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Earlier this year, legendary actor Robert De Niro made headlines with the news that he was having a seventh child at the age of 79 years old. Now, it would appear that decision has come home to roost, as many believe he’s taken on a recent role in order to be able to afford it.
According to recent reports, De Niro is set to reprise his iconic, arguably career-defining role as Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. The return of Bickle won’t be in some low-brow, cash-grab sequel, though — in fact, it’s far worse, as apparently De Niro will be playing the character in a commercial for Uber.
“Alimony kicking his a–“ tweeted one person.
The report about De Niro playing Bickle comes from a report in The Sun, which states that the 80-year-old Academy Award winner was in London this week to shoot a series of ads.
“He’s going to be Travis Bickle, saying some phrases and playing up to it. His previous adverts have shown he has no problem poking fun at himself,” an unnamed source said.
“A lot of people feel like some of these classic films are his best work, and signing up to commercials is selling out a bit, but obviously he’s had a very expensive personal life.”
This certainly isn’t the first time in recent years that De Niro has lent his fame to something that seems like a cash grab.
Since 2020, De Niro has starred in seven films. While some have been prestige projects like Amsterdam (which admittedly bombed) and the upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon (which will undoubtedly rock), most have been direct-to-video-level B-films such as The War with Grandpa, The Comeback Trail, Savage Salvation, About My Father, and Ezra.
As mentioned above, De Niro will next see seen starring in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, and more.