"You have to work toward a common ethic"- When Robert De Niro made his feelings clear about the kind of directors he liked to work with

Robert De Niro is once again set to light up the gangster movie genre with his latest input, The Alto Knights, where the veteran actor plays two roles. This makes us look back at the immense career the actor has had in the genre, working with veteran directors like Martin Scorsese and portraying some of the most iconic characters to ever grace cinema.

However, a legacy like Robert De Niro's does not come without some smart choices throughout a decades-long career. The actor spoke about his film choices in a 2012 interview with The Interview Magazine, where he spoke out about what he searches for while picking a film, and it is not only directors with big names.

Speaking on this topic, Robert De Niro said:

"I’ll work with a director if I think I’m going to get into a comfortable situation, and if it’s someone I respect and who respects me, even if they’re not so well known. Movies are hard to make, and you have to work toward a common ethic and do your best."

He added:

"You don’t want to work with people who don’t care or who are acting out some neurotic, crazy thesis on the set. Who needs it? Life is too short. But I’ve been very lucky in that area."

And it is clear that this has paid off as the actor has remained one of the biggest names in the industry since the 1970s. In this same interview, he also discussed how the dynamic was different when he was younger and less experienced.

---

"You gotta do it, because people see you, your name gets around"- Robert De Niro on picking films as a young actor

In this interview from 2012, Robert De Niro opened up about the kind of work he liked to do and the things he searched for while picking up any role. But when he was asked about what he did at the beginning of his career, he responded by saying there wasn't much reason to choose when he was younger.

Rather, he focused on getting work and getting his name around so that later in his career he could focus on only the roles that mattered to him or resonated with him, something we have seen for the last couple of decades from Robert De Niro.

He recalled:

"Yes, it was. As an actor who’s starting out, you can’t say, “Hey, I’m too good for this.” You gotta do it, because people see you, your name gets around, and it has a cumulative effect. Auditions are like a gamble. Most likely you won’t get the part, but if you don’t go, you’ll never know if you could’ve got it."

He further told a story about how he got his part in Mean Streets even though it wasn't the part that he envisioned for himself at the start. He elaborated:

"I remember when I was up for Mean Streets, I ran into Harvey Keitel in the Village—we were friends—and he’d already been cast in the movie as Charlie. I had done a couple of leads in movies before so I said, “Well, careerwise, I should be playing Charlie.” I didn’t say it like a wiseass. I was saying it sincerely, but not in a way that was threatening to him. Then Harvey said, “You knew who you should play? Johnny Boy.” And that clicked. I played Johnny. Now I say to people, “If you get a part, do it.”"

So alongside what he has to offer as an actor, Robert De Niro also has good advice to offer to younger actors.

With a solid work ethic and impressive skills, De Niro continues to dominate the industry. He will soon be seen in The Alto Knights, which premieres on March 21, 2025, in theatres.