The scene that humiliated Diane Keaton: “I was just such an idiot”
Even the most legendary actors can find themselves acting out rather humiliating scenes, although some are much more aware of it than others, such as Robert De Niro, who has, for some unknown reason, dedicated himself to far too many terrible movies in recent years.
With credits in classics like Taxi Driver and The Godfather Part II during the 1970s, he fast became a defining figure of the period, encapsulating this new era for mainstream American cinema by often taking on gritty roles in films where happy endings were a mere pipe dream; it seemed that he understood what made a great film.
To go from that to starring in movies as embarrassing as Dirty Grandpa, and worst of all, to be unbothered by the cringe-inducing, toe-curling excuses for jokes, or not care about the endless sexual innuendos and blatant sexism championed by the film, I guess you won’t feel humiliated if you can’t even register that what you’re doing is incredibly disconcerting.
De Niro’s New Hollywood contemporary Diane Keaton, however, seems to be much more aware of when she’s doing something with the potential to be embarrassing, although she takes it in her stride.
Maybe that’s what happens when you’ve already established yourself as an icon of the American New Wave, with credits in the likes of The Godfather and Annie Hall, so you get a free pass to spend the later years of your career rapping alongside 50 Cent, which is what Keaton ended up doing in the 2010 film Morning Glory, a surprisingly stacked romantic comedy drama which featured Harrison Ford and Jeff Goldblum, while Rachel McAdams was cast in the leading role.
Directed by Notting Hill’s Roger Michell, the film gained rather mixed reviews, certainly not a standout project for anyone involved, and when asked by Associated Press what the experience was like, she admitted, “Humiliating. And you know, I do have a daughter who is 15, and that made it even more humiliating because she thought I was just such an idiot. And she wasn’t wrong.”
The actor can only laugh about her turn rapping with the musician, which also featured cameos from other rappers Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks, who, together with 50 Cent, made up the hip hop group G-Unit, but how they ended up in the movie is another question entirely.
“That’s my rap debut, and that’s the end of me as a rapper. I won’t be working with Kanye or Jay-Z. They have not called. I would like to. I’m available, guys,” she joked.
It turns out Keaton was quite the rap fan, declaring to Ellen DeGeneres her love of certain musicians that people would perhaps not expect from her: “I like Kanye West, and I like the album that he did with Jay-Z, and I like that ‘Made It in America’. Do you know that song? God, I cry when I hear that. I love that.”
She also admitted to being moved by R&B artist Frank Ocean, also a frequent collaborator of Ye, adding, “He’s fantastic. He’s a genius. I like Frank Ocean’s ‘There Will Be Tears’ because it’s just so beautiful. It’s very moving. It’s very powerful”.
