Robert De Niro revealed that he didn’t think Taxi Driver would go on to become a classic. He shared that he never thought about the movie in terms of being a success, as he believed it’s a factor that’s not under anyone’s control. Previously, he also detailed the story behind an iconic scene from Martin Scorsese’s movie, claiming that it was partially improvised.
Robert De Niro on how Taxi Driver surprised him
During a recent interview with Page Six, De Niro revealed that he never predicted the success of Taxi Driver and the impact it would create years down the line. He said, “You never can think that you’re doing something that’s going to have an impact.”
He claimed that he never looked at the movie that way, revealing that success is “out of your control.” While Scorsese’s creation is hailed as a classic, it also sparked a lot of controversy back then. It came under scrutiny for casting a 12-year-old as a sex worker, graphic violence, and a controversial ending.
Previously, during a conversation on Live with Kelly and Mark, the Amsterdam actor shared insights into the famous mirror scene in Taxi Driver. He said that “some of the best stuff” often comes out of improvisation.
Revealing that the scene was partially improvised, he elaborated, “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.”
He mentioned that the mirror scene felt “right” to him and was done “spontaneously.” He revealed that the unpredictability of how something is going to pan out is the beauty of working with Martin Scorsese.
“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,” he elaborated.
Originally reported by Shazmeen Navrange on ComingSoon.
