Robert De Niro’s Temper Flares During Award Acceptance Onstage
Robert De Niro was left fuming at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, alleging that a portion of his speech was ‘altered’ without his awareness.
Renowned actor Robert De Niro displayed confusion during his live address at the Gotham Awards, asserting that the teleprompter had been altered, omitting remarks critical of former US President Donald Trump.
The 33rd annual event unfolded at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, drawing Hollywood luminaries such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Penelope Cruz, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Laura Dern.
At the live ceremony, Martin Scorsese’s film “Killers Of The Flower Moon” was honoured with the Historical Icon and Creator Tribute Award.
De Niro, a two-time Academy Award winner, took to the stage to pay tribute to the esteemed filmmaker but encountered difficulty reading the teleprompter. He acknowledged an error, stating, “I’m sorry, there was a mistake in this. I’ll continue. Just keep scrolling. Can we go back? Sorry.”
Following a brief Scorsese tribute film, De Niro informed the audience, “I just want to say one thing. The beginning of my speech was edited out, I wasn’t aware of it. And I want to read it.”
He proceeded, expressing concerns about the distortion of history and truth, mentioning the prevalence of falsehoods, conspiracy theories, and the former president’s frequent lies. De Niro criticized the president’s derogatory use of “Pocahontas” in reference to Senator Elizabeth Warren.
De Niro seemed to imply that he was meant to acknowledge the Gotham Awards but chose not to do so “for what they did,” alluding to the editing of his speech. He expressed indignation, stating, “How dare they do that actually.”
Lily Gladstone, from “Flowers Of The Killer Moon,” accepted the award on behalf of Scorsese and later clinched the top prize for Outstanding Lead Performance in “The Unknown Country.”
Barbie, Maestro, Ferrari, and Rustin were all honoured with tribute awards.
At the Global Awards ceremony, Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig took the stage to accept the award for Barbie. Robbie expressed her elation, saying, “Seeing people worldwide don pink and flock to cinemas has truly been a dream come true.”
Gerwig, praising Robbie’s charisma, mentioned that singing wasn’t among her talents.
Bradley Cooper, the lead in Maestro, remarked that portraying Leonard Bernstein in the forthcoming Netflix biopic had a significant impact on him. He shared, “To say it had a profound effect on my life would be an understatement.”
Acknowledging the support from Bernstein’s family, Cooper credited their love and backing for enabling the authentic and truthful depiction of the story.
The use of make-up by Cooper to resemble Bernstein was defended by the Bernstein children, amidst criticism for not solely relying on acting to capture the essence of the late composer, including his story and Jewish heritage.
Adam Driver, starring in Ferrari, commended filmmaker Michael Mann for his work on the upcoming Enzo Ferrari biography.
“He holds a deep regard and is willing to go to great lengths to craft something as emotionally captivating and immersive as films are to him… Michael’s emphasis on humanity is central,” Driver expressed.
Ali Wong, recipient of the Outstanding Performance in a New Series, expressed gratitude to creator Lee Sung Jin for taking a chance on her for Beef, noting, “I understand the role was originally envisioned for Stanley Tucci.”
Beef also clinched the Breakthrough TV Series Under 40 minutes award.
Charles Melton secured the Outstanding Supporting Performance for his role in May December, starring alongside Moore and Portman – who embraced him after the announcement.
He surpassed Ryan Gosling in Barbie, British star Claire Foy in All of Us Strangers, and Jamie Foxx in They Cloned Tyrone. This win came a week after Foxx faced accusations of sexual assault at a New York rooftop lounge in 2015.
A spokesperson for Mr. Trump has been approached for comment.
Source: Press Association
