The actor Robert De Niro thought was out of his league: “You can’t do what he could do”
History would suggest that Robert De Niro has absolutely no reason to possess even a solitary shred of doubt in his own abilities as an actor, but even legends go about their careers carrying the burden of knowing they’ll never be as good as their heroes.
Obviously, De Niro is without question one of the greatest actors in cinema history, with Raging Bull alone worthy of securing him a spot in that pantheon. It’s one of the single greatest performances that’s ever been given, and there’s not another soul, past, present, or future, who could have pulled that off.
That isn’t the only case of De Niro distributing a skill set of acting chops that most theatre schools can hope to produce in a single year group. The actor has been a part of some of the finest movies ever made, and there aren’t many moments in which he lets down the grandeur of those titles. Goodfellas, The Deer Hunter, Taxi Driver are all stand-out cinematic moments, in part, thanks to De Niro’s performance. Which, by and large, points to him being the best.
Then again, maybe the man himself would disagree, seeing as he’s been known to cower in the face of the giants who shaped him. They may have each won an Academy Award for playing the same character before later going on to become friends and one-time co-stars, but De Niro never lost the sense of amazement and awe-inspiring wonder instilled in him by Marlon Brando.
He’s not alone in that belief when so many heavyweights of thespianism have turned him into something approximating a deity, with De Niro unwavering in his opinion that there wasn’t anyone who could come close to touching the transformative method man as the best there’s ever been.
Many stars of a more modern persuasion would put De Niro in that company, not that he’d be willing to accept such praise when he doesn’t consider himself a legend at all. Instead, he’s just a guy that does the job. True, yes, but when that work encompasses decades of top-tier performances and iconic character work, it becomes a package deal.
A star that burned brightly for a tragically short period of time was another touchstone, with De Niro captivated by the three film credits of James Dean. He only had East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant to his name before being killed at the age of only 24, but that was enough time to accrue a pair of Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe wins and a lasting legacy.
“When you saw James Dean do East of Eden, he was great,” De Niro said. “But you can’t do what he could do.” He was a truly unique talent often replicated and imitated but never bettered, using what small amount of time he had to carve out a spot in history as one of the most influential and enduring figures in Hollywood history.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes, and while De Niro has racked up well over 100 credits and kept on delivering the goods for more than 50 years, at no point has he ever thought he could walk so much as a step in Dean’s shoes, never mind a mile.
That goes to show a few things. Firstly, that Dean’s talent truly was worthy of his seemingly everlasting iconography and that, behind the burning smoulder and the archetypal look, Dean was a supremely well-rounded performer. And, perhaps most importantly, that when you come to be as good as De Niro you recognise that some things remain beyond your realm.
