One of the most popular and cult classic movies of Robert de Niro, that propelled him to fame is the critically acclaimed movie, Taxi Driver. Not only is the movie one of the most watched and well-regarded, but de Niro’s character is miles apart from the finest in the cinema industry thanks to his endearing and authentic portrayal.
Regarded as one of his best roles to date, de Niro’s character has had a profound impact on new and old actors, many of whom looked up to him and wanted to be like him. So when it was recently rumored that he would be reprising his iconic role in an ad campaign for Uber, many were excited as well as disappointed over the news.
Is Robert De Niro Bringing Back Taxi Driver With Uber?
The 1976 acclaimed movie, Taxi Driver featured the Hollywood legend portraying the role of Travis Bickle, a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran who later becomes a taxi driver in New York City. Robert De Niro‘s isolating, struggling, and exceptional portrayal of his inner turmoil became iconic, evolving into one of the best performances in the film industry.
Not only did he manage to add depth and authenticity to it with his incredible method acting, but his dramatic physical transformation was enough to show the level of commitment the actor holds for his craft. So the rumors of him reprising his iconic role for an ad campaign for the popular ride-sharing company, Uber, generated a lot of spark across social media.
It was rumored that the legend would also be bringing back his iconic line- ‘You talkin’ to me?’ in the commercial. While fans were certainly somewhat excited, a source close to the actor told The Hollywood Reporter,
“De Niro’s Uber commercial has nothing to do with his Taxi Driver character.”
While some fans were certainly excited by the alleged rumors, one of the movie’s writers wasn’t pleased by them.
Taxi Driver Writer Isn’t Pleased By Robert De Niro’s Ad Campaign Rumors
It has been reported that the acclaimed actor would not be reprising his popular role in the Uber ad campaign, which would be released later this year. However, back when the rumors of him reprising Travis Bickle hit the news, one of the movie’s writers Paul Schrader wasn’t too happy with it and revealed his true feelings via social media.
In a Facebook post, the writer wrote,
“Ouch. Why Bob would do this is beyond my reckoning. But I haven’t seen it. If I’m lucky, I never will.”
