Taxi Driver : De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

LOL
The most pretentious..
And if he played a homeless man; he would prepare by sleeping on the sidewalk to know how to lay down on the sidewalk; prepare for a dry-cleaner by waiting on customers at a dry cleaners; prepare as a busboy by studying how to pick up dishes..
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Robert De Niro worked fifteen hour days for a month driving cabs as preparation for this role. He also studied mental illness.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

De Niro, is a famous actor though, has innate intelligence and he knows how to give of himself. Source of contention for you?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

I have heard that story too and I have seen his hack license on-line.

As I mentioned in my other post, driving that many hours per day may be possible but I doubt many people could do it for an extended period of time. (A month, yes, that could be done.)

One thing De Niro could have not experienced, however (and he might have realized this): the feeling you get after about three or four months when you realize that you are committed to the job for a while because you need the money. That was an uncomfortable moment. As Wizard said, I think: "You do the job, you become the job."

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

at any rate, it is a pretentious act based on a pretentious notion that "living" the role must enhance your performance. Or should I say, plain silly. If Deniro worked as a gas station attendant who went psycho, he needs to work as a gas station attendant to get just the right "feel" for pumping gas and saying "what will it be, fill her up?" to customers?

In other words, it is only in HIS cocky mind that it makes a difference. I think some actors need to act-out scenarios to make them think they are more then mere actor, but nobody is downplaying actors as "mere"; that's may be in his mind (and others like him. Well, I'm glad he got good at downshifting his taxi to feel more genuine.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

I'm reminded of a story about Marathon Man (which I would have to confirm; I forgot the original source of this). Supposedly Dustin Hoffman stayed up all night to look sleepy. Laurence Olivier said to him, "It would be so much easier if you just learned how to act."

I don't care if De Niro or some other actor decides to take a job for "preparation." It's his time, and he did earn a few extra bucks that month. I don't know enough about acting to say whether that kind of thing makes a difference. I'm sure that even a month of that was pretty vivid, although as I said it's different when you know that it's all just temporary.

Then again, my year in the business was different from people who spend a lifetime in it. I just read about a New York driver who is 73-years old. Give that guy some credit.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

I heard he enjoyed being a cabby so much he was seriously considering giving up the acting lark.

"Are you speaking to me?" - Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver)

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

I'm impressed. I considered quitting on the first day.

I suppose when I decided not to I had to focus on what I was doing and that was, perhaps, a kind of challenge for a while. Maybe that's what De Niro felt during his month on the job.

I don't the man, but I still suspect after six months he would have been eager to get back to acting.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Yes, he tended to become committed to anything he turned his hand to in those days. But movie fans should be relieved that he stuck with the day job and turned in some great screen performances before he eventually decided to stop acting for good in 1995 :)

"Are you speaking to me?" - Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver)

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Do you have a source?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

pretentious nonsense. And what would have been different of him driving a cab (a car) if he didn't "prepare" driving around in a taxi? And all those drivers (actors) in films who didn't prepare made some arty difference?
It's kind of funny when you think about it. I wish people questioned la' actors, instead of just feeling engaged by whatever they say

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Method acting makes a huge difference. All of the best actors are method actors.

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Ignore what people say; freely state your opinion and be proud of it :)

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

You're obviously not an actor. Whatever it takes to help them with the role provided it's not illegal.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Obviously you don't know what I am, or much about the myth/pretentiousness of some acting/actors laid upon impressible fans like yourself who need to defend their idol. Illegal? WTF?

Hey..I have a role for you! You play a boy who takes dips into the lake with your dog. Now, practice all day long on playing in the water to get the role down. Good boy

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Again, you're clearly no actor. but far more likely a frustrated no-talent wannabe who can't get to square one, so you attack actors with obvious talent out of jealousy. I'm not defending anyone. Frankly I don't give a rat's butt what any actor does to prepare for a role (again, providing it's legal). What matters is the result on screen. Your obsessive negative harping on it points to some really deep-rooted self-esteem issues. Maybe your next role should be the envy-filled loser who finally decides to seek therapy.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

I heard a commentary that an fellow actor took a NYC cab and noticed it was DeNiro behind the wheel. Startled, he asks "Is that THAT bad out there?"

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

If that story's true, it's a great one.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Martin Scorsese's commentary is on Youtube and the story about just after the 1/2 way point. Worth a listen for an fan of the movie, or movies in general.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

nope, you're wrong, asshole.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

He did that not to learn how to drive a cab, but to get in the mindset of someone who would do that job for 15 hours a day. He wanted to feel what it was like doing that, and it prepared him psychologically for the role. If an actor was playing a pilot he wouldn't get a degree to become a pilot just so he knows how to literally fly a plane.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

wow..and someone like Joe Spinell (among many others) can show the same mindset on a low budget horror film like Maniac shot in probably 2 weeks. And to think Karen Black was so utterly convincing as a stewardess landing a jet without preparing by flying jets for 4 weeks. Blows my mind.

So, to get the feel of working my tail off bussing tables all day, I should prepare by bussing tables to feel the mindset of someone who worked their tail off. He's not questioned because he's a star and "DeNiro".


Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Still frustrated because your acting career's gone nowhere, huh, inherent?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to 'prepare'.

If the guy wanted to drive a taxi for 15 hour days to feel what's its like then hey that's his thing. Doesnt make him almighty God of acting or a pretentious ass. I imagine it could be interesting living out bits of different lives. But saying that I remember someone been involved in that Abraham Lincoln film with Daniel day Lewis saying after a interviewer asked him about Daniel day and his on screen wife were so in character they'd text each other and sign off as their characters with 'well if they were really in character they wouldn't be using mobile phones would they?'. I mean it could help with character but you're still basically just a job tourist unless you actually commit to that life.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to 'prepare'.

sorry for such a late reply!
DDL has done some crazy wild things preparing for roles! I got sucked into reading his IMDb bio several months ago and was amazed by it, and his quotes--wow!! I admittedly have not seen much of his work, but do have several now that I want to watch when I have the chance!
I have to say though..for as method as he gets (and how long he chooses to "live" as his subject) I found the texting to be funny too! lol



~~~~~~~~~~
I never finish anyth

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

get a life, stupid ass.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Still frustrated because you have no life, huh?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

"Karen Black was so utterly convincing as a stewardess landing a jet".

No, she wasn't. And I think it was Chuck Heston who landed the plane.



"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

De Niro has a stupid style with his method acting crap, one can easily read a book or the script several times and interview such types of people that one is going to play for easy information and be done in a day, or just read the script and act the role like a well trained classical actor, his acting is not strong so he has to do this crap to get an edge, not a good thing to admit and you look stupid doing the odd jobs to gain knowledge when all you have to do is study and read a script and learn the role that way.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

actually, the psychical aspect isn't even "method acting". Lee Stasberg's daughter, actress Susan Strasberg, quoted that "there is no such thing as the Method , it's series of sensory exercises...". Somebody got a hold of the word "Method", and it took a life of it's own. I can see the actors then asking each other if they are doing the Method, and exchanging notes about it.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

This reminds me of when Dennis Quaid/ Cher, and Liam Neeson "prepared" for their roles in SUSPECT. As if Liam needed to spend 2 days in a homeless shelter to enact what he did, or Dennis had to meet with legal people to know how to sit on the jury...Utter nonsense.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Well, at least you haven't used the word "pretentious" your last few posts. :-D

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Reminds me of Dustin Hoffman staying up all night so that he would appear tired for his sleep-deprived scenes in Marathon Man. When Laurence Olivier heard of it, he said "Try acting next time, it's easier," or something like that.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Laurence Olivier was right. He's known as one of our greatest, don't think he used Method (lol), though

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

When Laurence Olivier heard of it, he said "Try acting next time, it's easier," or something like that.
Except that Hoffman could act, as he had proved this already with several acclaimed film performances prior to Marathon Man and 3 Oscar noms under his belt.

Olivier may have been tongue in cheek, but if he wasn't, it was insulting of Hoffman's talent. It might be considered pretentious of method actors, like De Niro and Hoffman, to take things to the extreme with their active research and not be in the moment, but they still gave their all in the end product. It was important to them and what they felt their fans expected of them.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

What is false, your personality?

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Like your eyelashes.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".



I remember the original poster from IMDb. He was knowledgeable and interesting, but boy! He could be a real miserable prick at times too.

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.”

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

I remember the original poster from IMDb. He was knowledgeable and interesting, but boy! He could be a real miserable prick at times too.
He sure was.

His psychological process was reverse upon himself a lot of the time. Rather than introspective, it became self-absorbed.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Like your gender.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False, like your teeth.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False, like your intelligence.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

False.

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Aqua ♒ said... False.
expand
Unlike your retardation.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

ToastedCheese said... Unlike your retardation.
expand
false

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

Aqua ♒ said... false
expand
true

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: De Niro drove cabs 15 hrs a day for 1 month to "prepare".

ToastedCheese said... true
expand
false
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