Famous actor and filmmakerRobert De Nirohas consistently appeared in some of the most renowned American films ever made, by some of the most acclaimed directors to ever do it.The Godfather Part II(1974) by Francis Ford Coppola,Goodfellas(1990) by Martin Scorsese, andHeat(1995) by Michael Mann. And as such, he’s also appeared with nearly every A-list name that Hollywood has to offer.
De Niro has been described by these friends as a rather soft-spoken, mild-mannered guy. And plenty of these real-life personas acted as tremendous foils to Robert’s more reserved nature. You should undoubtedly know most of the names on this list — if you don’t, though, that will change soon enough. Without further ado, let’s get to it with Robert De Niro’s favorite costars.
9Harvey Keitel
This is the first of De Niro’s friends on the list, and also the first who is also a close collaborator of American director Martin Scorsese. Together, the two starred inMean Streets(1973), the director’s third feature. It was De Niro’s first collaboration with Scorsese, and Keitel’s second.The triowould team up twice more down the line: first withTaxi Driver(1976), and again withThe Irishman(2019).
They also appeared together in bothFalling in Love(1984) andCop Land(1997), further establishing themselves as powerhouse friends of Hollywood. They first developed a close rapport whenHarvey Keitelconvinced De Niro to take the part as Johnny Boy inMean Streets— if he hadn’t, some of the greatest films of all time would have never come to fruition. And to return the favor, De Niro reconnected Keitel with his ex-girlfriend, and the two have been married since.
8Bill Murray
Although these two are among the most iconic and recognizable stars of their generation, Robert De Niro andBill Murrayonly collaborated on a single project together. Even still, the pair managed to make many memorable moments together the set ofMad Dog and Glory(1993).
In terms of critical evaluations: the film garnered decent reviews, with particular praise given to De Niro and Murray for their rapport. The feature received reasonable reviews and was lauded forthe chemistrybetween De Niro and Murray; a critic forThe Washington Posteven said that two’s “real-life friendship spills over into this jittery, very funny look at the male bonding experience”.
7Marlon Brando
De Niro has long citedMarlon Brandoas a primary influence onhis acting career. He’s one of De Niro’s favorite actors of all time, and that admiration shined bright in their one and only collaboration together:The Score(2001), a heist film directed by Frank Oz. The two grew close on set, and De Niro even helped Brando get through the film as he struggled with lines in his old age. However: perhaps the most obvious correlation between the two thespians is the fact that De Niro played the younger version of Vito Corleone inThe Godfather Part II(1974) by Francis Ford Coppola.
In the original film from two years prior, Brando portrayed the original iteration of Vito Corleone. And what’s more as the both actors received Academy Awards for their portrayals of the character — Best Actor for Brando, and Best Supporting Actor for De Niro. Perhaps the younger actor channeled his admiration for Brando and translated it into the highest award an actor can receive.
6Leonardo DiCaprio
Based off the memoirs of Tobias Wolfe,This Boy’s Life(1993) featured De Niro andLeonardo DiCaprioside-by-side. The two met when Leo auditioned for the film — he was only fifteen at the time, and the two have remained close friends ever since.
Oddly enough, the two have shared a fairly glaring similarity throughout their careers, as they’re boththe two most frequent collaborators of Martin Scorsese. And what’s perhaps even stranger is that despite their many individual team-ups with Scorsese, the two have never appeared alongside one another under his direction. However, withKillers of the Flower Moon(which is slated to release in 2023 but isn’t quite confirmed) the two will finally appear alongside one another in a film by Martin Scorsese. Only took them twenty years.
5Dustin Hoffman
In Barry Levinson’s legal crime dramaSleepers(1996), Robert De Niro costarred alongsideDustin Hoffman, and both received critical acclaim for their roles. A year later, they appeared in the lead roles ofWag the Dog(1997) — also directed by Barry Levinson. It was even more revered than the trio’s prior project, and even garnered Hoffman an Academy Award nomination forBest Actor. He came up short to Jack Nicholson inAs Good as It Gets(1997).
They also appeared in Jay Roach’s comedy sequelMeet the Fockers(2004), but not to any notable degree. But by dint of these three collaborations, though, the two accomplished thespians have in fact grown close throughout the years. In fact, Hoffman like to regale interviewers with a tale of how Robert De Niro was once his waiter at a benefit dinner in the late-60s. That surely provided an interesting dynamic for future collaborations.
4Robin Williams
De Niro andRobin Williamsonly starred in one movie together —Awakenings(1990), written and directed by Penny Marshall — but the two remained close friends until 2016 with Robin’suntimely death. And on the set ofAwakenings, the two shared many fond memories with one another. For instance: Williams once took his craft a bit too far and wound up breaking De Niro’s nose with his elbow. Though, it was on accident, of course.
This is a duo we all wish we could’ve seen more of, as De Niro’s more serious style of acting provides a great dynamic to the more comedic tendencies of Williams. Of course, that isn’t to say that Williams can’t perform to a poignant degree or that De Niro can’t crack a joke here and there, but still. The dynamic is clear nonetheless, and they’re two of the most popular and talented actors of their generation. They made a great pair while it lasted.
3Joe Pesci
At this point,Joe Pesciis likely the most famous on-screen costar of Robert De Niro thanks to their many collaborations together with American director Martin Scorsese. It all started with Raging Bull (1980), where the two played the brothers LaMotta: Jake (De Niro) and Tommy (Pesci). After that boxing drama cameGoodfellas(1990) — easily their most renowned film together — followed byCasino(1995) just a few years later.
And as many of you might have suspected, the two are legitimate friends. In fact, the thespians both have a close relationship with Martin Scorsese, as well, and De Niro helped the director convince Pesci to take his role inThe Irishman(2019). It was his and Bobby’s fourthcollaboration with Marty, and one that reunited the trio after more than twenty years. But Pesci and Bobby also appeared in other films together likeOnce Upon a Time in America(1984) by Sergio Leone, on top ofA Bronx Tale(1993) andThe Good Shepherd(2006) — both directed by De Niro.
Related:All 27 Crime Movies Starring Robert De Niro, Ranked
2Meryl Streep
Since appearing alongside one another in Michael Cimino’s critically acclaimed war drama calledThe Deer Hunter(1978), Robert De Niro has costarred twice more with American actressMeryl Streep. Their second collaboration was withFalling in Love(1984), and their third was withMarvin’s Room(1996). Neither of those later two were anywhere near as revered as their first project together, but their friendship nearly transcends all of their collaborations combined in terms of general popularity.
In fact, Streep cites De Niro asthe greatest inspiration of her acting career, saying “he’s been my beacon for fifty years”. She admired his early works likeBang the Drum Slowly(1972) andMean Streets(1973), and channeled that energy into a legendary career of her own. The two have said they don’t keep in touch very often over the years, but when they do get together, they’re still as close as ever.
Related:These Are Meryl Streep’s Best Performances, Ranked
1Al Pacino
Easily the most covered friendship of Robert De Niro’s life, he andAl Pacinofirst appeared in the same project (though, not on screen together) withThe Godfather Part II(1974) by Francis Ford Coppola. Over two decades later, they costarred in Michael Mann’s heist thrillerHeat(1995). And in the 21st century, they’ve collaborated on two more occasions: once withRighteous Kill(2008), directed by De Niro himself, and again withThe Irishman(2019), directed by Martin Scorsese.
As for their friendship, though: they’ve actually been close for over fifty years. Numerous questions have been asked during interviews regarding their relationship, and the widespread coverage makes sense: these are two of the biggest actors that Hollywood has to offer. And whether having a discussion at a dinner table in Heat (1995) or developing a relationship behind the camera, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino will likely be associated with one another for many years to come.
Related:Michael B Jordan and Jonathan Majors Want to Have An Al Pacino and Robert De Niro Working Relationship
