Even Robert De Niro is getting nervous.
The iconic actor admitted that he was nervous because “something new” was happening before he made his feature film debut, 1993’s A Bronx Tale.
“I didn’t know,” he told Page Six privately during a screening of the critically acclaimed film during the Tribeca Festival at New York City’s Beacon Theater on Saturday.
In fact, he said he had “advice” from “some of his friends in a similar situation – the actors who directed the movie”. However, he did not disclose who he was talking to specifically.
“You just have to jump in and do it and take it moment by moment, day by day, and that’s it,” he added.
Based on the one-man play by Chazz Palminteri, the film features a local mob boss (Palmientri) and his hard-working bus driver father (De Niro).
At the time, De Niro was looking for a project to direct and “I couldn’t find anything,” he told us.
“I wanted to direct something and finally said, ‘I’d better make a decision,’ and then I saw Chazz’s one-man show and said, ‘Let me see this.’ I talked to him and I felt I could add something to that and I love Chazz, we had a great relationship so everything was fine.
The 79-year-old “Goodfellas” star shared that she still hopes the film will continue 30 years after its premiere.
“I’ll see him again,” she said. “I hope so, I haven’t seen it in a while!”
For more Bottoms of the Page you love…
Katherine Narducci, 57, who played De Niro’s wife in the film and was making her film debut at the time, was also in the screening on Saturday.
When asked how she got the role, she said, “There was an open call. It was on The Post and De Niro was looking for a 9-year-old boy to play his son in this untitled movie, and I asked my 9-year-old son if he wanted to audition and he said, “Sure.”
But things were more difficult for Narducci, who was also an aspiring actress. Despite the role, she was told that they only consider Screen Actors Guild members.
“I wasn’t SAG,” he said. “However [casting director] He said, ‘I’ll tell you what, here’s my number. If we can’t find our player today, call tomorrow, we’ll open it tomorrow. I got his number, called the next day, and the rest is history!”
“It was like hitting Lotto,” he said of casting opposite De Niro. “It was like a dream come true and it was very special. It was very special, so for anyone who doesn’t believe in open calls and cattle calls and thinks they are bullshit, they are not and I am living proof and this is to all the players out there!