Don't these people have anything better to complain about? They better watch out or Bobby D. will have their kneecaps broken for breakfast.


VENICE, Italy - Robert De Niro (news) dismissed accusations that his Mafia roles have smeared the image of Italian-Americans, arguing that he plays realistic characters including many who could not be construed as stereotypes.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=492&ncid=787&e=1&u=/ap/20040911/ap_en_ce/people_de_niro

The funny thing is that he's about as far away from that as you can imagine. His dad was a surrealist painter or something like that. I'm pretty sure he's mentioned in one of Jack Kerouac's books as some crazy beat character in NYC.

Thanks for saying it Arab. His father was Robert Deniro Sr, a painter of some renowned in his own right before The Man We Know As Bobby Deniro became famous. This would place him solidly in the upper middle class, despite the attempts to portray him as a paisano. In fact, Robert Deniro was billed as Robert Deniro Jr in his early films to distinguish himself from his also famous father. incidentally, his mother is reputedly Jewish (making him Jewish) though I have read conflicting accounts of this.

I had to double-take when I was reading the Kerouac book (I think it was Lonesome Traveller) when he talked about de Kooning and "Robert DeNiro." His father looked sort of like a cross between DeNiro Jr and an elderly Lawrence Olivier - old fashioned hat, French-style cravat around his neck. He does sometimes play the old playboy roles, but for some reason always comes off as a noveau riche that suddenly came into money.

de niro is the most limited actor ever, next to wee-people. seriously, he's the "pissed off, usually italian guy" in every movie. taxi driver-pissed off, raging bull-pissed off---people lauded his crossover to comedy with that shitty billy crystal movie. how the fuck was that comedic acting? all i saw is him being a pissed-off italian guy in awkward situations.

the guy's totally revered and people listen to his "artist" schtick but the reality is he's a highly talented character actor who's done a great job choosing good movies to be in.

I agree that he sucked in those Billy Crystal mob comedies and the meet the parents crap. He can only play the straightman with slight comedic effect. As for the other flicks he is a great character actor playing Bobby D as whoever. But, He WAS Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and in the Godfather 2 he seemed to be able to be something other than DeNiro as the young Don Corleone. But 15 minutes,Ronin and that robbery flick with Edward Norton it's like the same guy with different moods. But if you like him, than you're happy with it. Now Pacino is way over-rated and he just walks through roles overconfident because he is the great Pacino in his own mind. His best character ever was Scarface, tho...