Robert De Niro has opened up about the 'worst' experience of his 60-year career, describing a 'toxic' Hollywood role that was ultimately scrapped.
Career highlights
Throughout an acting career spanning six decades, the 83-year-old has become a household name. He first appeared on screen in The Wedding Party in 1963, although it wasn't released until 1969. This came after years of school stage productions as a child, which led him to leave school at 16 to pursue acting.
De Niro has earned two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe, as well as nominations for eight BAFTA Awards and four Emmy Awards. His first Oscar was for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, while he won his second for Best Actor portraying Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull.
The 'worst' experience
In a social media video, it was revealed that after his breakout role in Taxi Driver, De Niro signed on to star in Neil Simon's comedy Bogart Slept Here, directed by Mike Nichols. The film's storyline follows a young actor adjusting to sudden fame after winning an Academy Award, written as a satire on Hollywood's obsession with stardom.
"On paper, it was a dream match. With Simon's witty dialogue with De Niro's rising star power," the video said. "But just a few days into filming, cracks show. De Niro's intense, method-driven style, perfect for tortured loners, clashed with Simon's breezy comedic tone."
Nichols and Simon soon realised the role required charm rather than the brooding intensity De Niro was bringing, leading to the project being scrapped. After De Niro left, Richard Dreyfuss stepped in, inspiring Simon to reshape the script into what became The Goodbye Girl.
De Niro's reflection
Reflecting years later during a conversation with Quentin Tarantino at the Tribeca Film Festival, De Niro said he took some of the blame but also described a toxic environment on set. "I didn't know certain types of things, it was a certain type of comedy – Neil Simon - the timing had to be a certain way, I didn't feel enthused by it," he shared.
"I shot for about two weeks. It was the worst," he said. "You can't make them happy, and they're not happy, and you're kind of feeling that. So this was one of them."
As for how he was told he was dropped, he shared: "I was sitting in my camper, you feel this dread. I was going to offer my salary to keep us going for another week of rehearsals. [Nichols] said 'I think we're going to have to end it.' He felt terrible. He was really upset."
Aftermath
The Goodbye Girl, released in 1977, became a runaway hit, winning Dreyfuss an Oscar for best actor, making him the youngest winner at the time. While De Niro lost out on this role, his acting career continued to cinematic greatness that persists today.
