Introduction

Robert De Niro is one of the most revered and iconic actors of contemporary cinema. Born on August 17, 1943, in New York City, he is a leading figure of 1970s American cinema and continues to be a dominant force in film and television to this day. Famous for his passionate method acting approach, De Niro has embodied complex and morally ambiguous characters that have defined the Hollywood narrative.

He gained international recognition through his association with the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, delivering iconic performances in movies such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. His performance in The Godfather Part II as Vito Corleone won him an Oscar and cemented his status as one of the greatest actors of his generation. De Niro has demonstrated an incredible range as an actor, effortlessly moving from crime dramas to comedies in movies such as Meet the Parents and, more recently, in The Irishman. With a career spanning over five decades, De Niro has established a legacy that is characterized by his dedication, his ability to transform, and his artistic brilliance.

Early life & training 

Robert Anthony De Niro grew up in Manhattan. He was exposed to art because his mother, Virginia Admiral, was a painter, and she also wrote poetry. His father, Robert De Niro Sr., was also a painter. Robert Anthony De Niro liked acting when he was young. He went to the Stella Adler Conservatory to learn. Then he studied with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

Robert Anthony De Niro learned a lot from Lee Strasberg’s method. He learned how to remember things with his senses and how to act according to what his character wanted. He also learned how to prepare for a role by thinking about his character. This is how Robert Anthony De Niro prepared for the roles that made him famous. He was very good at acting as if he were really the character.

Career by decade 

1960s–1970s: Roots, grit, and the Scorsese connection

De Niro began in off-Broadway theatre and small film parts before connecting with a young Martin Scorsese. Mean Streets (1973) showcased raw energy and a willingness to embody danger; it was a creative partnership that would define both the artist and the film. The Godfather Part II (1974) earned De Niro an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor) and brought him global recognition for his portrayal of a young Vito Corleone. Taxi Driver (1976) further entrenched his image as a haunted, private antihero — a character type that became part of popular culture and film study syllabi.

1980s: Transformation & peak craft

Raging Bull (1980) remains the signature example of De Niro’s method-driven transformation. He physically altered his body, studied boxing technique and rhythm, and delivered an interiorized performance that continues to be taught in acting programs. The Oscar for Best Actor validated an approach that combined corporeal commitment with psychological excavation. During the 1980s, he began expanding into directing and producing, a move that presaged later curatorial and entrepreneurial work.

1990s–2000s: Scale, mainstream hits, and producing

In the 1990s and 2000s, De Niro alternated between prestige dramas (Goodfellas, Casino) and commercially successful comedies (Meet the Parents, Analyze This), demonstrating tonal range and broad audience appeal. He also formalized his production activities (TriBeCa Productions) and invested in hospitality; the Tribeca Film Festival (co-founded in 2002) became a major cultural institution supporting filmmakers and local economic recovery after 9/11.

2010s–2020s: Reinvention and returning prestige

Late-career highlights include The Irishman (2019), a reflective epic that reunited De Niro with Scorsese and pulled him back into awards conversations, and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). In 2026, he co-starred in The Alto Knights (March 2026 theatrical), a high-profile historical mob drama where he plays dual roles; this period underscores his continued taste for large-scale auteur-driven projects.

Anchor timeline

• 1943  Born in New York City.
• Late 1960s–early 1970s  Off-Broadway and early film roles.
• 1973  Mean Streets (Scorsese).
• 1974  The Godfather Part II (Oscar, Best Supporting Actor).
• 1976  Taxi Driver.
• 1980  Raging Bull (Oscar, Best Actor).
• 1989  TriBeCa Productions was co-founded.
• 1993  A Bronx Tale (directorial debut).
  The 2002  Tribeca Film Festival was founded.
• 2019  The Irishman released.
• 2023  Killers of the Flower Moon released.
• 2026  The Alto Knights theatrical release (March 2026).

Definitive list of Robert De Niro’s best films

Raging Bull (1980)  Jake LaMotta
A career-defining case study in physical transformation and psychological intensity. Essential for pieces on method acting, actor metamorphosis, and Oscar-winning performances.

The Godfather: Part II (1974)  Young Vito Corleone
A pivotal supporting role that propelled De Niro into the cinematic mainstream and demonstrated his ability to anchor prestige, historically significant drama.

Taxi Driver (1976)  Travis Bickle
The modern antihero film: De Niro’s portrayal codified a certain kind of urban existential loneliness and remains central to essays on 1970s American cinema.

Goodfellas (1990)  Jimmy Conway
An ensemble tour de force where De Niro’s controlled menace complements Scorsese’s kinetic storytelling; perfect for pieces on jazz-like ensemble acting and organized crime narratives.

The Irishman (2019)  Frank Sheeran
Late-career introspection: quieter, more meditative, dealing with memory, loyalty, and moral consequence, useful for analyses of aging actors taking elegiac roles.

Mean Streets (1973)  Johnny Boy
An early raw collaborative work with Scorsese that signaled the emergence of a new authenticity in American film acting.

Cape Fear (1991)  Max Cady
A menacing mainstream turn Eemonstrating the actor’s ability to transform into threatening physicality for genre cinema.

Heat (1995)  Neil McCauley
A precise, professional performance in Michel Mann’s crime epic opposite Al Pacino; iconic for its cool intensity.

A Bronx Tale (1993)  Sonny (director)
De Niro’s directorial debut reveals curatorial instincts and an interest in community-based narratives and character study.

The Alto Knights (2026)  Frank Costello / Vito Genovese
A high-profile 2026 release notable for dual-role work and historical dramatization. (Publisher tip: add runtime, director, critic score, and streaming/transactional links.)

Publisher note: expand to a Top-25 list (sortable table with trailer embed, critic excerpts, streaming widget) for an SEO pillar page.

How these films shaped De Niro’s career

De Niro’s body of work established a classical dialectic of performance: controlled eruption versus compressed silence. He taught audiences and industry professionals that actors could be instruments of both enormous physical change and minimalistic subtext. His repeated collaborations (Scorsese, editors, cinematographers) forged a shared cinematic language in which character work drives narrative texture. These choices also allowed De Niro to shift seamlessly between auteur-driven cinema and mainstream fare, thereby widening his cultural footprint while preserving artistic credibility.

Awards & honors: the headline items

• Academy Awards: 2 wins, Best Supporting Actor (The Godfather Part II), Best Actor (Raging Bull).
• Golden Globes & other awards: Multiple wins and nominations across decades, including lifetime honors.
• Lifetime recognition: Honorary awards across festivals and organizations, including an Honorary Palme d’Or (Cannes, 2026).

Publisher note: link award statements to authoritative sources (Academy.org, Cannes press releases, Britannica) and always include “last-checked” dates.

Business ventures & net worth 

Hospitality & brands: Co-owner of Nobu restaurants and hospitality brand; owner of Greenwich Hotel (Tribeca) and other investments. These ventures are a meaningful part of his public portfolio.

Tribeca & production: Co-founded TriBeCa Productions (1989) and Tribeca Film Festival (2002), both major cultural enterprises that continue to operate as festivals, production outfits, and community institutions.

Net worth (2026 estimate): Commonly reported estimates hover around $500, present such figures as ranges with clear sourcing and “last-checked” dates (publisher best practice).

Where to watch (2026 guidance + publisher checklist)

Reality: streaming rights and windows change constantly. Rather than hard-code platform names, best practice is to embed a live discovery widget (JustWatch, Reelgood) and to provide transactional affiliate links (Apple TV, Prime Video) with date-stamped checks.

Publisher checklist:

• Embed a JustWatch/Reelgood live widget on the film list page.
• Add transactional links with affiliate tags and “last checked” timestamps.
• Include studio predictions for eventual streaming home (e.g., studio-specific platforms) but label them as predictions.
• For new theatrical releases (like The Alto Knights), follow the typical sequence: theatrical → VOD/rental/sell-through → studio streaming — and update the page when windows change.

Personal life

• Marriages: publicly married to Diahnne Abbott (1976–1988) and Grace Hightower (1997–2018, with periods of separation reported). Multiple children; keeps much private life guarded.
• Citizenship: U.S. and Italian citizenship (naturalized/granted in 2006 for Italian descent).
  

Keep personal life sections factual, non-sensational, and cite reputable sources.

Fun facts 

• Co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival to help revive Lower Manhattan after 9/11.
• Famous for extreme weight change for Raging Bull, a canonical method-acting case study.
• Co-owns Nobu, Greenwich Hotel, and has hospitality holdings around the world.

Publisher toolkit  SEO, UX & on-page checklist

• H1: Use the full keyword as the H1  Robert De Niro  Complete Biography, Career Timeline & Best Movies (2026).
• Meta: Title + meta description with dates and target keywords; include “updated [YYYY]” where useful.
• TOC: Clickable table of contents with anchor links to H2s.
• Quick facts block: Mark up as Person schema and use structured data for birthDate, nationality, and awards.
• Sortable filmography table: Fields  Year | Title | Director | Role | Runtime | Genre | Rating | Streaming link | Affiliate. Implement as a server-side or accessible JS table.
• Live widget: Embed JustWatch/Reelgood to avoid stale watch links.
• Media: High-res hero portrait (rights-cleared), stills, and an A4 timeline infographic for social sharing. Use descriptive alt text.
• FAQ: Include JSON-LD FAQ schema (see below) for rich results.
• Citations: Inline anchor citations to load-bearing claims (birth date, awards, major releases).
• Maintenance: Add a “last checked” timestamp for dynamic claims (streaming, net worth), schedule quarterly reviews, and event-driven updates.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Conclusion 

Robert De Niro remains a central figure of contemporary cinema in 2026: a touchstone for methods of immersive performance, a recurring collaborator for auteurs, and an active cultural entrepreneur (Tribeca, Nobu). To create a publisher page that outranks major Encyclopedic sites, combine verified EEAT citations with dynamic utilities: live streaming widgets, sortable film lists, shareable timeline infographics, and an NLP-friendly content structure (schema, embeddings, and paragraph-level canonicalization).