What is Robert De Niro’s net worth?
| Net Worth | $500 Million |
| Source of Wealth | Acting |
| Date of Birth | August 17, 1943 |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5’9 / 175 cm |
| Place of Birth | Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Star Sign | Leo |
| Religion | Agnosticism |
| Partner | Grace Hightower (m. 1997; sep. 2018) Diahnne Abbott (m. 1976; div. 1988) |
The Usual Intro
Robert De Niro is an acting legend who’s been a part of the film industry for decades. He is best known for his outstanding performances in the crime drama genre in his early career.
However, De Niro is no stranger to acting in the satire and comedy genres either. In addition to being an actor, De Niro is a professional director and a successful businessman.
Even at the age of 78, De Niro remains active in his career.
Before the Spotlight
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. was born on August 17, 1943, in Manhattan, New York City. Two years after his birth, his father came out as homosexual, which caused the separation and divorce of his parents. However, his father didn’t disappear from his life after the divorce. He started living at a place nearby, and De Niro would grow up to describe him as a ‘loving father.’
De Niro transferred schools several times during his early education. At age 16, he decided to drop out of high school to focus on acting.
The Journey to Success
De Niro’s professional career started with a few minor roles in the early 1960s. He started acting on set in 1963, and his first movie role was in a 1965 release. De Niro started seeing growing popularity by 1970.
De Niro and director Martin Scorsese’s famous partnership began with the movie Mean Streets in 1973. As of now, they’ve collaborated on a total of 9 feature films, some of which are ranked among the best of all time!
De Niro’s iconic performance as Don Vito Corleone in the award-winning movie Godfather Part II was a huge hit. With his countless roles in movies in the following few decades, particularly in the crime drama, satire, and comedy genres, De Niro established himself as one of the best actors of his generation. The most famous of his works include Taxi Driver (1976), Heat (1995), and, more recently, The Irishman (2019).
De Niro has worked with several other prominent figures in the entertainment industry, such as Sylvester Stallone, Zac Efron, Anne Hathaway, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Morgan Freeman. He has collected multiple awards and accolades over the decades – the most prominent of which include two Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards.
In addition to acting, De Niro holds a sizable portfolio in movie directing. He debuted as a director with the 1993 movie, A Bronx Tale. A large part of De Niro’s impressive $500 million net worth is derived from his acting career. However, he has undertaken some business ventures as well. De Niro owns Tribeca Grill and co-owns Nobu restaurants.
The Best Moments
- Made his debut as an actor in 1965.
- Cast Vito Corleone in the Godfather Part II (1974).
- Won the “Best Actor” award for his role in the movie Raging Bull (1980) at the 53rd Academy Awards.
- Received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2020.
The Private Side
Robert De Niro has been in several relationships. He married his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, in 1976. They had a son later that year. De Niro also officially adopted Abbott’s daughter. The couple divorced in 1998.
From 1988 to 1996, he dated Toukie Smith. In 1995, De Niro’s twin sons were born via IVF surrogacy. In 1997, he married Grace Hightower. They had a son the very next year and split up the year after that. In 2011, they had a daughter via surrogacy. De Niro has six children in total.
In 2003, De Niro revealed he had been diagnosed with Prostate cancer. He had surgery the same year and made full recovery by 2011.
Robert De Niro’s Related YouTube Video
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino Have an Epic Conversation | GQ
Famous Quotes of Robert De Niro
De Niro’s career as an actor spans over five decades! Here are some of his most insightful quotes regarding acting and direction in movie making:
- “You never know what you do that could be totally out of left field, which actually might work and give something fresh to the whole scene, to the character, whatever. If you have that with a director who then knows how to shape it, either in the direction, in the moment, or in the editing, then that’s good.”
- “I always tell actors when they go in for an audition: Don’t be afraid to do what your instincts tell you. You may not get the part, but people will take notice.”
- “Good directors can bring certain things out of you, with their intensity or gentleness or sensitivity or understanding. They can make an actor feel he can do no wrong.”
The Social World
Robert De Niro is active on social media. Here are the links to his official accounts, along with the number of followers he has:
Lessons for Entrepreneurs
Here are some lessons we can learn from the old and wise Robert De Niro:
- Be confident. As evident from the second quote we’ve stated, De Niro believes actors should be confident and display their true selves on the stage.
- Old age isn’t a problem. Worldwide, old age is seen as debilitating. De Niro proves by example that one can achieve great success regardless of their age.
- Voice your opinions. De Niro actively speaks out on social and political issues. He made his strong opposition to Donald Trump clear during the latter’s presidency.
The Unusual Stuff
Here are some interesting facts about Robert De Niro you might not have known before:
- De Niro put on 60 pounds (27 kilograms) to cast his role as a middleweight boxer in the movie Raging Bull (1980).
- Barack Obama awarded De Niro the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
- De Niro was the first guest featured on the top-rated late-night talk show, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
- De Niro reportedly paid a dentist $5,000 to ruin his teeth for a movie role. He then paid that same dentist a hefty sum of $20,000 to fix them!
- In 2018, De Niro almost fell victim to an attempt at his life! Explosives were found at his restaurant Tribeca Grill.
Answering Frequent Questions
Does Robert De Niro speak Italian?
Robert De Niro can speak Italian but isn’t completely fluent. He practiced the Sicilian Dialect of Italian for four months to cast Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II.
Are Robert De Niro and Al Pacino friends?
De Niro and Al Pacino performed in The Godfather: Part II (1974). They have been good friends since they first met in the late 1960s. They recently sat down together for an interview.
Is The Godfather a true story?
The Godfather was based on a novel that goes by the same name. It only took some inspiration from real-life figures. Don Vito Corleone was inspired by the notorious Frank Costello of the Luciano crime family.
The Closing Remarks
De Niro is widely regarded as one of the best actors of his time. His decades-long career has seen him perform in over 139 movies, many of which went on to top the charts and win awards. De Niro’s next role will be in the movie Amsterdam, which is expected to be released in November 2022.
Featured image credit: Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com
