Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro are widely recognized for their legendary collaboration on the timeless 1976 film, Taxi Driver. However, prior to casting De Niro, Scorsese had initially approached a different actor for the iconic role of Travis Bickle. Taxi Driver stands as one of the numerous revered endeavors that showcased Robert De Niro’s acting prowess. In this iconic Martin Scorsese film, De Niro portrayed a solitary taxi driver who, overwhelmed by his revulsion for the city, ventures into vigilantism.
Interestingly, Scorsese’s involvement in the project was made possible through a recommendation from the film’s screenwriter, Paul Schrader. At that time, Scorsese had yet to establish himself as the esteemed and seasoned filmmaker we know today, making the decision to have him direct Taxi Driver required a bit of persuasion.
Robert De Niro Drove Cabs In Preparation Of The Role
Robert De Niro embraced a touch of method acting in his preparation for Taxi Driver. To immerse himself in the psyche of Travis Bickle, De Niro took to the actual streets of New York, assuming the role of a genuine cab driver.
De Niro said to Vulture:
“I was doing 1900 in Italy and Marty and I met at Cannes while he was there. We just met up there and worked on the script. And I had been working on it over there before, because when I got to New York I had like two weeks before we were ready to shoot. So as soon as I got back, I started driving a cab, and I thought I’d go for at least 10 days or something, but I drove as much as I could at that period before we had to start.”
However, De Niro had already achieved a fair amount of recognition by that point. Therefore, in Martin Scorsese‘s view, it was merely a question of when, not if, someone would spot the Oscar-winning actor.
“[Robert De Niro] told me that a guy got in the car and noticed that it was your name on the driver’s license,” Scorsese said. “And he said, ‘My God, he just won an Oscar. Is it that hard to get a job?'”
De Niro recalled jokingly telling the passenger that he was currently unemployed.
Robert De Niro Wanted A Sequel To The Classic Film
De Niro once mentioned his inclination to return to the universe of Taxi Driver and the character Travis Bickle. He and the original team behind the film, including De Niro, made significant efforts to concoct a storyline.
De Niro once told The Guardian:
“I said, why don’t we write something? And I talked to Marty and Paul did take a shot at something, whether it was an outline or a script, I forget. But somehow we didn’t feel it was right and it didn’t take off. But I’d like to see where Travis is today. There was something about the guy – all that rage and alienation, that’s what the city can do to you. I mean Marty and I are from New York, and even we can feel alienated.”
However, despite their best attempts, they couldn’t quite figure out how to make a true sequel to Taxi Driver work.
Taxi Driver can be rented or purchased on Google Play.
Source: Vulture, The Guardian
