Robert De Niro

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler hosts a special episode of Good Hang with legendary actor Robert De Niro, discussing his career, SNL hosting experience, Tribeca

Key takeaways

• De Niro prefers to be called 'Bob,' reflecting his down-to-earth personality despite his iconic status.
• His performance in the SNL Debbie Downer sketch was unexpectedly intense, including a real-life strangle attempt during rehearsal.

Main topics

• Robert De Niro's career and legacy
• SNL hosting experience and comedic scene with Rachel Dratch

Notable quotes

"I don't want to hear about the plastic in my balls." – Robert De Niro, reacting to Debbie Downer's line.

Conclusion

The episode closes with heartfelt reflection as Amy Poehler thanks De Niro

Transcript preview

Speaker 5 (0:04) Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. This is a very, very special one. We have Robert De Niro with us today. Robert De Niro, the King of New York. If New York was a person, it would be Robert De Niro. And you know what Frank Sinatra sang, if you can make an interview with Robert De Niro, work here, you can make an interview, work with anybody, anywhere. We are very, very excited that we have him. We're going to talk about so many things. We're going to talk about Goodfellas. We're going to talk about him hosting SNL and what that felt like. We're going to talk about how much he paid for his first New York apartment in rent. And we get into it. What a pleasure and a privilege to have Robert here. And because it is so special and he is so special, I'm doing something a little bit different. I'm going to ask a few people. um, to talk well behind his back and to talk to me about him. Um, because I, I just want, I want to get prepared, you know, like he's such a good actor. He prepares so well. I want to do the same. So we're going to talk to, um, Rachel Dratch. my good buddy, Rachel Dratch, who starred with him in the world-famous Debbie Downer at the SNL 50th. We're going to talk to Seth Meyers, who is always an incredible friend and support and who interviewed Robert Bob De Niro a couple of times. And we're going to talk to Jane Rosenthal, his longtime producing partner who started the Tribeca Film Festival with him, knows him so well and is going to give us a question to ask. Robert De Niro. So let's get started and see if we can get dratchy on the Zoom. Drooch? This episode is brought to you by Uber. You know those little choices you make that give you more comfort throughout the day, like planning your outfit the night before, sharing your location with a friend when heading home late, taking the actual lunch break away from your desk. Uber has one too. It's called Women Preferences and it lets women riders request a woman driver directly in the app. Because sometimes having a little more choice can make a big difference. It's Speaker 4 (2:17) a Speaker 5 (2:17) simple option that can help women feel more comfortable during their ride. Learn more on the Uber app. Speaker 4 (2:32) Rachel! Hi! Hi, bud! Hold on, let me plug in my headphones. Oh my god, headphones! I can't ride the headphones any longer than they've already carried me. Speaker 4 (2:45) Look at that. Speaker 4 (2:48) Growth. Okay, well, that's there. But you know what? Other than, oh, there's another. Now there's another not. Overall good. Overall, counting this as progress. Speaker 5 (3:00) Wait, I'm just trying to think if I need better light. Listeners, Rachel's just adjusting. I mean, at this point in our lives, why are we not surrounded by ring lights? Speaker 4 (3:09) I know. You Speaker 5 (3:11) know? Speaker 4 (3:12) Yes. That Speaker 5 (3:13) looks good. Also, nice lip. Speaker 4 (3:15) Oh, thank you. Speaker 4 (3:18) an effort for you, Polar. With a lip, and that's about it. You get a lip. Speaker 3 (3:24) You get a lip, Speaker 5 (3:25) babe. Drew Chee and I had dinner last night. So nice. We Speaker 4 (3:29) did, yes. Yay. Speaker 5 (3:31) And I told you that I was interviewing Robert De Niro, and I needed some help. Speaker 4 (3:38) I'm shy around big-name celebrities. And I don't know, I'm just going to say this. You can use this or not. But Amy, I always thought you were very good. When we were in Australia, you were very good at talking with celebrities when we were standing around, like the host, you know, waiting for the scene or whatever. And I would be quiet as a mouse in the background. And so it's good that you're doing this podcast because you're good at it. Speaker 5 (4:02) Thanks, dude. I'm glad it's not me interviewing De Niro. Speaker 4 (4:06) That's what I'm saying. Speaker 4 (4:09) I'd just clam up. Speaker 5 (4:10) But you're one of my close, one of my few close friends that has worked with him. Yes, I've worked Speaker 4 (4:17) with De Niro. You have shared Speaker 5 (4:18) the screen with Bobby. Speaker 4 (4:22) Bobby and I have shared the screen. Yes, that's true. You Speaker 3 (4:26) have. Speaker 5 (4:27) You've shared the screen. Tell Bobby I say Speaker 4 (4:29) hi, by the way. He's going to be like, oh, no. Bobby, now I'm committed to calling Bobby for this. Well, Speaker 5 (4:39) I'm going to call him Bob because that's what. OK. And, you know, there's nothing worse than anybody calling somebody by their first and last name. So, Robert De Niro, what do you think? Speaker 4 (4:49) Right, right. I Speaker 5 (4:50) am nervous because he doesn't seem to really love to talk that much about himself. And also, he feels like our generation's actor. He, he really has been in everything we grew up watching. And that was, and his stuff was always a little too adult growing up. It was like, his stuff was like the scary movie or the violent. Yes. His stuff was like, you felt like an adult when you got to kind of watch his stuff. Speaker 4 (5:18) Yes. You Speaker 5 (5:19) got to do some comedy with Bobby. Speaker 4 (5:22) Yeah, well, you know, I was thinking about this because not only did I get to comedy, but he also hosted back when we were on the show way before. And what I was remembering about that is, I don't remember if I got to see him, but I remember I submitted a scene where I was doing an impression of him, like in front of him at the table. And basically all my impression, well, you can't see this if you're listening, but my impression was just going like this. It was just like a face. There's probably not much more there. Listeners, Speaker 5 (5:48) to describe, it's kind of like... Listeners, Speaker 4 (5:49) Rachel is doing an impeccable impression. Well, it's a great Speaker 5 (5:53) one because you kind of back up, you close your eyes, and you kind of get your mouth open like, hey, you know? That's all Speaker 4 (6:01) it was. Anyways, it didn't make it to air, surprisingly. Okay, so, yeah, so I think... You know, Paul and I were going to write a Debbie Downer for the anniversary show. And then like you get the list of like who's available out of all the stars. And then I think Paul, it was like, we got De Niro. Like De Niro with Debbie Downer is just like such an appealing, you know, prospect for us to imagine him. Speaker 5 (6:27) To explain, what do you mean by list? Like, just so people don't know, the SNL 50th, what do you mean there was a list? Speaker 4 (6:34) Like there's a list of like who would be willing to be in a scene. you know, for an anniversary scene. So there's a list of the stars that were going to be there that would be willing to play in a scene. So the combo of Robert De Niro having to deal with Debbie Downer was making us laugh a lot. So then when we found out we had him, we were really excited. And then we got to have him say, like, he was just trying to get a drink at the bar and she's bumming him out. And I think our favorite line was about, like, her saying, you don't want to use a plastic straw because... um, micro plastics are probably taking up residence in your testes. And then when he had his like flip out at me, he's like, I don't want to hear about the plastic in my balls. And then he went to throttle me. And, um, we wrote in that he like goes to strangle her, but then I was in the rehearsal. I was like, you know, if you want to actually strangle me, you can. So then he actually strangled me in the scene. I was like, I'm getting strangled. Speaker 4 (7:35) No comedy person ever thinks that's going to happen to them. So that was a fun thing to experience. I've Speaker 5 (7:43) told you and Paula this, but my favorite part is when he calls you Debra. Speaker 4 (7:48) Debra Downer. Excuse me, Debra. Yeah. But I kind of go like out of body when I'm dealing with someone that's like a huge icon. And I was definitely nervous about being in a scene with De Niro. Like, even though he was perfectly nice and he was like giggling and he was willing to be there and play in this comedy land, of course. But, but I still get nervous knowing that it's De Niro, you know. Speaker 5 (8:13) I would say one thing that you two have in common, Rachel. What? What could Speaker 4 (8:18) this be? Speaker 5 (8:20) is that you're both in an extroverted business, Speaker 4 (8:23) but Speaker 5 (8:23) you're quite Speaker 4 (8:24) shy. Yes, that's true. I think he's shy. Luckily, Jimmy was there to smooth out all the social edges. Yeah, Jimmy Speaker 5 (8:33) Fallon also in the scene. He's very good at that. He's really good at that. Well, I'm going to bring up Debbie Downer to him and talk to him about SNL because I do think that like there is this comedic side that we, you know, we've gotten to see over the years, but. My experience, similar to yours, is like a Speaker 4 (8:52) very kind of like fun and nice and quiet, giggly person. Speaker 5 (8:56) Yeah. OK, Dratch, I'm going to go talk to another person about Bob and try to get some more info and get ready for our interview. So thanks, Truchi. All Speaker 4 (9:05) right. Thank Speaker 5 (9:06) you. Speaker 5 (9:08) This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking whether you set an alarm before having an afternoon power nap, only to wake up two hours later, drowsy, confused, so many missed calls. Yeah, checking first is a good idea. So check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Speaker 1 (9:40) Hello? Speaker 5 (9:40) Seth? Are you wearing new glasses? I'm wearing my cheaters. Oh, that's right. You have cheaters now. Speaker 1 (9:46) I think Paula Pell's the first person I ever heard say cheaters. You Speaker 5 (9:51) look great. Oh my God. Speaker 1 (9:52) Thank you, Polar. Did Speaker 5 (9:54) you get a facelift or what? Speaker 1 (9:57) What are you doing? You always said you wanted me to announce on the pod. Speaker 3 (10:03) Because you used to say Speaker 1 (10:04) my face had a few parts that had a bad hang. You would point to different areas and say that's a little bit of a bad hang. Speaker 5 (10:14) Yeah, that's right. Speaker 1 (10:15) Guess where I'm talking to you from? Speaker 5 (10:16) Martha's Vineyard? Speaker 1 (10:17) My childhood bedroom in Bedford, New Hampshire. Speaker 5 (10:21) Whoa. Speaker 1 (10:22) What other desk would there be a bobblehead of me at the update desk? Speaker 5 (10:27) I bet your childhood bedroom is similar to mine, which is my parents have now put things about me in my childhood bedroom as if I would like that. It's a Speaker 1 (10:37) living museum. It's Speaker 5 (10:38) a Speaker 1 (10:38) living museum. Speaker 5 (10:39) Yeah, like old press, like an old timeout article from 1997 framed. Speaker 1 (10:46) People don't know that at the White House, if you sleep in Lincoln's bedroom, it's a lot of clippings that Lincoln's mom saved. It's got the old shovel that he did his homework on. That's basically all it is. Who Speaker 5 (10:58) made that bobblehead? When was that made? Speaker 1 (11:00) After you left, we got a lot of our own merch. I mean, you know it's after you left. The fact that there's a, literally, it would be great if it had been a two-person bobblehead and my mom had just sawed you out. That was the one time my mom learned how to solder. Speaker 5 (11:17) What are you doing in your childhood home? Speaker 1 (11:20) I'm doing a charity event in Manchester, New Hampshire. And I'm sure by the time this airs, it will be too late for anyone to buy tickets. But if you came, God bless. Speaker 5 (11:30) Seth, and you asked me to ask you this. You do a lot of charity, yes? I Speaker 1 (11:34) asked you to leave out the sort of the top of that. I am. I'm constantly doing charity. It's Speaker 5 (11:39) a Speaker 1 (11:39) little tiring. Speaker 5 (11:40) Oh, I bet. Speaker 1 (11:42) It's worth it. You know, I always say it's worth it. And my good deeds are the wind beneath my wings. Speaker 5 (11:49) Yeah, it's what you get out of it. It's not the people you help. Speaker 1 (11:53) Anytime I'm feeling low, I just think of all the good things I do. Speaker 5 (11:56) Yeah, I know. And not the people because you refuse to meet them. Speaker 1 (11:59) Oh, you know, most of the charities are for pets. They're mostly animal based. I feel like people can take care of themselves. People can take care of themselves. You get in the gym as a person, get yourself out of the gym. Speaker 5 (12:11) Exactly. You're an animal. You don't know what you're doing. Speaker 1 (12:14) Much of what's gone wrong for you as an animal is the fault of people. And I'm just doing my best to clean it up. Speaker 5 (12:19) Well, you are doing an act of charity today, actually, because you are getting on and helping me because I'm going to speak to Robert De Niro. I'm quite nervous and you've already done it. And I always Speaker 1 (12:29) nervous. I will say, I wish I could tell you not to be nervous. I've been nervous every time I've talked to him. Speaker 5 (12:34) Okay. How many times have you spoken to him? I think I'm. Speaker 1 (12:37) At 20 times in my life because of his time on SNL. Speaker 5 (12:39) Okay, sure. Speaker 1 (12:40) I will tell you this. I've never been able to pull the trigger and call him Bob. No? No, I can't bring myself to do it. It just feels too familiar for a legend. Speaker 5 (12:53) So should I just call him Robert De Niro? Speaker 1 (12:57) Mr. De Niro. Mr. Speaker 5 (12:59) De Niro. That seems too much. Speaker 1 (13:00) I did do this once and it was not. I did once call him Danny DeVito and that. I cannot recommend enough. You don't do that. Speaker 5 (13:09) Robert De Niro is like, everybody knows that name. He's so famous. He's Speaker 1 (13:16) so famous. I, again, because I'm aware of how little you guys do. I did a little research before Demogon. And I looked back because he's our second, he's the, our second season is the first time he hosts. And so he's about 25 episodes into our run on SNL. I think he's the first true legend who hosted the show when we were there. Speaker 4 (13:38) Yep. Speaker 1 (13:38) And it's very surreal to work with legends. And the wonderful thing about when he showed up and you never, it never reached the point where I was like, huh, he's just like us. But he, he laughed so hard at that table read. Speaker 5 (13:53) Yes. Speaker 1 (13:54) And he laughs just like Robert De Niro. Speaker 5 (13:58) Yes. Yes. It's Speaker 1 (14:00) so much fun how much he laughs like Robert De Niro and he laughs. He's an incredibly generous laugher to the point where if you early, if your sketch was early and he laughed at it, you might think you'd written a perfect sketch. And then like 25 sketches in, you're realizing like, oh, he's laughing at everything. I Speaker 5 (14:16) want to try to get that energy today. I don't know. Speaker 1 (14:20) This is for anybody, for anybody about to listen to the interview. If Bob's not laughing. Speaker 4 (14:26) Sad. Speaker 5 (14:33) Okay, maybe it's because he's so moved by the conversation. Speaker 1 (14:38) Oh, well, I mean, trust me. Hey, a lot of people think I'm, might even say my best quality is my sense of humor. But when I did Good Hang, I was just choked up, crying most of the time. People still ask me if I'm okay. Speaker 5 (14:50) Maybe I'll get De Niro to cry. Speaker 1 (14:51) You think? Speaker 5 (14:52) Maybe. You never know. How do Speaker 1 (14:54) you get De Niro to cry? Speaker 5 (14:56) We'll see. Speaker 1 (14:56) Tell him you thought Grodin carried Midnight Run. Speaker 1 (15:01) Looking back, do you agree that Grodin's name should have been first on it? Speaker 5 (15:04) Just immediately burst into tears. Seth, get serious. I'm about to interview Robert De Niro and I need, okay? You've done it. Here's Speaker 1 (15:14) something you should know before you interview Bob. And this is a genuine. Speaker 5 (15:17) And you did just call him Bob. Speaker 1 (15:18) I'm going to call him Bob to you. Okay, okay. Bob gives great answers. There's a lot of important information in his answers. I think he answers with authenticity. What he does not give. are long answers. Speaker 5 (15:32) I'm just Speaker 1 (15:33) telling you, like, and I think it's one of the great things about Bob De Niro. When Bob has made his point. He has no need, like a lot of us do, you and I, I think, we'll over-talk. Speaker 5 (15:45) Yeah. You Speaker 1 (15:46) know what I mean? An interviewer with us often is wondering when it's their turn to get a word in. Speaker 5 (15:52) Often when we're being interviewed, we both see this, which is just someone going like, that's enough. Or Speaker 1 (15:58) like this sometimes when they point at the watch. Yeah. I'm going to guess, I'm going to look into your future and think there's not going to be a moment where you're going to be like, oh my God, buddy, wrap it up. Speaker 5 (16:10) Right. Like maybe there'll be some moments where I go, and what else? But Speaker 1 (16:15) again, what a thing. I mean, I feel like the fully realized Robert De Niro is not, he is not, he does not need to hear his voice more than he feels is necessary. Speaker 5 (16:25) No, I mean, I think it's something interesting to talk to him about is the idea of like, he seems quite introverted for such an extroverted job. I mean, he is. Like he, it feels like his characters and his work is where he's able to like, you know, he's spoken about it. He's quite a shy person. Speaker 1 (16:44) Yeah. It's very, and part of that, you know, shyness is I think what. allows you and I to be intimidated. But the reality is he's not, you know, he's not bored or put off by people. I think he is just genuinely, uh, I know I've told this story and I apologize if I've told it to you, but I remember the first, uh, table we'd do with him. I like ran to get in the elevator, uh, to go home on a Wednesday night. And I ran in not realizing he was the only other person in the elevator. And so then the door is closing it again. It's only, you know, 17 floors, but it felt like the longest because it was just me and Robert De Niro. And he was very he was complimentary, too, about how the day had gone. But I can vary and the fewest amount of words that you could be. I Speaker 5 (17:31) mean, it's going to be hard not to turn into Chris Farley and just be like, dear Hunter, like, like, oh, so good. Speaker 1 (17:37) That's the problem with interviewing legends. I, in fact, the first time. De Niro was on my show. He directed a movie called The Good Shepherd with Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon. And I think he's only directed one or two things. And I really liked it. It's right up Seth Salley. It's a CIA movie. And I remember the first time he was on my show as a guest, I told him, hey, I really liked that movie. And he was like, no, thank you. And then the next time he was on my show, I think, again, from that moment of not feeling awkward. Once again, I was like, hey, by the way, I really liked it. And he's like, no, I remember. And it had been like four years. I'm like, all right. Like, just because he's