The history of cinema is incomplete without the tour de force actor Robert De Niro. The actor has graced the celluloid for 70 years, and his performances still resonate with the younger and older audience. The legendary actor has received yet another honor at the A Celebration Of Film gala hosted in Austin, Texas.
Among the many dignitaries, there was an actor par excellence. She held the audience captivated with her honorary speech to the veteran and a friend. It was Meryl Streep, who got hold of the podium at the celebration for her friend and co-actor, De Niro. Streep could not stop gushing and admiring the actor and his contribution to her life. In her speech, Meryl told the audience how Robert De Niro inspired her to become the actress that she is today.
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Meryl Streep Recalls Watching Robert De Niro For The First Time
In honor of the ‘Taxi Driver‘ actor, Harry Ransom Center organized an honorary night for him. The Center is an abode for many archives of De Niro’s personal belongings. For the 65th anniversary of the Center at the University of Texas, they arranged a Gala night to reveal and honor the actor’s body of work. At A Celebration of Film night, Meryl Streep was a keynote speaker as his co-actor and friend.
The actress incepted the speech with a little anecdote that goes back to 1973. She narrated about her struggle days and watched one of her friends Michael Moriarty featuring in a film. Meryl and her friends went to watch the film. She recalls that after two months, in the same cinema hall, with the same people, the actress witnessed the prowess of Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Mean Streets. ‘
She said, “And there’s the guy, there’s the same kid. And only he’s not slow. He’s not Southern. He’s a New York punk, absolutely mean, this fast-talking street smart guy and we were blown away. We scoured the credits and saw his name. I said, ‘Oh my God.’ He’s Italian. He’s an actor. And it really blew me away.”
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“That’s The Actor I Wanna Be”: Meryl Admired De Niro’s Artistry
Streep went on to extend a beautiful tribute to Robert De Niro. The actress who worked with him in films like ‘Falling In Love,’ and ‘The Deer Hunter’ wanted to emulate him. She said, “Over the years, people have always said to me, ‘What actress do you most admire? What actress’ career would you like to emulate?’” While Streep said has a long list of women she reveres including Geraldine Page, Colleen Dewhurst, Vanessa Redgrave, Maggie Smith, Carole Lombard, and Barbara Stanwyck, the biggest influence on her has been Robert De Niro.
She continued, “But, really, the second time I saw Robert De Niro, I said to myself, that’s the kind of actor I wanna be. That’s what I wanna do. And I wanna do it with the commitment and the passion and the skill and the beauty with which he applies to it. And he’s been my beacon for 50 years.” On a personal note, the actress highlighted the fact that there is no constant communication, but the veteran has always been present for 40 years.
She added, “He’s a man whose presence in my life for 40 years has been a consoling constant. But I don’t see him very often. We don’t chat. But I know he is, without question, always there for me and he always will be. He’s a man who lives by his loyalty to his ideals, to his country, and to the people that he loves.”
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