During a tribute gala, the actress remembers the shock that caused her to discover the work of her colleague.
That Meryl Streep and Robert de Niro get along well is no surprise. The actor and the actress have worked together, they are generation partners and that of being two of the best living interpreters in Hollywood must also influence their good mutual vibes. However, it is surprising to see how commendable Streep has been put in a tribute gala to De Niro in Austin (Texas).
Covering the protagonist of Taxi Driver, Streep recalled that the first time he saw him act (in death of a player, 1973) he believed that he was not an actor, but interpreted himself. "We think: 'They must have combed the entire region of the Apalaches to find this uncle."
However, that same year, Streep went to see bad streets with his friends, and took a huge surprise. "There was that uncle, it was the same kid," he recalls from Niro who played Johnny Boy. "And it's not just that I was not short of understanding. It was not from the south. It was a Macarra in New York. It was a bastard, a type of the streets that speaks very quickly. We were amazed."
As so many spectators then, Streep noticed the credits of the Martin Scorsese film to know what that laundut subject was called. "I said: 'Oh, God!' He is Italian. His name is Robert de Niro. He is an actor. And that left me stunned."
"Over the years, people have always asked me: 'Who is your most admired actress? What actress would you like to emulate in your career?" Stree Streep. But, in reality, the second time I saw Robert De Niro, I told myself: 'That is the kind of actor that I want to be. "
On the other hand, the diva also recognizes that De Niro and she are not close friends. "He is a man whose presence in my life has been a constant for 40 years, but I do not see him often," he explains. "We are not to chat. But I know that he, without a doubt, will always be there for me and I will be for him."
