04/07/2025
Robert De Niro has had a legendary career, so narrowing it down is tough—but here are his top 3 films that are often considered his most iconic:
🎬 1. Raging Bull (1980)
De Niro plays real-life boxer Jake LaMotta in a raw, intense performance that won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. He physically transformed for the role, gaining weight to portray LaMotta later in life. The film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is a gritty, emotional deep-dive into rage, jealousy, and redemption.
🎬 2. Taxi Driver (1976)
As Travis Bickle, a mentally unstable Vietnam vet, De Niro delivered one of the most haunting performances in film history. With the iconic line “You talkin’ to me?”, this dark, moody Scorsese film became a cultural touchstone and cemented De Niro’s status as a generational talent.
🎬 3. The Godfather Part II (1974)
In this epic crime saga, De Niro played young Vito Corleone, a role originally portrayed by Marlon Brando. De Niro won his first Oscar (Best Supporting Actor) for it, speaking mostly in Italian and brilliantly capturing Vito’s rise to power with subtlety and gravitas.