Biographic - Sunday May 24, 2015 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

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Robert DeNiro Routinely hailed as one of the greatest actors in cinema history, Robert De Niro has earned a reputation throughout his career for unparalleled commitment to his art. He famously gained 60 pounds to play boxer Jake La Motta in 1980's "Raging Bull" and had his teeth surgically altered to his body tattooed with a vegetable dye (that took months to fade) for 1991's "Cape Fear." Born in New York on August 17, 1943, the son of respected artists, his earliest role was The Cowardly Lion in a local production of "The Wizard Of Oz." when he was 10 years old. By the age of 16, he was touring in a production of Chekhov's "The Bear." He honed his craft in off-Broadway productions and theater workshops before breaking into films in the late '60s. Two movies released in 1973 "Mean Streets" and "Bang The Drum Slowly" established De Niro as a rising star. The following year, he starred as the young Vito Corleone in "The Godfather: Part II," a role that earned him the Academy Award for best-supporting actor. Following their work together on "Mean Streets." De Niro collaborated with director Martin Scorsese, on some of the cinema's great landmarks. 1976, "Taxi Driver" earned him an Oscar nomination, as did "Cape Fear" and he won his second Oscar for "Raging Bull" they also worked together on "New York, New York." "The King of Comedy" "GoodFellas" and "Casino." He has worked with many other notable directors- with Brian De Palma on "The Untouchables" with Bernardo Bertolucci on "1990" and Sergio Leone on "Once Upon A Time In America." 1978's haunting Vietnam war movie "The Deer Hunter," directed by Michael Cimino, earned him another Oscar nomination. De Niro has always known great versatility, from the monstrous father in "This Boy's Life" to the actual monster in "Mary Shelly's Frankenstein" from such lighter fare as "Meet The Parents" and it's sequels to the fantasy of "Stardust" he played the devil in "Angel, Heart," Fearless Leader in "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," and a shark in the animated romp "Shark Tale." The veteran shows no signs of slowing down. He appeared in four movies released in 2012, and six in 2003! Although last year's output was restricted including a biopic of boxer Robert Duran, in which he plays legendary trainer Ray Arcel. Founder of the Tribeca film festival. De Niro also directs and is a high-powered producer, ensuring his place in the pantheon of movie legends!

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