De Niro Tears Up Talking About 'Silver Lining Playbook' to Katie Couric [VIDEO]
Actor Robert De Niro cried during his television interview with talk show host Katie Couric on Monday when the pair spoke about the Oscar-nominated film he starred in, Silver Lining Playbook.
Appearing on Katie with his co-star Bradley Cooper and director David O. Russell, De Niro immediately shed tears when the host asked him about acting in a film that centered on mental illness.
Russell revealed in the interview that his son's battle with bipolar disorder and his struggles inspired the director to take on the adaptation of Matthew Quick's novel.
"Did you feel a greater responsibility about doing a film that David had so much personally invested in," Couric asked.
"Of course, I understand," began De Niro, who in the film played a father of a former teacher struggling with the condition. The 69-year-old, known for his many gangster and tough-guy roles, soon after began crying. "I don't like to get emotional, but I know exactly what he goes through."
The two-time Academy Award winning actor told Couric that he related to the film's script from the first day he read it.
"I thought he was having hay fever, then I realized he was having an emotional reaction and I sat there and watched Robert De Niro cry for 10 minutes," Russell said upon seeing the actor look at the script. "I said, 'Wow he's really connecting with this material and this would be beautiful thing if it could work out, because I think his heart would be there.' "
De Niro said in December that in his personal life he had experiences with a child that had emotional problems.
"If you're a father, you certainly understand what it's like to go through the worry about your kids, especially if they've got issues like Bradley's character has," De Niro said. "Sometimes it can be overwhelming. It can be nightmarish and upsetting. There's nothing much you can do but deal with it."
Also on Monday, De Niro marked his hand and foot prints in the wet cement outside the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., an honor among celebrities.
De Niro is nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Playbook. The award show airs live on Feb. 24.
