( APPLAUSE )
THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," EVERYBODY.
FOLKS, MY FIRST GUEST IS A TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD WINNER
AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL, WHICH
RETURNS TOMORROW FOR ITS 21st YEAR.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," ROBERT DE NIRO!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: IT IS-- IT IS SO
NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK.
YOU REALLY CLASS UP A PLACE.
>> WELL, THAT'S VERY-- VERY NICE OF YOU.
>> Stephen: I'M A VERY NICE PERSON.
>> YOU ARE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
>> YOU ARE.
>> Stephen: YOU EVIDENTLY JUST NOTICED THAT I'M A NICE PERSON.
>> NO, I'VE KNOWN THAT FOR A WHILE.
I'VE ALWAYS LIKED YOU.
>> Stephen: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
I HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOU IN PERSON.
YOU WERE ON COVID OVER ZOOM, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN PERSON IN
A COUPLE OF YEARS.
HOW ARE YOU HOLDING TOGETHER?
>> EVERYTHING IS MOVING ALONG.
IT'S REALLY NICE THAT IT'S OVER-- NOT OVER, HOPEFULLY IT'S
GETTING-- BECOMING OVER.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH, WE'VE BEEN FOOLED COUPLE OF TIMES
BEFORE, YEAH.
WHAT ABOUT-- I KNOW YOU HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF-- YOU HAVE
EMOTIONS ABOUT POLITICS.
YOU HAVE THOUGHTS, OF COURSE, FIRST.
THOSE STIR EMOTIONS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME ANXIETY ABOUT THE STATE OF POLITICS IN
THE UNITED STATES.
HAVING A NEW GUY AT 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, DO YOU
SLEEP ANY BETTER AT NIGHT?
>> YES.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
HE'S-- YOU KNOW, HE GOT US INTO CALM WATERS.
THAT WAS ALWAYS THE IDEA.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
>> HE'S DOING A VERY GOOD JOB.
IT'S A TOUGH ONE.
I COULDN'T IMAGINE-- I CAN IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS.
I HAVE DECISIONIN MY OWN PERSONAL LIFE, BUT I IMAGINE
WHAT HE GOES THROUGH IS 100 TIMES THAT.
AND SO-- NO, HE'S DOING THE BEST HE CAN, AND WE'VE GOT TO GET
THROUGH A BAD PERIOD, PERIOD.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
IT'S GRADUATION SEASON.
ONE THING YOU AND I HAVE HAD IN COMMON, WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF
GRADUATION, COMMENCEMENT ADDRESSES OVER THE YEARS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU LIKE TO GIVE?
I GAVE SOME ADVICE TONIGHT.
I JUST TOLD A YOUNG LADY OVER HERE.
I SAID, "DON'T WORRY.
IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP."
AND I'M CURIOUS-- WHAT KIND OF ADVICE WOULD YOU TO HAVE GOTTEN?
>> I THINK I GOT-- YOU CAN'T GIVE ADVICE REALLY AT THE END OF
THE DAY.
YOU'RE OUT THERE ON YOUR OWN.
AND I GUESS -- >> Stephen: THAT'S THE ADVICE?
( LAUGHTER )
"GOOD LUCK!" >> I TELL ANY ACTOR, AND I TELL
MY OWN KIDS, IF YOU'RE READING FOR SOMETHING, JUST ASSUME
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE PART, AND THAT WILL FREE YOU.
IF ANYTHING, IT WILL FREELY YOU TO MAKE A BOLDER CHOICE MAYBE.
AND WHAL HAPPEN, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVEN THE DIRECTOR
WATCHING YOU DO THE READING, IT'S THE CASTING DIRECTOR,
BECAUSE THEY-- THEY WORK WITH DIRECTORS ALL THE TIME.
SO IF THEY SEE YOU DO SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING AND
BOLD, THEY'LL TELL THE DIRECTOR OF ANOTHER PROJECT THEY'RE
WORKING ON.
"WELL, MAYBE THIS ACTOR IS NOT QUITE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
THEY'RE INTERESTING AND YOU SHOULD MEET THEM."
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> Stephen: HE HAS AN INTERESTING QUALITY, THIS ACTOR,
WHERE HE DOESN'T THINK HE'S EVER GOING TO HAVE ANYTHING GOOD
HAPPEN FOR HIM.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER GO IN AS A YOUNG ACTOR GO IN AND SAY,
"I'M NOT GOING TO GET THIS"?
>> NO, IT'S NOT EASY BUT YOU DO ASSUME YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET
IT.
I'VE READ FOR THINGS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND I'VE
DONE IT EVERY WHICH WAY TO THE POINT ABSURDITY.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY JUST WANTED SOMEBODY-- I WASN'T
QUITE RIGHT NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICED IT, SO THEY GOT SOMEBODY
WITH A NAME VALUE, AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
>> Stephen: ROBERT De NIRO, DOESN'T HAVE--
>> NOT THEN.
WHEN I WAS IN MY EARLY 20.
>> Stephen: YOUNG ROBERT De NIRO.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD THIS EXPERIENCE, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
AND A STRUGGLING ACTOR TRYING TO REALLY BE AN ACTOR, AS OPPOSED
TO WHATEVER THIS IS.
( LAUGHTER )
THIS IS.
IS THAT I ALWAYS FELT WHEN I WAS WORKING, OF COURSE I'M GOING TO
KEEP WORKING.
I'M AN ACT OF A WORKING ACTOR.
BUT THE MINUTE I WASN'T WORKING, "I'LL NEVER WORK AGAIN.
THE.
THAT WAS THE FEELING.
THAT WAS THE ANXIETY.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T HAVE THAT FEELING.
I MEAN, I JUST DIDN'T.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: BOB, I'M GETTING THE FEELING YOU DIDN'T HAVE A
LOT OF FEELINGS.
>> I DIDN'T HAVE ANY FEELINGS.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE DEAD INSIDE.
>> I'M DEAD INSIDE.
I WALKED THROUGH IT ALL.
NO, YOU ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT THING, HOPING IT'S--
THE EXCITEMENT OF SOMETHING NEW COMING ALONG.
NOT LIKE YOU HAD A JOB AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN "WHAT AM I GOING
TO DO NEXT?
I ALWAYS FELT VERY OPTIMISTIC.
I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I JUST DID.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME
BACK, I WILL ASK ROBERT De NIRO ABOUT A REUNION OF THE CAST
AND DIRECTOR OF "HEAT" AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL.
STICK AROUND.