Question 1

True or false: He gained 60 pounds for his role in 'Raging Bull' by eating pasta and ice cream.

Accepted Answer

True. De Niro famously packed on 60 lbs to play the older, heavier Jake LaMotta, then shed it for the younger scenes.

Question 2

True or false: De Niro has never won an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Accepted Answer

False. He won Best Actor for 'Raging Bull' (1980) and Best Supporting Actor for 'The Godfather Part II' (1974).

Question 3

True or false: De Niro learned to play the saxophone for his role in 'New York, New York'.

Accepted Answer

True. He trained extensively with a professional saxophonist to authentically portray Jimmy Doyle in the 1977 musical.

Question 4

True or false: He co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival to revitalize Lower Manhattan after 9/11.

Accepted Answer

True. Along with Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, he launched the festival in 2002 to boost the neighborhood's economy.

Question 5

True or false: He has a World War II-era submarine named after him in a museum.

Accepted Answer

True. The USS Ling, a Balao-class submarine, was renamed the 'Robert De Niro' for a 2008 charity event, though not officially.

Question 6

True or false: De Niro turned down the role of Michael Corleone in 'The Godfather'.

Accepted Answer

False. He was actually considered for Sonny Corleone, but Al Pacino was always the top choice for Michael.

Question 7

True or false: De Niro is a licensed pilot and owns a private jet.

Accepted Answer

False. He is not a pilot and famously dislikes flying, often taking trains or driving for travel.

Question 8

True or false: Robert De Niro's father was a famous abstract expressionist painter.

Accepted Answer

True. His father, Robert De Niro Sr., was a respected painter whose work is in major museums like the MoMA.

Robert De Niro Trivia Questions