Robert De Niro Signature Role (1 Viewer)

[belljr]

Im sure this has been done before but in the interest of doing something, I am going to start some polls.  We shall vote on the actor/actress "signature role".  I know many actors and actresses have multiple roles associated to them but you can choose just one as that actors "best/defining/signature" role.   Use whatever criteria you like, you think that person what role identifies them.

I'll start with an actor that could be "identified" by multiples!@#!

Discuss?  Debating on a write in/other vote

 

[zamboni]

Could go in so many directions and be correct, but I'd say Travis Bickle stands out the most.

 

[MAC_32]

Conway and Cady immediately came to mind, but my age (37) probably plays a big role in that. 

 

[Dr. Octopus]

With his career, it's hard to call any his signature role.

 

[Sullie]

I voted Midnight Run but I did that just because that movie is so damn good yet so underrated.  If I'm being honest, I think he's just too good of an actor to nail down to one specific role in one movie.  To me it's a lot like saying Dave Chappelle's signature joke is this, you wouldn't say that because Chappelle is bigger than one joke much like DeNiro is bigger than one role.

 

[Gally]

I have only seen 3 of those movies so I went with Midnight Run as it was my favorite of the three.

 

[whoknew]

I have only seen 3 of those movies so I went with Midnight Run as it was my favorite of the three.

I'd recommend watching all of them. Except for Cape Fear. I didn't like that one.

 

[Grahamburn]

He needs a cutoff tier.  He's had several roles later in his career that have been iconic as well. 

 

[bostonfred]

I was the lone voter for Heat, because it's the first one I saw and I always remember him from that.  It shouldn't be his signature role because the reason it was such a big deal when he met Pacino in the diner in Heat was that they'd never been onscreen sat the same time despite being known as legendary actors, so he'd obviously had some iconic roles by that point.

What would be interesting is to see someone whose first deniro movie was meet the parents, and then saw him in one of his serious roles and was like, wait a minute, thats the i have nipples Greg can you milk me guy, right?  What the #### is he doing in a mob movie?

 

[wikkidpissah]

Travis Bickle established the powder keg behind the smile (yes, the menace) and is the fuse to all his subsequent roles. Those who want to see how that character works without an explosive ending should check out the very underrated New York, New York.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

His character in The Deerhunter carried that film. It had an excellent supporting cast, but he was the anchor.

 

[El Floppo]

Travis Bickle established the powder keg behind the smile (yes, the menace) and is the fuse to all his subsequent roles. Those who want to see how that character works without an explosive ending should check out the very underrated New York, New York.

Are you talkin to me?

Yeah. It's the one that jumps to mind for me immediately, in spite of all the other worthy contenders.

Next one is Rupert Pupkin.

 

[El Floppo]

His character in The Deerhunter carried that film. It had an excellent supporting cast, but he was the anchor.

This. This is this.

 

[AAABatteries]

My link

 

[AAABatteries]

BTW, that's not my answer - just wanted to link that.

I vote Vito - that's what I first think of when I hear his name or picture him.

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

Raging Bull is probably one of his best movies that didn't end up defining his future roles. you could say he got typecasted out of certain roles and maybe i need to go back and watch it again, it has been decades, but i don't remember anything from his character out of Raging Bull that had much influence on his later roles. never saw cape fear, so there's that.

 

[bryhamm]

Loved his performance in Cape Fear, but for signature role it has to be Taxi Driver

 

[Man In The Box]

What would be interesting is to see someone whose first deniro movie was meet the parents, and then saw him in one of his serious roles and was like, wait a minute, thats the i have nipples Greg can you milk me guy, right?  What the #### is he doing in a mob movie?

This was my son’s reaction when we introduced him to Goodfellas. 

 

[El Floppo]

For me, from that list I eliminate Heat and Cape Fear...and oddly enough GF2 (which I think of for the other actors more than him).

The rest...equally deserving.

 

[SWC]

i vote other i loved him as agustus macrae in lonesome dove so that gets my vote take that to the we dont rent pigs bank brohans 

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Other:  Gil Renard - The Fan

 

[Capella]

How is anybody selecting anything other than GFII? Guy spent 4 months learning Sicilian dialect just to perfect the role. One of the most masterful acting performances in one of the greatest movies ever. Shocked only a few people voted for it. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Maybe not his best, but the dual roles in King of Comedy and Joker.  First as the talk show guest and then as the talk show host, 37 years apart.

 

[nirad3]

I probably already knew this, but have for some reason not known the backstory/reason.... his name in Goodfellas is "James Conway"?  I thought he portrayed an Italian in that movie, guess not.  Something to research.

 

[Don Quixote]

I don't think Taxi Driver was his best performance, but, when I hear his name, the first thing that pops into my head is "You talkin' to me?"

 

[belljr]

I probably already knew this, but have for some reason not known the backstory/reason.... his name in Goodfellas is "James Conway"?  I thought he portrayed an Italian in that movie, guess not.  Something to research.

It's why he couldn't be "made"....he wasn't Italian

 

[nirad3]

It's why he couldn't be "made"....he wasn't Italian

Ahhhh now I remember.  Sounds like I need a rewatch.

 

[El Floppo]

How is anybody selecting anything other than GFII? Guy spent 4 months learning Sicilian dialect just to perfect the role. One of the most masterful acting performances in one of the greatest movies ever. Shocked only a few people voted for it. 

You could argue he dedicated himself even more for Raging Bull.

For me, if I think of GF 1 or 2, I think of Brando, Caan, Pacino, Duvall, Keaton...along with Deniro, and all the others. For it to be his definitive role, to me he'd have had to own the movie. He was awesome, no doubt, but he's one of the cast. The other movies are defined by him.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I probably already knew this, but have for some reason not known the backstory/reason.... his name in Goodfellas is "James Conway"?  I thought he portrayed an Italian in that movie, guess not.  Something to research.

No. That's why he couldn't be a made guy.

 

[Sputnikv8]

Since The Untouchables is my most rewatched film of his, that comes to my mind. 
 

“Enthusiasms”

But, signature role has to be Taxi Driver.  

 

[Ghost Rider]

Travis is probably the pick over Vito. He was THE star of Taxi Driver,  but wasn’t of GF2, and it seems to make more sense to pick a role from a film that he dominated. Taxi Driver isn’t one of my favorite films of his, but there’s no denying how iconic that role was.  

 

[simey]

I probably already knew this, but have for some reason not known the backstory/reason.... his name in Goodfellas is "James Conway"?  I thought he portrayed an Italian in that movie, guess not.  Something to research.

The James Conway character is somewhat based on Jimmy Burke "Jimmy the Gent" in real life. He was Irish American. 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Taxi Driver.

Godfather II, Heat, Goodfellas, etc. all would have been great films without DeNiro.  Taxi Driver doesn't exist without DeNiro.

 

[bostonfred]

You could argue he dedicated himself even more for Raging Bull.

For me, if I think of GF 1 or 2, I think of Brando, Caan, Pacino, Duvall, Keaton...along with Deniro, and all the others. For it to be his definitive role, to me he'd have had to own the movie. He was awesome, no doubt, but he's one of the cast. The other movies are defined by him.

That's completely fair but I don't think it should be disqualifying, it's also considered one of the best, if not the best, movies of all time.  I think you can make a good case that Val Kilmer's signature role is doc Holliday and that kurt Russell's is Wyatt in the same movie. Or Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. (Just to name a couple movies that are popular with guys our age). 

 

[El Floppo]

That's completely fair but I don't think it should be disqualifying, it's also considered one of the best, if not the best, movies of all time.  I think you can make a good case that Val Kilmer's signature role is doc Holliday and that kurt Russell's is Wyatt in the same movie. Or Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. (Just to name a couple movies that are popular with guys our age). 

Wrong.

 

[Capella]

You could argue he dedicated himself even more for Raging Bull.

For me, if I think of GF 1 or 2, I think of Brando, Caan, Pacino, Duvall, Keaton...along with Deniro, and all the others. For it to be his definitive role, to me he'd have had to own the movie. He was awesome, no doubt, but he's one of the cast. The other movies are defined by him.

That’s fair but Deniro to me is GF2. I thought he totally owned that movie but I agree there were other great roles of course. 

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

Voted Taxi Driver but shoutout to his role as Lorenzo The Bus Driver