Age and Role Context
Robert De Niro was 29 years old during filming of Taxi Driver in 1975. Born February 17, 1943, he portrayed Travis Bickle, a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran working as a New York City taxi driver. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and released in 1976. De Niro’s performance earned widespread critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. This age and timeline are consistently documented in production records, interviews, and authoritative biographies.
Verified Production Timeline
Taxi Driver was produced and released in the mid-1970s, with principal photography occurring in 1975. Key dates include the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1976 and its wide release later that year. De Niro’s casting was already established by the time filming began, and his age at the time aligned with the character’s portrayal as a young veteran adrift in a changing urban landscape.
Key Dates and Facts
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Robert De Niro’s Birth Date | February 17, 1943 | Biographical records |
| Filming Year | 1975 | Production documents |
| Age During Filming | 29 years old (turns 30 in 1976) | Calculated from birth and production dates |
| Theatrical Release | February 8, 1976 (New York) | Studio records |
Role Preparation and Performance
De Niro prepared intensively for the role, studying taxi drivers in New York and learning to drive a cab to capture the rhythms of the job. His method approach and immersive research contributed to one of the most iconic performances in American cinema. The character’s age and lived experience are integral to the film’s themes of alienation, urban decay, and vigilantism. De Niro’s age during filming situates the performance in a realistic career phase for a character in psychological and social turmoil.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Taxi Driver was met with critical acclaim upon release and has since become a landmark in American film. De Niro’s portrayal of Travis Bickle is frequently ranked among his most compelling performances. The film’s cultural influence extends beyond cinema into discussions about urban isolation and veteran reintegration. Contemporary retrospectives and scholarly analyses continue to reference De Niro’s age and maturity at the time, noting how it informed the film’s grounded, unsettling tone.
Comparison to Other Key Roles
De Niro’s age in 1975 places him in a distinct phase of his early-to-mid career, balancing emerging dramatic authority with physicality suited to intense character studies. Below is a brief comparison of his age during Taxi Driver relative to other notable roles:
- 1973: Mean Streets — age 30
- 1975: Taxi Driver — age 29
- 1976: The Deer Hunter — age 33
- 1980: Raging Bull — age 37
Frequently Asked Questions
- How old was Robert De Niro when Taxi Driver was released? He was 32 or 33 at the 1976 release, having turned 33 in February 1976.
- Did De Niro drive a taxi in the film? He performed many driving scenes himself to ensure authenticity, though experienced cab drivers were also used for complex shots.
- What year was Taxi Driver filmed? Principal photography took place in 1975.
- Is his age during filming documented? Yes, production records, biographies, and interview archives corroborate his age at the time.