The son of two achieved painters, De Niro grew up in Manhattan, raised by his mom, Virginia Admiral, after his dad and mom separated when his father, Robert De Niro Sr., came out as gay. De Niro was concerned with performing from a younger age, beginning performing courses on the Dramatic Workshop when he was as younger as ten. In keeping with De Niro within the Interview piece, it was his dad and mom’ assist and connections that landed him at such a prestigious performing faculty at such a younger age:
“They had been each supportive. They might by no means inform me no. My mom labored for a lady, Maria Ley-Piscator, who along with her husband based the Dramatic Workshop, which was linked to the New College. My mom did proofreading and typing and stuff for her, and as a part of her fee, I used to be in a position to take performing courses there on Saturdays once I was 10. This couple had come out of Germany, and the man went again, however his spouse stayed and ran the workshop. It was a giant faculty with a number of actors, a few of whom had been in a position to research performing on the G.I. Invoice. Brando and Steiger went there, the technology earlier than me.”
Because the little one of two individuals who had been profitable within the arts, De Niro was positively better off. His dad and mom had been in a position to leverage their connections with the intention to give him entry to the absolute best training in performing, at a college the place even the legendary Marlon Brando had studied. However his time on the Dramatic Workshop was solely the primary cease on his performing journey.