Veteran tough-guy actor Robert De Niro’s soft side surfaced when comedian Amy Poehler punctured his characteristic taciturn demeanor while commending his advocacy — and brought him to tears.
As they wound up an interview on her “Good Hang” podcast Tuesday, Poehler put jokey banter aside to praise De Niro for bringing his mafioso-style mojo to bear in using his platform to speak up for decency.
“It’s often people of color. It’s often women. And to see a person like yourself, the age that you are and the status that you are, the best way I can describe it is when someone’s giving a terrible speech at a wedding and they’re ruining the wedding,” Poehler told the 83-year-old Oscar winner.
“And the wedding is America, and there’s another adult who says, ‘We don’t talk like that. That’s not how you’re supposed to treat people. This is insane,’ ” Poehler continued. “It makes everybody feel very safe. I’ve seen you do it over and over again, and I really appreciate it.”
After summing up with, “So, thank you, Bob. And thanks for doing it over and over again,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum did a double-take as she realized the “Goodfellas” actor was tearing up.
“This is going to be a real switcheroo, because I can’t believe I just made you cry,” Poehler said.
After being handed some tissues, De Niro explained that standing back wasn’t an option, even for those who feel hopeless.
“I understand that, but you have to fight,” he said. “You have to fight because if you don’t fight, you’re not going to get anything.”
De Niro is almost as renowned for his philanthropy and advocacy as he is for his dozens of culture-defining movie roles. He has spoken up for LGBTQ+ rights, vociferously pushed back against Donald Trump and supported causes ranging from diabetes research to FilmAid’s refugee-support Global Artists Council. He used his Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech in 2024 to urge people to vote for candidates who support labor unions.
“If New York was a person, it would be Robert De Niro,” Poehler said of the actor, who co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival 25 years ago to revitalize lower Manhattan in the wake of the destruction caused by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Their wide-ranging interview also covered the New York City native’s childhood, early acting days and longtime friendships with the likes of Martin Scorsese, director of many of his most famous movies.