Robert De Niro Enjoys a Cold Martini And Silence, Full Interview

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HOLY COW, ROBERT DE NIRO. THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE SHOWS. THIS IS WHY YOU WANT THIS SHOW, IS TO TALK WITH ROBERT DE NIRO. >> OH. >> Stephen: HEY, HEY. ( CHEERS ) HEY, TOUGH GUY. HOW ARE YOU? ( LAUGHTER ) >> WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M VERY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS SHOW. >> Stephen: OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ME, TOO! ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE DOING THIS SHOW. >> BECAUSE YOU'RE SMART, AND YOU'RE TERRIFIC. YOU'RE FUNNY, YOU'RE GREAT. ( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WOW. I DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS ANY REASON I COULD LIKE ROBERT DE NIRO MORE THAN I DID. (LAUGHTER) BUT I SUDDENLY FOR SOME REASON HAVE AFFECTION FOR YOU. ( LAUGHTER ) HAPPY-- MERRY CHRISTMAS. >> YOU, TOO, THANK YOU. >> Stephen: DO YOU DO, LIKE, A CLASSIC ITALIAN CHRISTMAS, LIKE SEVEN FISH OR WHATEVER THE THING IS? >> I DO THINGS WITH FAMILY AND STUFF. I TRY. >> Stephen: YEAH. >> YEAH. ( LAUGHTER ) THAT'S IT. >> Stephen: NOT TOO HARD, EVIDENTLY. >> NO, I DO TRY HARD. I DO TRY HARD. >> Stephen: YOU DO TRY HARD? >> I DO. >> Stephen: DO YOU COOK FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY? YOU HAVE SIX KIDS. >> I DON'T COOK. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO THAT FOR US. >> Stephen: YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A RESTAURANT. YOU HAVE A HOTEL. >> YES. >> Stephen: DOWN THERE IN TRIBECA. >> YES. >> Stephen: AND THE HOTEL IS COVERED WITH PAINTINGS, YOUR DAD'S PAINTINGS ARE IN THERE. >> YES, MY FATHER'S. ( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I-- I-- MY MOM MET YOUR DAD OVER 30 YEARS AGO. >> REALLY. >> Stephen: IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. >> OKAY. >> Stephen: HE HAD A SHOWING AS A PAINTER FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW. THERE WAS A GALLERY SHOWING. SHE WENT TO THE SHOWING AND THERE WAS A PARTY AFTERWARDS FOR THE ARTIST AND SHE SAID THERE WAS A GUY SITTING IN THE CORNER, NOBODY WAS TALKING TO HIM. SHE SAT DOWN WITH HIM AND HAD A CONVERSATION. SHE SAID, "I MET THE NICEST MAN TONIGHT. HIS SON IS AN ACTOR, I THINK." I SAID, "WHAT IS THE ACTOR?" SHE SAID DE-NETO? I FELT LIKE I MET YOU AT THAT MOMENT. YOU DID A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT YOUR DAD. >> DI. ON HBO. YEAH. I DID. >> Stephen: WHY DID YOU WANT TO MAKE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT YOUR DAD? >> WELL, I-- I JUST WANTED TO DO A DOCUMENTARY ON HIM BECAUSE OF-- I HAD SOME FOOTAGE-- A GUY FOLLOWED HIM AROUND IN THE 70s LEWIS SUPER 8 CAMERA. I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT. AND AS TIME GOES ON, I WANTED TO REALLY FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BOTH SIDES OF MY FAMILY. SO I STARTED DOING-- HAVING PEOPLE DOING IT, AND THE PEOPLE DID THE DOCUMENTARY, BARRY PELTZ. I'M MISPRONOUNCING THE NAMES OF THE OTHER PEOPLE SO FORGIVE ME. JANES ROSENTHAL, THEY DID THE DOCUMENTARY. AND THEN I-- IT WAS GOING-- IT WASN'T INTENDED TO GO TO HBO. BUT I JUST WANTED TO DO A DOCUMENTARY FOR MY FAMILY, MY KIDS WHO WERE YOUNG AND DIDN'T MEET THEIR GRANDFATHER. I KEPT HIS STUDIO. I TOOK THEM THERE TO SEE IT. AND SO ON. BUT I-- THE DOCUMENTARY, AS I SAY, I WANTED TO DO. I DID IT. THEY LIKED IT. THEY WANTED-- HBO CAN, AND THEY WANTED TO PUT IT ON, AND I SAID FINE. >> Stephen: THAT'S LOVELY. YOU MADE IT FOR YOUR KIDS. >> YEAH. >> Stephen: DID THEY LIKE IT? DID THEY FEEL LIKE THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO THEIR GRANDFATHER. >> THEY DON'T TELL ME THAT STUFF. >> Stephen: REALLY? THEY GO, "THAT'S NICE, DAD." DID YOU TALK TO YOUR DAD ABOUT YOUR DESIRE TO BE AN ACTOR? HE WAS ACE PAINTER. DID YOU SAY, "I WANT TO DO SOMETHING MORE STABLE. I WANT TO BE AN ACTOR." >> NOT MUCH. HE WOULD GO OFF ON STUFF ABOUT PAINTING, SOME I REMEMBER, SOME I DON'T, I WISH I REMEMBERED MORE. BUT YEAH. IT'S NOT QUITE HOW I THINK IT IS WITH YOUR KIDS. >> Stephen: NOTHING IS THE WAY YOU THINK IT IS WITH YOUR KIDS. >> AS FAR AS COMMUNICATING AND DISCUSSING THINGS THAT ARE MAYBE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR WHATEVER REASON. IT'S JUST WHAT IT IS. >> Stephen: SOMETIMES IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING. >> EXACTLY. I'M UNCOMFORTABLE RIGHT HERE TALKING. >> Stephen: I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, LET'S NOT-- TELL YOU WHAT. I'M FINE WITH SILENCE. LET'S NOT TALK FOR A MINUTE. >> GOOD IDEA. >> Stephen: LET'S JUST TAKE A SECOND HERE. HOLD ON. DO YOU WANT A DRINK? >> I GOT ONE, THANKS. >> Stephen: I GOT ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU HERE. BECAUSE JENNIFER LAWRENCE, JENNIFER LAWRENCE, WHEN SHE WAS ON THE SHOW THE OTHER NIGHT SHE SAID ASK HIM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COLD MATEENY AND AN EXTREMELY COLD MARTINI. >> THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. >> Stephen: AND LIKE A SAKE MARTINI. >> THAT, TOO. >> Stephen: I HAVE AN EXTREMELY COLD ONE FOR YOU RIGHT HERE. ( LAUGHTER ) LET'S NOT TALK FOR A SECOND. ( LAUGHTER ) ( LAUGHTER ) >> OKAY. ( LAUGHTER ) >> I'LL HOLD THAT SO IT DOESN'T FALL OFF. ( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: TO SILENCE. >> SILENCE. ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THAT COLD ENOUGH? >> IT'S GOOD. >> Stephen: TO A LOT OF PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT NEW YORK, YOU KNOW. YOU ARE LIKE AN ICON OF THE CITY ITSELF. DOES IT BOTHER YOU AT ALL TO, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA NOW, DONALD TRUMP REPRESENTS NEW YORK? ( LAUGHTER ) BECAUSE HE DOES. HE'S KIND OF BECOME NEW YORK FOR PEOPLE. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK? ( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ) ( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ) ( CLEARS THROAT ) ( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: SO DAVID O. RUSSELL IS THE DIRECTOR OF THIS ONE, RIGHT? >> YEAH. >> Stephen: YEAH. YOU WORKED WITH HIM A FEW TIMES. >> YEAH. >> Stephen: I HEAR HE YELLS LINES OUT LIKE, "TRY THIS LINE. TRY THAT LINE." >> YUP. >> Stephen: DO YOU LIKE THAT? >> I DO, I DO. >> Stephen: SAY, "I LOVE IT." >> WELL, I LOVE IT-- ( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ) I DON'T-- I DON'T REALLY LOVE IT. >> Stephen: YOU DON'T LOVE IT, NO? YOU KNOW WHAT? I BELIEVED YOU, THOUGH. YOU'RE THAT GOOD OF AN ACTOR. I REALLY DID. YOU HAVE DIRECTED YOURSELF. >> YES. >> Stephen: YOU HAVE WORKED WITH GREAT DIRECTORS AND YOU'RE A DIRECTOR YOURSELF. COULD YOU HELP ME OUT, I STARTED OUT AS AN A DIRECTOR. >> I DID. >> Stephen: BACK IN THE DAY. I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME OF THAT DE NIRO, EAR DE-NETO-- MAGIC. I'LL COME IN, WITH AN INTENTION. >> ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD. >> Stephen: I'M GOING TO HAVE AN INTENTION, AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU-- LIKE I'M A DOCTOR, AND I'VE LOST THE PATIENT. YOU'RE THE FAMILY. AND I COME OUT, OKAY. ( CLEARS THROAT." I'M SORRY, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD. ( LAUGHTER ) >> SO YOU'RE COMING OUT TO GIVE US THE BAD NEWS? >> >> Stephen: I'M IN THE SCRUBS, THE BLOOD, EVERYTHING, LIKE THIS. >> SO YOU CAME OUT AS IF YOU JUST TOLD US THAT OUR HAMPSTER DIED. ( LAUGHTER ) AND -- >> UH-HUH. >> AND MAYBE-- MAYBE YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE EMPATHY FOR THE FAMILY. >> Stephen: IS THERE A TRICK? IS THERE AN ACTING TRICK TO GET ME-- BECAUSE I WANT TO GET TO THE EMOTIONALITY. >> IT'S A FAMILY MEMBER WHO PASSED AWAY. >> Stephen: YEAH. >> YOU SAID, "I'M SORRY, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD." IT'S LIKE-- HELLO! >> Stephen: I DON'T WANT TO OVER-APOLOGIZE. ( LAUGHTER ). >> BUT YOU HAVE TO SHOW A LITTLE MORE EMPATHY. >> Stephen: OKAY, I'LL TRY A LITTLE MORE. ALL RIGHT. ( LAUGHTER ) >> NOW YOU'RE OVER-ACTING. >> Stephen: I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED. I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED ACTING YET. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? GIVE A GUY A CHANCE! I'M PUTTING TOO MUCH-- I'M PUTTING TOO MUCH JEWELRY ON. I'M ABOUT TO TAKE ONE PIECE OFF BEFORE I GO ACT. LET ME TRY. LET ME TRY IT AGAIN. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. >> I'M LISTENING. >> Stephen: LET ME TRY IT AGAIN. I'M SORRY. I'M STILL SAYING THE LINE. I'M STILL SAYING THE LINE! >> THAT'S BETTER. >> Stephen: BETTER, OKAY. >> THAT'S BETTER. IT'S NOT GREAT, BUT IT'S BETTER. ( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: DO YOU WANT TO TRY IT? >> NO, NO, I'M NOT GONNA-- I'M NOT -- >> GIVE ME A LINE READING. >> NO, I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A LINE READING. >> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, HOW ABOUT THIS ONE? HOW ABOUT THE LAST ONE RIGHT THERE? >> GO AHEAD. >> Stephen: THIS IS TOO SANTAS TOO MANY. OH, BY THE WAY, IT'S FROM A MOVIE CALLED "THREE SANT AS." >> OKAY. >> Stephen: OKAY? ( LAUGHTER ) AND I'M-- I'M THE REAL SANTA AND THE TWO OTHER GUYS WHO ARE PLAYING SANTA WITH ME, AND THOSE GUYS AREN'T THE REAL SANTAS. I'M THE REAL ONE, AND I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN IT'S TWO SANT AS TOO MANY. >> SO YOU'RE THE REAL SAPTA. >> Stephen: I'M THE REAL SANTA. >> WHO SAYS YOU'RE THE REAL SANTA. >> Stephen: I SAY I'M THE REAL SANTA. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHAT'S MY BACK-STORY. I'M AN ETERNAL SPIRITUAL CREATURE WHO BRINGS HAPPINESS TO CHILDREN. s THAT'S MY BACKSTORY. >> WHO CREATED THAT. >> Stephen: HOCREATED THAT? NOBODY CREATED SANTA. HE'S A REAL PERSON, ROBERT. >> I KNOW, BUT WHAT STORY IS THIS IN? >> Stephen: IT'S A FILM I'M WORKING ON. I'M WRITING THIS MOVIE CALLED "THREE SANTAS." LISTEN, YOU'RE EITHER ATTACHED TO THE PROJECT OR YOU'RE NOT. IN OR OUT. ON THE BUS OR OFF THE BUS, BUT THE SANTA ARE LEAVING THE STATION. >> GOT IT. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET BEHIND IT. ( LAUGHTER ) SO-- BUT YOU WROTE THIS STORY. >> Stephen: IT'S A TREATMENT. I'M WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW. >> SO YOUR THING IS YOU'RE SAYING THERE ARE TWO SANTAS TOO MANY. >> Stephen: RIGHT. >> OR THIS IS SANTAS TOO MANY. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? THE OTHER TWO SANT AS, WHAT DID THEY DO? >> Stephen: THEY ARE NOT REAL SANTAS IN THIS STORY. THEY ARE, LIKE, DEPARTMENT STORE SANTAS, WHO END UP ACCIDENTALLY GETTING ON SANTA'S SLAIG WHEN IT REALLY LANDS IN TIMES SQUARE, AND THEY GO TO THE NORTH POLE. AND NOW BECAUSE THEIR SANTA OUTFITS ARE SO GREAT, THEY'RE CONFUSING THE ELVES. AND MRS.-- MRS. CLAUSE CAN'T TELL WHICH OF US IS THEORY PERSON, AND WE END UP WRESTLING AND I GO, "SHOOT THEM! I'M THE REAL SANTA." AGAIN, WE'RE STILL-- WE'RE STILL WORK ON IT. ( LAUGHTER ). >> NO, IT SOUNDS GHD. ( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ) IT SOUNDS GOOD. BUT-- SO YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU'RE THE-- YOU'RE THE REAL SANT. >> Stephen: YEAH. >> COMPARED TO THOSE TWO SANTAS. >> Stephen: NOT REAL SANTAS. >> AND WHY IS THAT? WHAT GIVES YOU THAT EXTRA -- >> WHY I AM THE REAL SANTA? >> YEAH. >> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS. I'M THE REAL SANTA. WHY ARE YOU THE REAL ROBERT DE NIRO? >> WELL... >> Stephen: I MEAN, THERE ARE FAKE ROBERT DE NIROS OUT THERE. ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) HAVE YOU EVER-- I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I DO A PRETTY GOOD ROBERT DE NIRO. YOU HAVE EVER SEEN MY ROBERT DE NIRO. >> NO. >> Stephen: SEE, I'M ROBERT DE NIRO. SEE, I RUN THIS TOWN. >> GOOD, NICE. >> Stephen: YOU LIKE THAT? >> VERY GOOD. >> Stephen: PEOPLE LOVE THAT. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT'S MY DE NIRO. >> OKAY, GOT IT. I NEED ANOTHER DRINK. ( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERS ) "JOY" IS IN THEATERS CHRISTMAS DAY! THE MAN IS THE GREAT ROBERT DE NIRO, EVERYONE.