He made his big screen debut in 1969!

'The Irishman': This Is What Robert De Niro Looked Like Back In The Day

Robert De Niro got famous early into his career in Hollywood and became one of the stars of his generation when he won the Academy Award for Godfather: Part II. These days, he is known for his roles in movies such as Silver Linings Playbook and Joker. But what did he look like back in the day?

Robert De Niro (76) is an actor, director and producer who has won two Academy Awards. Since the mid-seventies, he has appeared in countless film classics and is one of the leading character actors in Hollywood.

The actor has had a great success in recent years with movie hits like Silver Linings Playbook, in which he starred with Jennifer Lawrence (29) and Bradley Cooper (44). His performance brought him a Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 2015, he starred alongside Anne Hathaway (37) in the comedy The Intern as the intern "Ben Whittaker".

Robert De Niro back in the day

But Robert De Niro was already an absolute superstar early on in his career. He made his feature film debut in 1969 in Brian de Palma's The Wedding Party. Soon after, in 1973, he won the New York Film Critics Award as Best Actor for the movie Bang the Drum Slowly.

Robert De Niro reached the peak of his career with Godfather: Part II - in 1975, he won his first Oscar for his portrayal of "Vito Corleone". He received the award for the portrayal of the same character that Marlon Brando had already played in The Godfather. Brando had also won the Oscar for his role, which is why he is often referred to as Marlon Brando's heir.

Robert won his second Academy Award for his portrayal of the boxer Jake LaMotta in the 1981 movie Raging Bull - this time as Best Actor in a Leading Role. De Niro prepared for the role in meticulous fashion and even packed on 60 pounds of weight before shooting.

Robert De Niro Today

And Robert De Niro is still going strong today. In 2019, De Niro appeared in Joker as late night talk show host "Murray Franklin". His current project is The Irishman, in which he stars as "Frank Sheeran". The project, directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, reunites De Niro with his friends and former co-stars Joe Pesci, Al Pacino and Harvey Keitel.