Cine
Robert De Niro and the Stanislavski system: he learned Sicilian, smashed his teeth and abused both alcohol and tobacco
The legendary American actor achieved his most iconic roles by completely immersing himself in the characters he played — no matter the cost.
First, let’s clarify for anyone unfamiliar: the Stanislavski system is a theatrical technique developed by Russian actor Konstantin Stanislavski. It’s based on the actor’s psychology and aims to create characters as realistically as possible. In short, it provides a roadmap for an actor to fully become their character, feeling what they feel. Many actors use this method — Adrien Brody, Al Pacino, Anne Hathaway — but perhaps the most committed example is Robert De Niro.
He became Don Vito Corleone
In The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro played Don Vito Corleone — one of the most important roles of his career. To deliver an unforgettable performance, he moved to Sicily for four months to learn Sicilian, the dialect spoken by Corleone in parts of the film. It’s worth noting that Sicilian is not the same as Italian — it’s a Romance language spoken on the island of Sicily in southern Italy.
He wanted to be scarier than anyone
His chilling role as Max Cady in Cape Fear left us uneasy — not just because of the character’s disturbing behavior, but also his appearance. To achieve it, De Niro did what many would consider insane: he spent $5,000 to have a dentist grind down his natural teeth, giving him a sharper, menacing look. After filming, he paid another $20,000 to have them restored.
A true Raging Bull
In the 1980 classic Raging Bull directed by Martin Scorsese, De Niro fully embodied boxer Jake LaMotta. To reflect the fighter’s physical and emotional decline, De Niro gained 60 pounds (27 kg) in four months, adopting LaMotta’s habits — drinking alcohol and smoking — to portray the character as authentically as possible.
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