The actor Robert De Niro refused to share a scene with: “There was a little situation”
As one of cinema’s pre-eminent living legends, Robert De Niro instantly commands a huge amount of respect, sway, and influence whenever he steps onto a film set, which isn’t always beneficial to the people around him.
He’s never been tarred with the ‘difficult’ brush on too many occasions, though, despite his status as one of the method’s most famous and committed practitioners. The two-time Academy Award winner has always been regarded as a consummate professional, but that doesn’t mean he won’t put his foot down.
Obviously, he’s not going to make demands and throw his toys out of the pram when he’s making shit comedies like Dirty Grandpa or laughable thrillers like Righteous Kill, but when a picture has a bit of prestige about it, and De Niro is taking things seriously, he won’t hesitate to make his voice heard.
One such incident occurred during the making of David O Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, a return to form for the Godfather and Deer Hunter icon that earned him his first ‘Best Supporting Actor’ nomination at the Oscars since he played Vito Corleone, and his first nod of any kind in over 20 years.
The romantic dramedy earned the rare distinction of having all four of its top-billed stars shortlisted in the acting categories, with Jennifer Lawrence the only winner, but a member of the supporting cast who doubles as a certified legend outside of Hollywood had to beg and plead for the chance to share a scene with the legend.
With over 500 films to his name in a career that dates back to the early 1980s, it would be an understatement to call Anupam Kher a well-known name in Bollywood circles. He’d been in a few American flicks, but not enough to place him on an equal footing to De Niro. At least, that’s the way his stepson and fellow actor, Sikandar Kher, put it.
“Robert De Niro is my father’s favourite,” he explained. “And he got a chance to work with him on Silver Linings Playbook. And there was a little situation on set. During rehearsal, De Niro thought that my father shouldn’t be in the scene. He felt that his character wouldn’t let my dad’s character in the house because he didn’t like him.”
Kher’s Cliff Patel was the therapist and friend of Bradley Cooper’s Pat Solitano Jr, and De Niro didn’t think it would be in keeping with the film’s established dynamics to have the two of them in the same scene. Refusing to miss out on the chance to work with his hero, though, “he went and gave the director a piece of his mind in front of the whole set.”
“My father is nobody there, he’s from Indiana,” Kher added. “He could’ve lost that part. But he went there and just did it, and held onto his self-respect.” Initially, De Niro vetoed his presence altogether, but when his deposed counterpart took his concerns directly to Russell, he took one for the team.
