Legendary actor Robert De Niro has had a tumultuous year, to say the least. The 80-year-old screen icon has faced personal and professional challenges that have tested his resilience and strength.
De Niro welcomed his daughter, Gia, with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen in April, bringing him joy and a new sense of purpose. However, just three months later, tragedy struck as he lost his 19-year-old grandson, Leandro, to a drug overdose.
The veteran actor’s work was also impacted by the actors’ strike, causing a months-long industry shutdown and preventing him from promoting his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon. The crime saga, which features De Niro’s best performance in years, has been highly praised by audiences and critics alike.
But the movie’s release was not the only thing delayed by the pandemic. De Niro found himself embroiled in a legal battle with a former assistant, resulting in a $1.2 million judgment against his company for gender discrimination. Despite being let off the hook personally, the situation has added to the star’s already heavy load.
In a recent interview, De Niro opened up about his challenging year, admitting that it has been a lot to handle. “I have no choice but to plow through,” he shared, choking up at the emotional toll of the past months. But amidst personal struggles, De Niro’s biggest concern is the current political climate.
“This is a classic grift,” De Niro says, referring to the administration of former president Donald Trump. “If you look at other totalitarian countries like Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, it will affect everybody in ways you can’t even imagine.”
De Niro, a longtime New Yorker, does not shy away from criticizing the former president, whom he believes has given the city a bad name. The two-time Oscar winner is known for his unabashed hostility towards Trump and has been vocal about his opposition to his policies and behavior.
Now, with a new president in office, De Niro hopes for a better future and is looking forward to the release of Killers of the Flower Moon. The film, directed by long-time collaborator Martin Scorsese, tells the chilling true story of the Reign of Terror in 1920s Oklahoma, where white settlers married and murdered wealthy Osage Nation members for their oil-rich lands. This marks De Niro’s tenth collaboration with Scorsese over the course of 50 years, making their partnership one of the most iconic in cinema history.
As he tucks into his lunch of a glass of coke and thick-cut Canadian bacon at his office in Tribeca, De Niro reflects on his journey and the challenges that have shaped his life. Despite the bumps along the way, the legendary actor remains determined to plow through, leaving behind a legacy that will undoubtedly endure for generations to come.
