynamic portrait of the great actor Robert De Niro. De Niro has the quality of both chameleon and enigma, making the New York born and raised thespian near impossible to know and fully decipher. Yet with "De Niro: A Life," Shawn Levy does probably the best any writer can do in 600-plus pages to explicitly break down the whos, whats, wheres and whys of all things De Niro.
The author's greatest asset, and arguably the greatest aspect of "De Niro: A Life," is Shawn Levy's access to the massive Robert De Niro archives at the Harry Ransom Center at University of Texas at Austin. Because of this access, the reader is gifted with fantastic insight into De Niro's work through the author's study of (and quotations from) the actor's heavily annotated scripts. The reveal of what was beneath Robert De Niro's craft through his work in such films as MEAN STREETS, THE GODFATHER PART II, TAXI DRIVER, THE DEER HUNTER and RAGING BULL is utterly fascinating, showcasing the De Niro's immense focus on both big and small character details such as clothing, walk, gesture, voice, animal physicality, psychology and much more.
Robert De Niro's early commitment to complete immersion of a character he is playing explains so much as to why he was so incredibly good in roles such as young Vito Corleone, Travis Bickle, Michael Vronsky, Jake La Motta as well as Rupert Pupkin. There was a time where each De Niro acting role served as an event in itself, and it is no wonder. Back in those days, De Niro would sometimes spend his own money to travel to this state, or this or that country, and purchase wardrobe and props, and later would spend thousands of dollars on dental work all in the name of enriching and enhancing his performance to the highest degree. As "De Niro: A Life" indicates, over time this type of time-consuming, costly, immersive acting work took its toll on the actor, who eventually changed his career track, the type of roles he played, as well as the style of his work for years to come.
Same could be said of the author. Like De Niro, Shawn Levy begins his well-researched biography with intense and immersive detail about De Niro's family, his childhood, and every single acting role he landed from the early 1960's all the way through 1990's. Every movie is discussed with explicit breakdowns of character, performance, behind-the-scenes stories, author's views, critical reviews, awards and box office. Levy allows more page space to movie critic reviews than necessary, especially when it is repeatedly offered up after every single movie, yet Levy's attention to detail is, in theory, impressive.
However, the author could not possibly keep up the pace with an actor as prolific as Robert De Niro. As a result, Shawn Levy had to cut corners to cover all of De Niro's movies past, say, 2005 or 2010. "De Niro: A Life" is thus front-loaded for sure, like a record album that has all the great songs appearing on just side one. So too, the predictable structure of the biography's track (of movie-to-movie-personal-to-movie) got old after a while, allowing the book to overstay its welcome even when it had more years and movies and stories to offer.
Shawn Levy also did his best to cover Robert De Niro's personal life, affairs, girlfriends, wives, children, etc...as well as De Niro's (often) successful business ventures in restaurants, real estate, production, festivals, and hotels. As much as a book can, the author succeeds in at least giving the reader a sense who Robert De Niro really is...an intensely private man whose values lie in work, family, women and more work. De Niro's career arc and acting technique may have changed, yet his relentless commitment to work never ceased.
There were times when I thoroughly enjoyed reading "De Niro: A Life," and there were other times where I felt bored, and was inspired to put the book down. I very much respect both the research and the wide berth Shawn Levy allowed to explore every aspect of Robert De Niro's life and career. However too many pages of the biography were wasted on Levy's own analysis and opinion on this De Niro character, or this De Niro movie, as well as endless quotes from movie and theater critics. There are some fantastic things expressed and revealed in "De Niro: A Life," yet the book is by no means a page-turner.
The author's greatest asset, and arguably the greatest aspect of "De Niro: A Life," is Shawn Levy's access to the massive Robert De Niro archives at the Harry Ransom Center at University of Texas at Austin. Because of this access, the reader is gifted with fantastic insight into De Niro's work through the author's study of (and quotations from) the actor's heavily annotated scripts. The reveal of what was beneath Robert De Niro's craft through his work in such films as MEAN STREETS, THE GODFATHER PART II, TAXI DRIVER, THE DEER HUNTER and RAGING BULL is utterly fascinating, showcasing the De Niro's immense focus on both big and small character details such as clothing, walk, gesture, voice, animal physicality, psychology and much more.
Robert De Niro's early commitment to complete immersion of a character he is playing explains so much as to why he was so incredibly good in roles such as young Vito Corleone, Travis Bickle, Michael Vronsky, Jake La Motta as well as Rupert Pupkin. There was a time where each De Niro acting role served as an event in itself, and it is no wonder. Back in those days, De Niro would sometimes spend his own money to travel to this state, or this or that country, and purchase wardrobe and props, and later would spend thousands of dollars on dental work all in the name of enriching and enhancing his performance to the highest degree. As "De Niro: A Life" indicates, over time this type of time-consuming, costly, immersive acting work took its toll on the actor, who eventually changed his career track, the type of roles he played, as well as the style of his work for years to come.
Same could be said of the author. Like De Niro, Shawn Levy begins his well-researched biography with intense and immersive detail about De Niro's family, his childhood, and every single acting role he landed from the early 1960's all the way through 1990's. Every movie is discussed with explicit breakdowns of character, performance, behind-the-scenes stories, author's views, critical reviews, awards and box office. Levy allows more page space to movie critic reviews than necessary, especially when it is repeatedly offered up after every single movie, yet Levy's attention to detail is, in theory, impressive.
However, the author could not possibly keep up the pace with an actor as prolific as Robert De Niro. As a result, Shawn Levy had to cut corners to cover all of De Niro's movies past, say, 2005 or 2010. "De Niro: A Life" is thus front-loaded for sure, like a record album that has all the great songs appearing on just side one. So too, the predictable structure of the biography's track (of movie-to-movie-personal-to-movie) got old after a while, allowing the book to overstay its welcome even when it had more years and movies and stories to offer.
Shawn Levy also did his best to cover Robert De Niro's personal life, affairs, girlfriends, wives, children, etc...as well as De Niro's (often) successful business ventures in restaurants, real estate, production, festivals, and hotels. As much as a book can, the author succeeds in at least giving the reader a sense who Robert De Niro really is...an intensely private man whose values lie in work, family, women and more work. De Niro's career arc and acting technique may have changed, yet his relentless commitment to work never ceased.
There were times when I thoroughly enjoyed reading "De Niro: A Life," and there were other times where I felt bored, and was inspired to put the book down. I very much respect both the research and the wide berth Shawn Levy allowed to explore every aspect of Robert De Niro's life and career. However too many pages of the biography were wasted on Levy's own analysis and opinion on this De Niro character, or this De Niro movie, as well as endless quotes from movie and theater critics. There are some fantastic things expressed and revealed in "De Niro: A Life," yet the book is by no means a page-turner.
August 9, 2021
An incredibly in-depth exploration of each performance given by De Niro, with insight into his life throughout also, up into the early 2010s. This was a fascinating read as I was brought up watching these performances at, possibly, too young of an age (my dad was a VERY big fan of Bob).
Levy enlightens us to the preparations to both De Niro's most well known roles; spending a few weeks as a cab driver in prep for Travis Bickle, a few weeks in Sicily learning the dialect for the younger Vito Corleone, and of course the famed weight loss and subsequent gain for Jake LaMotta, and the lesser known/acknowledged stories of how he approached the gentler performances; meeting with Vietnam vets for 'The Deer Hunter', meeting with Parkinson's patients for 'Awakenings', and meeting ex-cons for a very wide variety of roles.
I adored reading about the origins of his initial encounter and growing collaborative friendship with Martin Scorsese, ranging from 'Mean Streets' to 'Casino' (the most recent collaboration at the time this book was written.
I also found De Niro's tendency to annotate his scripts (at varying degrees depending on quality/engagement) fascinating, particularly the notes made regarding playing Jimmy Conway (my beloved, if psychotic, why sexy?) in 'Goodfellas'; "I have a set of values, a set of rules...wonderful around children, a gentleman, respectful...good dresser...expressive with eyes, looked right at you...intense smile you never knew how to take...when drunk a little loud."
I found myself disheartened at the rumours noted that De Niro, upon working on 'Jackie Brown', found Quentin Tarantino's manner and working environment uncomfortable. My reaction to this is rooted in the fact that this film is home to one of, if not my ultimate, favourite performance by De Niro. His character, Louis, is a man who has recently been released from prison for a bank robbery, and De Niro perfectly portrays him as someone who is intrigued, terrified, and observant of the world he has been chucked into after so long locked away. His performance is subtle, gentle, and beautiful, with his calm aura soon losing face when taking part in a money pick-up job.
The gossip found in this book would possibly turn some people off this book, however I revelled in it (the affair between Scorsese and Liza Minelli during production of 'New York, New York'? Iconic). De Niro was/is a *bit* of a dirty dog, but somehow it makes him even more interesting/attractive to me (in real life acquaintances I would be repulsed).
I'm fully aware that this review has turned into me brown-nosing De Niro a freakish amount, but I have a love for this man and all of his creations that I cannot justify or explain.
Levy enlightens us to the preparations to both De Niro's most well known roles; spending a few weeks as a cab driver in prep for Travis Bickle, a few weeks in Sicily learning the dialect for the younger Vito Corleone, and of course the famed weight loss and subsequent gain for Jake LaMotta, and the lesser known/acknowledged stories of how he approached the gentler performances; meeting with Vietnam vets for 'The Deer Hunter', meeting with Parkinson's patients for 'Awakenings', and meeting ex-cons for a very wide variety of roles.
I adored reading about the origins of his initial encounter and growing collaborative friendship with Martin Scorsese, ranging from 'Mean Streets' to 'Casino' (the most recent collaboration at the time this book was written.
I also found De Niro's tendency to annotate his scripts (at varying degrees depending on quality/engagement) fascinating, particularly the notes made regarding playing Jimmy Conway (my beloved, if psychotic, why sexy?) in 'Goodfellas'; "I have a set of values, a set of rules...wonderful around children, a gentleman, respectful...good dresser...expressive with eyes, looked right at you...intense smile you never knew how to take...when drunk a little loud."
I found myself disheartened at the rumours noted that De Niro, upon working on 'Jackie Brown', found Quentin Tarantino's manner and working environment uncomfortable. My reaction to this is rooted in the fact that this film is home to one of, if not my ultimate, favourite performance by De Niro. His character, Louis, is a man who has recently been released from prison for a bank robbery, and De Niro perfectly portrays him as someone who is intrigued, terrified, and observant of the world he has been chucked into after so long locked away. His performance is subtle, gentle, and beautiful, with his calm aura soon losing face when taking part in a money pick-up job.
The gossip found in this book would possibly turn some people off this book, however I revelled in it (the affair between Scorsese and Liza Minelli during production of 'New York, New York'? Iconic). De Niro was/is a *bit* of a dirty dog, but somehow it makes him even more interesting/attractive to me (in real life acquaintances I would be repulsed).
I'm fully aware that this review has turned into me brown-nosing De Niro a freakish amount, but I have a love for this man and all of his creations that I cannot justify or explain.
July 24, 2022
21 hours is a long haul in listening to a book .... any book, but this was really well worth it. I had just finished one on Nicholson (Eliot) and thought this would be a good companion one to do back to back. Nicholson was also a 4 star book, very enlightening and would like to think truthful in most things. I feel the same about this book but this one is from what I can tell done by someone who really cares about the man and may not delve totally into some of the more negative aspects of his life but is truthful in most. Person in question .. so very similar ... so very different.
There is so much history of his personal life (Irish, French and Italian) the movies he chose to do and those he chose not to do, those that worked with him and those he didnt care to work with. With the names given who attended special events in life you know he was a very loyal friend to many, Pesci, Aiello, Scorsese, to name only a few. His love for New York City and his area of Tribeca especially.
It is interesting that he and Harvey Weinstein tried unsuccessfully to have a major studio sound stage set up where the Brooklyn Navy Yard was in 1999/2000 , only to have Rudy G the Mayor at the time to agree and have them do a lot of the scoping and investigations of the site and then disagree and give the project to others. Google this for more insight. A studio is now there but took another decade to get it funded and built.
This is a L O N G book due to all the history behind everything in his life career and personal. With the Nicholson book I skipped parts .... I really didn't want to with this book even for those movies I never cared for or never saw. There was so much behind the scenes interaction that was very interesting to hear.
One part I really loved about the book is how many times Toronto was mentioned, appr 10 times ..... either the filming done here, TIFF (our Film Festival) or just in relation to how important our city was in the filming industry of the world. Due to no major sound stages in the NY area NY didn't even come close to the top 5 locations. The main ones were ... Los Angeles , London, Toronto and Vancouver and many years we were in second spot.
Though I rated both mentioned books the same .... I enjoyed this one more as "Bobby" came off as a more personable and loving person than Jack.
There is so much history of his personal life (Irish, French and Italian) the movies he chose to do and those he chose not to do, those that worked with him and those he didnt care to work with. With the names given who attended special events in life you know he was a very loyal friend to many, Pesci, Aiello, Scorsese, to name only a few. His love for New York City and his area of Tribeca especially.
It is interesting that he and Harvey Weinstein tried unsuccessfully to have a major studio sound stage set up where the Brooklyn Navy Yard was in 1999/2000 , only to have Rudy G the Mayor at the time to agree and have them do a lot of the scoping and investigations of the site and then disagree and give the project to others. Google this for more insight. A studio is now there but took another decade to get it funded and built.
This is a L O N G book due to all the history behind everything in his life career and personal. With the Nicholson book I skipped parts .... I really didn't want to with this book even for those movies I never cared for or never saw. There was so much behind the scenes interaction that was very interesting to hear.
One part I really loved about the book is how many times Toronto was mentioned, appr 10 times ..... either the filming done here, TIFF (our Film Festival) or just in relation to how important our city was in the filming industry of the world. Due to no major sound stages in the NY area NY didn't even come close to the top 5 locations. The main ones were ... Los Angeles , London, Toronto and Vancouver and many years we were in second spot.
Though I rated both mentioned books the same .... I enjoyed this one more as "Bobby" came off as a more personable and loving person than Jack.
March 2, 2025
I can't say that I learned much more about De Niro that I couldn't have found on IMDB. The author gives a laundry list of his movies and summarizes them for a couple pages.. a few weeks ago, I finished The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando. While Brando was equally if not more private, its author William J Mann, was able to really get into the head of Brando... that's what I was expecting while reading/listening through this book and all I got was long list of De Niro's movies and a summary of each movie. I literally thought this was written by AI at times but then I forgot that it was published in 2014. Which by the way...
What a difference ten years makes. All of the references to how great Harvey Weinstein makes it cringeworthy and also, while the book talks about Tribeca Grill, I googled to see if I could maybe get a reservation only to learn that after 35 years, it's closed this weekend. Reminds me of the final episode of Season 3 in The Bear where Olivia Colemans restaurant is closing.
The book also ends on his settled relationship with Hightower and their kids only to find out that he recently had more kids in his 80s? Listen, none of my business. Truly. I don't really care for the gossip. What I really care about is how he worked, how much he cares about what he does and how he does it. I really resent these biographers who seem to sum up these actors lives by what movies they did and what awards they got as a means of displaying how successful they are. What I see in De Niro and similarly with Brando is their honest care for humanity and wanting to portray a fully realized human being with dignity.
What a difference ten years makes. All of the references to how great Harvey Weinstein makes it cringeworthy and also, while the book talks about Tribeca Grill, I googled to see if I could maybe get a reservation only to learn that after 35 years, it's closed this weekend. Reminds me of the final episode of Season 3 in The Bear where Olivia Colemans restaurant is closing.
The book also ends on his settled relationship with Hightower and their kids only to find out that he recently had more kids in his 80s? Listen, none of my business. Truly. I don't really care for the gossip. What I really care about is how he worked, how much he cares about what he does and how he does it. I really resent these biographers who seem to sum up these actors lives by what movies they did and what awards they got as a means of displaying how successful they are. What I see in De Niro and similarly with Brando is their honest care for humanity and wanting to portray a fully realized human being with dignity.
January 15, 2018
A very well-written, well-researched book on the life and acting career of Robert De Niro, possibly the greatest actor in the last 50 years. In this book you'll read about everything. How he grew up, how he got his first acting role, and why he is not a very good interview. But this book shines in describing all his acting roles and movies in chronological order. From 1971 to 1981 he had one of the best runs an actor has ever had, making the films Bang the Drum Slowly, Mean Streets, Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, the Last Tycoon, Deer Hunter and Raging Bull. He was nominated four times for best actor or supporting actor during this stretch and won twice (Godfather II, Raging Bull). The bulk of the book concentrates on this era but at 550 pages total, there is still a lot about his other movies from Raging Bull on, as movies such as The King of Comedy, The Mission, The Untouchables, Midnight Run, Awakenings, Cape Fear, Casino, Bronx Tale and Heat are also described a lot in detail. It was fun to watch a few of his films during the time I read this book, so be aware that this detail can enhance the reading of this book. I was grateful that even though the author doesn't talk about De Niro's movies from 1996-2014 as much as 1971-1981 as much, he DOES talk about them. So you'll also read about such roles he had in Backdraft, Copland, The Fan, Wag the Dog, Ronin, Sleepers, Flawless, The Score, the Meet the Parents films, the Analyze This films, Killer Elite, Silver Linings Playbook (a little more on this one since it was his first acting nomination in about 20 years), etc. De Niro was by far not a perfect person, and has had a little problems with the law, mostly paparrazi, but his life is an interesting one. Book really took me back and fans of his films will love this book. It's a little long, but then again, so is his career. Good stuff.
December 5, 2014
De Niro : A Life by Shawn Levy
At an early stage in his career, Robert De Niro, Jr wondered why anyone would be interested in his life, specifically what he had for breakfast. That wonderment partially explains why he has never been particularly forthcoming through interviews or public appearances about his personal life. Though this book, by its title ,purports to be a biography of the man it is more accurate to say that it is an analysis of an actor and his methodology in his career. While it is true that some of the personal aspects of his life are interspersed or included tangentially in the story, the basic skeleton of the work is how De Niro researched and prepared for the major roles of his early career.
At one point in the book a director is said to have over 3000 hours of footage to edit to make a cogent movie that fits within the attention span of the audience and production costs of the studio—one that is about 2 to 2 and 1?2 hours long. Well, the author had copious amounts of information from which to draw a cogent book that does the same and at 551 pages it could have been edited even more and been easier to read. There is a great deal of overlap and repetition. Though De Niro’s career took off with his appearance in Godfather Part ii, released in 1974, he had been studying and acting in New York long before that. Yet, the work he did in the 1990’s does not appear until well past the halfway mark of the book. Granted, by the author’s and many critics’ views his best work was done in the late 70’s through the 80’s and he seems to have given up digging deeply into his talents in movie choices. Interestingly enough it is the work done in these later years that has been most universally embraced by audiences, nationally and internationally. Most especially the Focker movies have, with Shark Tale , brought in the most money combined of any of his previous work.
The bottom line for me about this book, which I read primarily because Bobby, as he is called by friends and family, and I are of an age and we grew up in the same general area of Manhattan. I left around the time he went off to Italy at 19 and did not return. Actually, I’d forgotten how small and discreet the neighborhoods were in the City of our youth. I lived in Chelsea, only 7 blocks from his 14th St neighborhood, but by ethnicity and culture it might as well have been 7 miles or more. Although he came to believe that it wasn’t important to his fans what school he went to or what his early life had been like I was curious to see what similarities there may have been between us before we grew up and became our adult selves. This book gave me none of that but then again, perhaps it did. Scorcese grew up about 7 blocks south of 14th around the same time in Little Italy and, as the book points out, there was little in common between their lives either—De Niro lived a more Bohemian life as the son of artists than either of the two of us, Martin or I. That speaks to the truth of the big metropolis known as New York City—it is a place of little neighborhoods which in another geographic area would produce little towns very different from each other though located fairly closely.
Despite this lack of fulfilling my original expectations of content, it was not very far into the book that I didn’t care that this was not a tell all, birth to old age, saga of one famous man’s life. The story of how movies come to be, how they are written, the people whose hands they pass through, the method of casting, the personalities involved in the release of the final product was fascinating. As mentioned earlier, some of the movies were described endlessly it seemed, but the minute detail taken by De Niro to produce his role in each was remarkable.
The names of other actors with whom he played on stage,or in the movies brought back to mind some who have died or whose careers have died. Through the years as women’s roles needed to be cast the roll-call of actresses was telling. Though some, such as Meryl Streep appeared very early on, as in the Deer Hunter, and remained right into the 21 century as possibilities in his work, others came and within a few years were gone from the lists for consideration. Yet, Harvey Keitel and other male actors lasted for decades. Certainly supports the claim that males are considered physically attractive much longer than females when it comes to show business.
Bottom line, the book is too long, it isn’t a biography, the material does not result from any input from De Niro or anyone truly close to him, as stated in the acknowledgements at the end. You will NOT find out what he eats for breakfast, though you will learn what he likes to drink,that he is something of a womanizer, that he has a few children, he’s made lots of money in real estate, much like his mother and that his father was a well known, somewhat well respected artist who never made a great deal of money. He can be incredibly supportive and encouraging and generous to his costars. He can also stiff a carpenter for work he did, stiff a guy at lunch for the tab and stiff a nanny of overtime hours—he’s cheap. He can be abrasive and carry a grudge. But, he can be moved to tears. He coined the name Tribeca for a warehouse neighborhood in lower Manhattan, made it the new costly Greenwich Village and sued a guy in London who used TriBeCa in the name of his bar. ( Funny, growing up in NY the only SoHo I ever heard of was in London and my grandmother who would be over 125 now lived on Houston in her youth.)
Two other comments in the book explain for me why the focus is not biographical for the most part; a fellow working on Backdraft with him told a journalist “ to know him as a person is grabbing at smoke. He came to the set and unknown quality and, on a personal level, he kind of left it that way.” “ He still protected his privacy zealously.”
With that kind of reserve, which from what little the book reveals, seems to extend even to those most close to him, there is much about Robert De Niro that only De Niro will ever know and in the long run that is fine. It is true of all of us and a public figure should not have to expose more that the rest of us to the world. If you can live with that and if you have a real interest in movie making , particularly De Niro movies, then this is the book for you.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review
At an early stage in his career, Robert De Niro, Jr wondered why anyone would be interested in his life, specifically what he had for breakfast. That wonderment partially explains why he has never been particularly forthcoming through interviews or public appearances about his personal life. Though this book, by its title ,purports to be a biography of the man it is more accurate to say that it is an analysis of an actor and his methodology in his career. While it is true that some of the personal aspects of his life are interspersed or included tangentially in the story, the basic skeleton of the work is how De Niro researched and prepared for the major roles of his early career.
At one point in the book a director is said to have over 3000 hours of footage to edit to make a cogent movie that fits within the attention span of the audience and production costs of the studio—one that is about 2 to 2 and 1?2 hours long. Well, the author had copious amounts of information from which to draw a cogent book that does the same and at 551 pages it could have been edited even more and been easier to read. There is a great deal of overlap and repetition. Though De Niro’s career took off with his appearance in Godfather Part ii, released in 1974, he had been studying and acting in New York long before that. Yet, the work he did in the 1990’s does not appear until well past the halfway mark of the book. Granted, by the author’s and many critics’ views his best work was done in the late 70’s through the 80’s and he seems to have given up digging deeply into his talents in movie choices. Interestingly enough it is the work done in these later years that has been most universally embraced by audiences, nationally and internationally. Most especially the Focker movies have, with Shark Tale , brought in the most money combined of any of his previous work.
The bottom line for me about this book, which I read primarily because Bobby, as he is called by friends and family, and I are of an age and we grew up in the same general area of Manhattan. I left around the time he went off to Italy at 19 and did not return. Actually, I’d forgotten how small and discreet the neighborhoods were in the City of our youth. I lived in Chelsea, only 7 blocks from his 14th St neighborhood, but by ethnicity and culture it might as well have been 7 miles or more. Although he came to believe that it wasn’t important to his fans what school he went to or what his early life had been like I was curious to see what similarities there may have been between us before we grew up and became our adult selves. This book gave me none of that but then again, perhaps it did. Scorcese grew up about 7 blocks south of 14th around the same time in Little Italy and, as the book points out, there was little in common between their lives either—De Niro lived a more Bohemian life as the son of artists than either of the two of us, Martin or I. That speaks to the truth of the big metropolis known as New York City—it is a place of little neighborhoods which in another geographic area would produce little towns very different from each other though located fairly closely.
Despite this lack of fulfilling my original expectations of content, it was not very far into the book that I didn’t care that this was not a tell all, birth to old age, saga of one famous man’s life. The story of how movies come to be, how they are written, the people whose hands they pass through, the method of casting, the personalities involved in the release of the final product was fascinating. As mentioned earlier, some of the movies were described endlessly it seemed, but the minute detail taken by De Niro to produce his role in each was remarkable.
The names of other actors with whom he played on stage,or in the movies brought back to mind some who have died or whose careers have died. Through the years as women’s roles needed to be cast the roll-call of actresses was telling. Though some, such as Meryl Streep appeared very early on, as in the Deer Hunter, and remained right into the 21 century as possibilities in his work, others came and within a few years were gone from the lists for consideration. Yet, Harvey Keitel and other male actors lasted for decades. Certainly supports the claim that males are considered physically attractive much longer than females when it comes to show business.
Bottom line, the book is too long, it isn’t a biography, the material does not result from any input from De Niro or anyone truly close to him, as stated in the acknowledgements at the end. You will NOT find out what he eats for breakfast, though you will learn what he likes to drink,that he is something of a womanizer, that he has a few children, he’s made lots of money in real estate, much like his mother and that his father was a well known, somewhat well respected artist who never made a great deal of money. He can be incredibly supportive and encouraging and generous to his costars. He can also stiff a carpenter for work he did, stiff a guy at lunch for the tab and stiff a nanny of overtime hours—he’s cheap. He can be abrasive and carry a grudge. But, he can be moved to tears. He coined the name Tribeca for a warehouse neighborhood in lower Manhattan, made it the new costly Greenwich Village and sued a guy in London who used TriBeCa in the name of his bar. ( Funny, growing up in NY the only SoHo I ever heard of was in London and my grandmother who would be over 125 now lived on Houston in her youth.)
Two other comments in the book explain for me why the focus is not biographical for the most part; a fellow working on Backdraft with him told a journalist “ to know him as a person is grabbing at smoke. He came to the set and unknown quality and, on a personal level, he kind of left it that way.” “ He still protected his privacy zealously.”
With that kind of reserve, which from what little the book reveals, seems to extend even to those most close to him, there is much about Robert De Niro that only De Niro will ever know and in the long run that is fine. It is true of all of us and a public figure should not have to expose more that the rest of us to the world. If you can live with that and if you have a real interest in movie making , particularly De Niro movies, then this is the book for you.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review
September 7, 2021
3.5 Based on how reticent De Niro is with just about everyone and the fact that his friends are very protective, the author has to depend on public resources. You do not get a full portrait of DeNiro. He is a mass of contradictions: stingy at times, rude, flagrantly unfaithful to his girlfriends and wives, and obsessive about preparing for roles in his early career. Then he is wonderfully generous with his time and resources to help people after 911. His wives all stayed friends with him so..? He loves children and seems genuinely caring, but like many successful people who travel a lot, he is not dependably there for them. His mother supports his father (and gives him an apartment), but he idolizes his dad.
The author sketches mini bios of some of De Niro's friends which are interesting.I found myself skimming during the latter part of the book where the author goes on and on describing the bad scripts, the critics, etc. He seems to have decided any work will do and most of it starts around the 1990's. He is in terrible movies. However, his old, good ones are very good. Did I learn anything about his morals, lasting relationships, why he is so closed off? No. There must be a man hiding inside him that is an interesting conversationalist and fun to be around or he wouldn't have so many friends.
The book is worth reading. We all just have to accept his decision to remain private.
The author sketches mini bios of some of De Niro's friends which are interesting.I found myself skimming during the latter part of the book where the author goes on and on describing the bad scripts, the critics, etc. He seems to have decided any work will do and most of it starts around the 1990's. He is in terrible movies. However, his old, good ones are very good. Did I learn anything about his morals, lasting relationships, why he is so closed off? No. There must be a man hiding inside him that is an interesting conversationalist and fun to be around or he wouldn't have so many friends.
The book is worth reading. We all just have to accept his decision to remain private.
February 12, 2020
Жалък, евтин, жълт опит за биография на един велик актьор. Единствените ценни страници са тези, от които научавам за метода и педантичната подготовка за ролите на Де Ниро. Кому бе нужно да чете какво е бидето в апартамента на Де Ниро и подобни папарашки простотии? Защо трябваше да бъдат преразказани филмите му - за пълнеж ли? Специална “благодарност” за изключително дървения превод на Цветана Генчева и лайняната редакция на Мария Василева! Да превеждаш и редактираш книга за един от колосите на световното киното и да нямаш и капка мозък, та да съобразиш, че edit в случая е МОНТАЖ, а не редакция, editor е МОНТАЖИСТ, а не редактор, наградата на фестивала в Кан е ЗЛАТНА ПАЛМА, а не Златна клонка... примери за покъртителното невежество и липса на елементарна обща култура! Издателство Бард ли? Никога повече!
August 24, 2025
Shawn Levy's excellent, well-researched, and even-handed bio of De Niro now requires a second edition to catch up with RD's intervening decade and change, which have produced more personal drama, another child, more movies (good and bad), and, in the dark years since Trump came on the political scene, his becoming one of the public figures unafraid to speak up and out against the crimes, injustice, and abuse of reality committed by the man and his administrations.
However, even without that recent material, this is a fun and informative read for De Niro watchers (I won't say fans since that word has problematic resonance in De Niro's life and a few of his films), and, as usual, along the way Levy's research delves into history about other associated figures, places, and events, which allows you to get a taste of inhabiting the milieu.
However, even without that recent material, this is a fun and informative read for De Niro watchers (I won't say fans since that word has problematic resonance in De Niro's life and a few of his films), and, as usual, along the way Levy's research delves into history about other associated figures, places, and events, which allows you to get a taste of inhabiting the milieu.
February 22, 2022
Foundational man. Might be the best biography of an actor I’ve ever read. The amount of insight to his preparation as an actor for so many of his iconic characters has become invaluable to me now. The depth the author went is truly admirable. From his upbringing, to the early days of his career grinding it out, and beyond to his stardom, I know for sure I’ll remember the lessons this giant of acting has given to the world.
June 11, 2025
Superb biography of one of my two or three favorite actors. Shines when Levy describes De Niro's approach (physical, emotional, psychological) to the roles we all remember. Rare for an actor to truly inhabit a character. De Niro has done it routinely. Will be rewatching several films in the near future.
December 2, 2019
Really enjoyed his story. A great actor! He puts his heart and soul into his roles. I enjoyed reading about his life, his artist-parents and his friendship with the great director, Martin Scorcese.
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