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0 / 31 Fotos
The teacher - De Niro studied with Hollywood legend Stella Adler, who taught him the all-important Stanislavski system.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
The method - The Stanislavski system (pioneered by Konstantin Stanislavski) is what's known as the "art of experiencing," and is basically an academic term for method acting.
© Public Domain
2 / 31 Fotos
The lesson - Exploring both the internal and external aspects of a role, De Niro could become the character on-set and off-set, which has led to some incredible stories and performances.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
'Mean Streets' - Robert De Niro and Richard Romanus clashed during the filming of 'Mean Streets.' This added to their on-screen rivalry, and leads up to an important climactic scene, which won't be spoiled here.
© BrunoPress
4 / 31 Fotos
'The Godfather Part II' - De Niro's turn in 'The Godfather Part II' is one for the history books. Playing a young Vito Corleone, the actor spent three months in Sicily to prepare for the role.
© BrunoPress
5 / 31 Fotos
'The Godfather Part II' - The actor has Italian roots, but he spent around four months learning the Sicilian dialect. Nearly every line he speaks is Sicilian. Of course, the hard work paid off.
© BrunoPress
6 / 31 Fotos
'Taxi Driver' - 'Taxi Driver' helped solidify De Niro as a near-perfect on-screen presence. He famously spent around 15 hours every day driving cars and preparing for the role.
© BrunoPress
7 / 31 Fotos
'Taxi Driver' - He also studied the effects of mental illness, and visited an American Army base in Northern Italy, where he taped conversations with Midwestern soldiers.
© BrunoPress
8 / 31 Fotos
'Taxi Driver' - Co-star Jodie Foster once claimed that De Niro would repeatedly ring her and ask for a coffee date. They reportedly rehearsed their dinner scene over and over, with De Niro refusing to give up.
© BrunoPress
9 / 31 Fotos
'The Last Tycoon' - De Niro was a shining star in Elia Kazan's final film, 'The Last Tycoon.' The actor apparently cut his weight down from 170 pounds (77 kg) to 128 pounds (58 kg) to play the role of Monroe Stahr.
© BrunoPress
10 / 31 Fotos
'The Last Tycoon' - Elia Kazan wasn't quiet when singing De Niro's praises. "[He] is one of a select number of actors I've directed who work hard at their trade, and the only one who asked to rehearse on Sundays. Most of the others play tennis."
© BrunoPress
11 / 31 Fotos
'New York, New York' - In 1977, the actor learned to play the saxophone to portray a sax player in 'New York, New York.' We expect nothing less.
© BrunoPress
12 / 31 Fotos
'The Deer Hunter' - Tensions were high on the set of 'The Deer Hunter,' and the tables were turned on De Niro. During filming, Christopher Walken was persuaded to spit on De Niro, who apparently nearly walked off set in rage.
© BrunoPress
13 / 31 Fotos
'The Deer Hunter' - The characters play Russian Roulette in one scene, taking turns slapping each other. The slaps were real, as was the palpable anger on the actor's faces.
© BrunoPress
14 / 31 Fotos
'The Deer Hunter' - In another scene, Robert De Niro requested a real gun to play Russian Roulette. This helped build more tension, but the chamber was checked in between every take.
© BrunoPress
15 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - In 1980, De Niro had one of his biggest performances in 'Raging Bull.' He reportedly put on 60 lb (27 kg) and learned how to box for the role.
© BrunoPress
16 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - De Niro was playing Jake Lamotta, and actually trained with the famous boxer, who apparently said De Niro had what it took to be a real contender.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - The actor went through extensive training, and even entered three Brooklyn boxing matches. With two wins, he hasn't got a bad record.
© BrunoPress
18 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - To build a brotherhood, De Niro and Joe Pesci lived and trained with each other. Since then, the two have remained friends and frequent collaborators.
© BrunoPress
19 / 31 Fotos
'The King of Comedy' - De Niro was on fire in 'The King of Comedy.' In one scene, he used anti-Semitic slurs against co-star Jerry Lewis, to provoke him into a memorable performance.
© BrunoPress
20 / 31 Fotos
'The King of Comedy' - It paid off. Lewis apparently had little experience with method actors, and said "I forgot the cameras were there... I was going for Bobby's throat."
© BrunoPress
21 / 31 Fotos
'The Untouchables' - De Niro didn't have long before they started filming 'The Untouchables.' Although he gained weight to play Al Capone, he also wore pads and pillows to bulk up.
© BrunoPress
22 / 31 Fotos
'The Untouchables' - The actor tracked down Capone's tailors, and asked for identical clothing for his wardrobe. He even insisted on having the same silk underwear, despite the fact you can't see them in the film.
© BrunoPress
23 / 31 Fotos
'Falling In Love' - In the mid-'80s, De Niro reportedly grew weary of being typecast as a mobster. He starred in different films like surreal 'Brazil' and rom-com 'Falling In Love.'
© BrunoPress
24 / 31 Fotos
'Falling In Love' - In the latter, the actor went to great lengths for authenticity. He even had business cards made for his character.
© BrunoPress
25 / 31 Fotos
'Cape Fear' - He was back to method acting in '90s thriller 'Cape Fear.' He worked out for several months and during filming, and reportedly lowered his body fat to just 3%.
© BrunoPress
26 / 31 Fotos
'Cape Fear' - Robert De Niro apparently paid a dentist a large sum to make his teeth look bad. After filming wrapped up, De Niro paid him yet again to fix them.
© BrunoPress
27 / 31 Fotos
'Cape Fear' - His character, Cady, has one creepy southern accent. De Niro apparently taped locals from southern states reading out the script, and mimicked it. It's said that he even rang up Scorsese and left voicemails in the creepy voice.
© BrunoPress
28 / 31 Fotos
'Heat' - For 'Heat,' De Niro deliberately didn't rehearse a scene with Al Pacino, playing up the unfamiliarity between the two characters.
© BrunoPress
29 / 31 Fotos
'The Good Shepherd'
- De Niro's endless commitment followed through into his directing. He couldn't play a part in 'The Departed' due to directing 'The Good Shepherd.' "I wish I could've been able to," he said. De Niro features in this list of great actor-director duos.
© BrunoPress
30 / 31 Fotos
© BrunoPress
0 / 31 Fotos
The teacher - De Niro studied with Hollywood legend Stella Adler, who taught him the all-important Stanislavski system.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
The method - The Stanislavski system (pioneered by Konstantin Stanislavski) is what's known as the "art of experiencing," and is basically an academic term for method acting.
© Public Domain
2 / 31 Fotos
The lesson - Exploring both the internal and external aspects of a role, De Niro could become the character on-set and off-set, which has led to some incredible stories and performances.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
'Mean Streets' - Robert De Niro and Richard Romanus clashed during the filming of 'Mean Streets.' This added to their on-screen rivalry, and leads up to an important climactic scene, which won't be spoiled here.
© BrunoPress
4 / 31 Fotos
'The Godfather Part II' - De Niro's turn in 'The Godfather Part II' is one for the history books. Playing a young Vito Corleone, the actor spent three months in Sicily to prepare for the role.
© BrunoPress
5 / 31 Fotos
'The Godfather Part II' - The actor has Italian roots, but he spent around four months learning the Sicilian dialect. Nearly every line he speaks is Sicilian. Of course, the hard work paid off.
© BrunoPress
6 / 31 Fotos
'Taxi Driver' - 'Taxi Driver' helped solidify De Niro as a near-perfect on-screen presence. He famously spent around 15 hours every day driving cars and preparing for the role.
© BrunoPress
7 / 31 Fotos
'Taxi Driver' - He also studied the effects of mental illness, and visited an American Army base in Northern Italy, where he taped conversations with Midwestern soldiers.
© BrunoPress
8 / 31 Fotos
'Taxi Driver' - Co-star Jodie Foster once claimed that De Niro would repeatedly ring her and ask for a coffee date. They reportedly rehearsed their dinner scene over and over, with De Niro refusing to give up.
© BrunoPress
9 / 31 Fotos
'The Last Tycoon' - De Niro was a shining star in Elia Kazan's final film, 'The Last Tycoon.' The actor apparently cut his weight down from 170 pounds (77 kg) to 128 pounds (58 kg) to play the role of Monroe Stahr.
© BrunoPress
10 / 31 Fotos
'The Last Tycoon' - Elia Kazan wasn't quiet when singing De Niro's praises. "[He] is one of a select number of actors I've directed who work hard at their trade, and the only one who asked to rehearse on Sundays. Most of the others play tennis."
© BrunoPress
11 / 31 Fotos
'New York, New York' - In 1977, the actor learned to play the saxophone to portray a sax player in 'New York, New York.' We expect nothing less.
© BrunoPress
12 / 31 Fotos
'The Deer Hunter' - Tensions were high on the set of 'The Deer Hunter,' and the tables were turned on De Niro. During filming, Christopher Walken was persuaded to spit on De Niro, who apparently nearly walked off set in rage.
© BrunoPress
13 / 31 Fotos
'The Deer Hunter' - The characters play Russian Roulette in one scene, taking turns slapping each other. The slaps were real, as was the palpable anger on the actor's faces.
© BrunoPress
14 / 31 Fotos
'The Deer Hunter' - In another scene, Robert De Niro requested a real gun to play Russian Roulette. This helped build more tension, but the chamber was checked in between every take.
© BrunoPress
15 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - In 1980, De Niro had one of his biggest performances in 'Raging Bull.' He reportedly put on 60 lb (27 kg) and learned how to box for the role.
© BrunoPress
16 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - De Niro was playing Jake Lamotta, and actually trained with the famous boxer, who apparently said De Niro had what it took to be a real contender.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - The actor went through extensive training, and even entered three Brooklyn boxing matches. With two wins, he hasn't got a bad record.
© BrunoPress
18 / 31 Fotos
'Raging Bull' - To build a brotherhood, De Niro and Joe Pesci lived and trained with each other. Since then, the two have remained friends and frequent collaborators.
© BrunoPress
19 / 31 Fotos
'The King of Comedy' - De Niro was on fire in 'The King of Comedy.' In one scene, he used anti-Semitic slurs against co-star Jerry Lewis, to provoke him into a memorable performance.
© BrunoPress
20 / 31 Fotos
'The King of Comedy' - It paid off. Lewis apparently had little experience with method actors, and said "I forgot the cameras were there... I was going for Bobby's throat."
© BrunoPress
21 / 31 Fotos
'The Untouchables' - De Niro didn't have long before they started filming 'The Untouchables.' Although he gained weight to play Al Capone, he also wore pads and pillows to bulk up.
© BrunoPress
22 / 31 Fotos
'The Untouchables' - The actor tracked down Capone's tailors, and asked for identical clothing for his wardrobe. He even insisted on having the same silk underwear, despite the fact you can't see them in the film.
© BrunoPress
23 / 31 Fotos
'Falling In Love' - In the mid-'80s, De Niro reportedly grew weary of being typecast as a mobster. He starred in different films like surreal 'Brazil' and rom-com 'Falling In Love.'
© BrunoPress
24 / 31 Fotos
'Falling In Love' - In the latter, the actor went to great lengths for authenticity. He even had business cards made for his character.
© BrunoPress
25 / 31 Fotos
'Cape Fear' - He was back to method acting in '90s thriller 'Cape Fear.' He worked out for several months and during filming, and reportedly lowered his body fat to just 3%.
© BrunoPress
26 / 31 Fotos
'Cape Fear' - Robert De Niro apparently paid a dentist a large sum to make his teeth look bad. After filming wrapped up, De Niro paid him yet again to fix them.
© BrunoPress
27 / 31 Fotos
'Cape Fear' - His character, Cady, has one creepy southern accent. De Niro apparently taped locals from southern states reading out the script, and mimicked it. It's said that he even rang up Scorsese and left voicemails in the creepy voice.
© BrunoPress
28 / 31 Fotos
'Heat' - For 'Heat,' De Niro deliberately didn't rehearse a scene with Al Pacino, playing up the unfamiliarity between the two characters.
© BrunoPress
29 / 31 Fotos
'The Good Shepherd'
- De Niro's endless commitment followed through into his directing. He couldn't play a part in 'The Departed' due to directing 'The Good Shepherd.' "I wish I could've been able to," he said. De Niro features in this list of great actor-director duos.
© BrunoPress
30 / 31 Fotos
The secrets behind Robert De Niro's best performances
The method acting behind the madness
© BrunoPress
Robert De Niro will be remembered as one of the greatest actors ever. The American star has already proved himself over the course of nearly eight decades. He's not slowing down, recently turning 76 and still churning out big performances, like the highly-anticipated 'The Irish Man.' It's high time you revisit what makes De Niro so incredible: his elaborate methods. The actor has been a pain on set for years, requesting silk underwear, bossing directors around, and using real bullets for Russian Roulette. Click on to revisit the craziest stories of De Niro's iconic career, and find out what makes his performances so pitch perfect.
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