Back in 2016, the mannequin challenge, where people are filmed frozen in position like mannequins, took over the internet by storm. However, like most internet trends, it didn’t last long, however, the trend did witness Robert De Niro, one of the greatest living actors of all time, partaking in this challenge.
During the Taxi Driver Star’s visit to the White House, De Niro joined forces with the likes of Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Gates, Diana Ross, and Michael Jordan to engage in this challenge. But things didn’t go too smoothly for the Oscar-winning star, who appeared less than thrilled about the entire situation.
Robert de Niro Failed to Pull Off This Simple Internet Challenge
It’s not hard to see why Robert De Niro, who was in his mid-70s at the time, didn’t appear too enthusiastic about the mannequin challenge, which is now considered ancient history in internet times. But despite not passing with flying colors in the challenge, as he blinks after the camera is shoved into his face, he did become the most memorable part of the viral video, as fans were amused by the whole thing.
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Keeping in mind De Niro is often considered one of the greatest actors of all time, it’s reasonable to see why fans found the whole thing amusing.
Quentin Tarantino Has Nothing but Admiration for Robert de Niro
While partaking in silly internet challenges might not be his cup of tea, performing in front of the camera has never been a problem for the Raging Bull Star. From delivering some of the finest pieces of cinema from his collaboration with Martin Scorsese, the actor has always brought his A-Game to every role he has been assigned. Following De Niro’s unreal determination to the craft and the characters he is playing, it’s reasonable to see why Quentin Tarantino deemed him the best to ever do it, who joined forces with De Niro for Jackie Brown.
“I’ve never seen an actor so completely consume himself in character, in true character work during the [shoot] … If you are really in character, you only have a few choices [about how to react when something happens] … De Niro has that down.”
From playing Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver to Dick Kelly in Dirty Grandpa, De Niro’s versatility remains unmatched, but even a Hollywood veteran like him can’t fully fathom these internet trends.
Source: The Graham Norton Show
