Robert De Niro reveals true story behind famous…
Robert De Niro has shared the backstory behind one of essentially the most unforgettable moments in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 masterpiece “Taxi Driver,” revealing that the long-lasting scene was partially improvised.
During an look on “Live with Kelly and Mark” on Thursday, the 81-year-old actor recalled how some of the best moments in movie come from spontaneous improvisation. “Some of the best stuff, not always, is when it’s improvised,” De Niro instructed hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.
In “Taxi Driver,” De Niro’s portrayal of disturbed cabbie Travis Bickle birthed one of essentially the most memorable scenes in cinema historical past: standing in entrance of a mirror, Bickle talks to himself and factors a gun at his reflection as he imagines going through off with a foe.
TAXI DRIVER, Robert De Niro, 1976 Everett Collection / Everett Collection
TAXI DRIVER, Robert De Niro, 1976 ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Co / Everett Collection
“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin’ to?” De Niro, as Bickle, famously calls for of his invisible adversary. “You talkin’ to me? Well, I’m the only one here. Who the f–k do you think you’re talking to?”
During his chat with Ripa and Consuelos, De Niro mentioned that the scene wasn’t fully scripted. “The producer [of the film] … said on some show that Marty had said it was all improvised. We had something [on the page], I forget exactly but Marty remembers a lot better than I do,” the actor shared.
Robert De Niro on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” Feb. 20, 2025. ABC
Robert De Niro on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” Feb. 20, 2025. ABC
Robert De Niro on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” Feb. 20, 2025. ABC
“It seemed right,” De Niro added, reflecting on the second. “It was done spontaneously. You don’t know what’s going to [happen]. That’s the fun of working, especially with someone like Marty Scorsese. It’s nice to be able to go here and there, go off, following the scene or the thrust of the story, but you can go here and there. You never know when that stuff is usable.”
De Niro’s efficiency in “Taxi Driver” earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The trophy ended up going to the late Peter Finch for his function in “Network.”
TAXI DRIVER, Robert De Niro, 1976 Everett Collection / Everett Col
In 2003, Bickle was ranked because the thirtieth best film villain in film historical past by the American Film Institute of their “AFI 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains” listing.
Although plans for a “Taxi Driver” sequel had been mentioned within the early 2000s, with De Niro and Scorsese working with screenwriter Paul Schrader, the project was finally deserted in 2013 when the famous director grew dissatisfied with the script.
Robert De Niro attends “A Bronx Tale” screening during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre on June 17, 2023 in New York City. Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
Nearly 50 years since “Taxi Driver,” De Niro’s efficiency continues to affect movie and well-liked tradition. When the “Goodfellas” star made a cameo in a “Debbie Downer” sketch on Sunday’s “SNL 50: The Anniversary Special,” Debbie (Rachel Dratch) responded to De Niro’s request for a straw by asking, “You talking to me? You talking to me?”
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