Robert De Niro Breaks Down in Tears on The Katie Couric Show (VIDEO)
What’s in the water on the day-time TV circuit these days? First, Steve Harvey breaks down on his own talk show, and now actor Robert De Niro can hardly contain the stream of tears as a guest on Katie Couric.
De Niro, 69, and his “Silver Linings Playbook” cast were on to talk about their Oscar nominated film. The movie centers around a bi-polar man from Philadelphia named Pat Solitano, played by Bradley Cooper. After a violent incident, Solitano is sent away to a mental institution for eight months. After his stint, he returns home to live with his father played by De Niro, who has mild OCD issues. Solitano desperately wants to go back to be with his wife, but he can’t because she has a restraining order against him.
David O. Russell, the film’s director, had a son with mood disorder issues. “I’ve had a son who has a mood disorder, which means someone that can have moods that can pull them down the drain and send them home to a tornado in moments,” he described to Couric.
Sensing a personal connection with the script, De Niro was drawn to play the character of the father. During the interview, Couric asked De Niro if he felt a greater responsibility to do a film that he was personally invested in. De Niro’s real life son has mood disorders.
Thinking on his own family struggles, De Niro broke down into tears. He said, “I don’t like to get emotional, but I know exactly what [David] goes through.”
The film earned eight Academy Award nominations; Bradley Cooper for Best Actor, Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress, Robert De Niro for Best Supporting Actor, David O. Russell for Best Director and the big prize for Best Picture.
The double Oscar winner cemented his place in acting history on Mon. Feb 4. by placing his hands and feet in concrete in front of Hollywood's historic Chinese Theatre. De Niro, 69, gave a short thank you speech with a few punchlines of his own.
"(Actor) Joe Pesci always said I'd end up with my feet in cement. I don't think this is what he had in mind," said De Niro, referring to the many gangster movies he has filmed over his 40-year career.
