Great actors go to great lengths to prepare for a role, and method actors—especially those trained under Lee Strasberg—take it to another level. Robert De Niro is a prime example. Widely regarded as one of the greatest living actors in Hollywood, he has spent the past five decades delivering masterful performances.
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One of the most famous stories about the two-time Oscar winner is his extreme preparation for Taxi Driver, the neo-noir drama that became a classic. To embody Travis Bickle, De Niro reportedly took a real-life job as a cab driver.
Around this time, a rumor started up that while he was on the job, a passenger recognized him—having just won an Oscar—and shockingly asked if he was driving a taxi due to a lack of work. Did this actually happen though?
“There was one time while I was working in the cab for about two weeks I looked through the rear-view mirror and the passenger could tell he said – I know that person or something and so that was the only time actually. No one looks at the cab driver. That’s a good story but that’s not the way I remember,” the veteran actor revealed on The Rich Eisen Show.
The Godfather actor did make a few bucks during his two-week stint, driving all over the city. However, his experience was surprisingly uneventful. Unlike many cab drivers in 1970s New York—a time notorious for its chaos and crime—De Niro never picked up a crazy passenger or encountered a deranged individual. Perhaps things would have played out differently if he had been sporting Travis Bickle’s iconic mohawk.
Beyond delivering great performances, two things defined De Niro’s career in the last century—his collaboration with Martin Scorsese and his on-screen partnership with Joe Pesci. One particularly famous incident took place between the two actors on the set of Raging Bull. While the cab passenger story might not have been true, this one is.
De Niro supposedly cracked Pesci’s Rib during the filming of Raging Bull
Robert De Niro portrayed the infamous boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, while Joe Pesci played his brother, Joey LaMotta. According to a well-known story, during a sparring scene between the two brothers, De Niro accidentally broke Pesci’s ribs. Rather than cutting the moment from the film, director Martin Scorsese chose to keep it.
De Niro has acknowledged that the story could be true, but he isn’t certain whether he actually broke Pesci’s ribs. He explained that while he was careful with his punches, one accidentally landed harder than intended. What he does remember for sure is that Scorsese kept the take in the final cut. Though the moment went largely unnoticed by audiences, Pesci certainly felt the impact—his pained reaction to the scene was completely real.
“That could be true. I didn’t know. I mean I was holding my punches but apparently, I did crack his rib because I was very careful. Yeah, he( Martin Scorcese) did I think. You wouldn’t notice. He might have winced more or something I’m forgetting. If Marty says he did, he did.”
This incident is a testament to De Niro’s dedication as an actor—fully immersing himself in his roles and giving everything to his craft. It’s no surprise that he had more such moments throughout his career. It also highlights Scorsese’s brilliance as a director, always striving to capture the most authentic reactions on screen.
The chemistry between Marty and De Niro is unmatched. They understood each other instinctively, knowing exactly what the other needed to bring a film to life. This deep creative bond helped cement them as one of the greatest director-actor duos in Hollywood history.
