Robert De Niro is undoubtedly one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood with his illustrious career that dates back to the ‘70s. He has already worked with veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese on a couple of projects, and fans saw the pair collaborate again in 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
One of De Niro’s most important works, the 1976 neo-noir psychological thriller Taxi Driver helmed by Scorsese, only paid the actor a measly amount that was far below his salary worth.
Robert De Niro Received A Meager Pay For His Outstanding Work On Taxi Driver
Robert De Niro just won an Oscar for his performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II in 1975. Because of this victory, the actor has finally commanded a salary of $500,000 per movie.
Martin Scorsese and De Niro worked on Taxi Driver under budget constraints despite the filmmaker’s previous works emerging successful at the box office. They were only given $1.9 million for production costs, forcing De Niro and co-star Cybill Shepherd to accept $35,000 each for their salaries.
De Niro played Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran living in Manhattan who struggles with insomnia and post-traumatic stress. His coping mechanism was to frequent p*rn theaters and work as an off-hours cab driver.
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The actor accepted the job despite the massive pay cut because he was very passionate about the character in the film. De Niro even drove a taxi around New York to get himself used to the feeling. He also studied Midwest soldiers’ accents.
Taxi Driver proved to be a fundamental project for De Niro. The movie has been a favorite amongst film teachers because of the eclectic range of inspirations Scorsese took influence from, demonstrating the culmination of decades worth of cinema.
It also received four nominations at the 49th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
Robert De Niro Wants To Star In Taxi Driver Sequel
Robert De Niro has expressed interest in a Taxi Driver sequel in his interview via The Guardian. Interestingly, they had a plan that did not get off the ground:
“Well, I had that idea. I said, why don’t we write something? And I talked to Marty and Paul did take a shot at something, whether it was an outline or a script, I forget. But somehow we didn’t feel it was right, and it didn’t take off.”
It is evident that the character has left a mark on the actor, which explains his fervent desire to go back and see what’s happening to him at this age.
“But I’d like to see where Travis is today. There was something about the guy – all that rage and alienation, that’s what the city can do to you. I mean, Marty and I are from New York, and even we can feel alienated.”
Despite De Niro only receiving a meager pay check for his role in Taxi Driver, the movie has become a classic cult favorite, leaving a tremendous influence in the field of cinema that will surely go down in history.
