A lifelong New Yorker, De Niro was born in Greenwich Village to the painters Virginia Admiral and Robert De Niro Sr.
In addition to his Oscar for The Godfather Part II, De Niro won a Best Actor Oscar for his work in Scorsese's Raging Bull. The film was also a surprise box office powerhouse that nabbed a Best Oscar nomination for DeNiro.ĭe Niro also collaborated with Martin Scorsese on the films Mean Streets, New York, New York, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, and Casino. Taxi Driver did more to make DeNiro a star than even his earlier Oscar-winning performance. Indeed, Robert De Niro was so firmly rooted in the character of Travis Bickle that the scene in which Travis talks to himself in the mirror, and says the iconic line, "You talking to me?" was completely improvised and made the final cut.
Having studied Method acting with renowned acting coach Stella Adler, DeNiro was so committed to getting the role of Travis Bickle right that he would actually spend 12-hour shifts driving a cab through New York to prepare for a role. Having just won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Godfather Part II, De Niro was a hot commodity in Hollywood at the time of filming, and proved his versatility with the iconoclastic and complex part of Travis Bickle. Hollywood star Robert De Niro has frequently collaborated with Martin Scorsese throughout his career, and Taxi Driver was his first starring role in a Scorsese film, having appeared in a supporting role in Mean Streets before this.