Robert De Niro’s body of work has solidly ensconced him in cinematic history. In addition to amassing countless accolades, many of his performances have remained popular and relevant through the years. With films such as ‘The Godfather: Part II’, ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Joker,’ he has been well represented in many lists of top movies of all time, including IMDb’s Top 50.
His remarkable delivery of dialogue, both dramatic and comedic, has made many of his lines endlessly quotable, from the dark energy of “You talkin’ to me?” to the abject silliness of “I have nipples, Greg, could you milk me?”
Considering the huge impact he has had on cinema and the wider culture, it’s no surprise the SAG-AFTRA Honors and Tributes Committee chose Robert De Niro to be the 56th SAG Life Achievement Award recipient. During the awards presentation at the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, President Gabrielle Carteris called De Niro “one of the most singular talents of our generation.”
When introducing him during the telecast, Leonardo DiCaprio talked about how De Niro has used his platform to provide insight into the human condition through his performances and, off screen, to help those in need and call out injustice. “The role of an actor is to make us feel, they take us to new places, using their skills to guide us toward a deeper understanding of humanity. And for almost 50 years, Robert De Niro’s performances have done exactly that,” said DiCaprio, who co-starred with him in the 1993 film This Boy’s Life.
De Niro has a history of activism with groups like amfAR and FilmAid International, and he is known for being outspoken about his political stances. “He has used his voice to urge us all as citizens to use our vital constitutional power to vote,” DiCaprio said.
In his acceptance speech, De Niro thanked his SAG-AFTRA brothers and sisters. “I will treasure this Life Achievement Award because it comes from you, my comrades in arms, my fellow actors, my friends.” He added, “I thank SAG-AFTRA for tirelessly fighting on our behalf for workplace and economic gains and respect. And that especially bears remembering these days when there’s so much hostility toward unions.”
De Niro is unabashedly pro-union and is equally devoted to his fellow actors. He serves as a member of the exclusive SAG-AFTRA Foundation Actors’ Council alongside numerous other distinguished performers. He also co-founded Tribeca Productions and the Tribeca Film Festival.
But despite all his impressive accomplishments and a career that would be the envy of any actor, De Niro remains critical of his own work — so much so that he had reservations about receiving the Life Achievement Award.
He doesn’t like watching his old movies, and a career montage is always cued up before the recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor takes the stage at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
During a stop on the silver carpet at the Jan. 19 awards show, De Niro expressed his appreciation for being selected for the award, but also the trepidation he has for watching clips of his previous work.
“It’s nice, of course, it’s great. But looking at old movies, sometimes you can think, ‘I did that, I shouldn’t have done that. I wish I could redo it,’” he said.
While his humility is appreciated, we wouldn’t change a thing.
This item originally featured in the SAG-AFTRA magazine spring 2019 issue.