Getting back to Robert De Niro’s Kennedy Center induction
Riveting acting legend Robert De Niro was feted as the debut honoree of the evening during the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors held in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 6, 2009.
Meryl Streep, rightly inducted as a member herself some two years later, opened De Niro’s portion of the ceremony by regaling the audience with a story from the set of Falling in Love [1984], their second of three onscreen collaborations thus far. “In a wardrobe test for three hours he tried on 37 identical little windbreakers until he found the right one,” said Streep. “Details are important, and Bob knows that. He changed everything for generations of actors.”
A short film highlighting De Niro’s incredible acting career followed Streep’s remarks. Raging Bull mastermind Martin Scorsese, yet another Kennedy Center Honoree, illustrated his buddy’s unique contribution to cinema. “There’s no line between reality and pretend,” argued Scorsese. “There’s only truth, and no one finds that truth better than Robert De Niro…there’s still nothing better in the world than making movies with your friends.”
Perhaps the best moment of De Niro’s induction came when Sharon Stone [i.e. Casino], Edward Norton [The Score and Stone], Ben Stiller [Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, and Little Fockers], and frequent costar Harvey Keitel appeared on…
