As he took to the stage to accept his life achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards last night, Robert De Niro took a moment to share his political thoughts on the ‘dire’ climate in the US.
The 76-year-old star has long been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and wasted no time in calling out the apparent ‘abuse of power’ in his country.
He said on stage at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium: ‘There’s right and there’s wrong, there’s common sense and there’s abuse of power.
‘As a citizen, I have the right to voice my opinion.
‘If I have a bigger voice because of my situation, I am going to use it whenever I see a blatant misuse of power…That’s all I’m going to say about that tonight.’
After previously calling the president a ‘loser’ – we told you he doesn’t mince his words – Robert had also claimed he ‘cannot wait to see Mr Trump in prison’.
Speaking to the Guardian last year, Robert said: ‘We have a real, immediate problem in that we have a gangster president who thinks he can do anything he wants… the problem is, if he actually gets away with it, then we all have a problem.
‘The gall of the people around him who actually defend him, these Republicans, is appalling, and we must do something about it.’
Anyhoo, earlier in his speech at the awards ceremony, the Irishman actor claimed he often ‘worried’ about getting another job.
He said: ‘As actors, we don’t take victory laps. We’re too worried about what our next job is going to be.’
To be fair, we’re fairly sure Robert would be absolutely fine if he didn’t work again. Those pockets would be lined.
Still, he went on to tease an upcoming project he has with Leonardo DiCaprio – who presented him with the award – and frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese.
He quipped: ‘At least I know I’ve got another year of health insurance.’
Lucky you, eh?
He continued: ‘I’ve been puzzled over what to say to express my appreciation for this award tonight, but more than that, being a part of this community of actors, for being able to have a career with dignity, and creative fulfillment.
‘We, as actors, don’t do it all alone. We can’t do it all alone. We depend on each other for collaboration in our work and support and fellowship both onscreen and off, and for that, I am so grateful.’
Leonardo had welcomed Robert – who he first worked with on This Boy’s Life in 1993 – to the stage after first introducing a highlights reel of the actor’s work.
The Titanic star said: ‘The role of an actor is to make us feel they take us to new places, using their skills to guide us towards a deeper understanding of humanity.
‘For almost 50 years, Robert De Niro’s performances have done exactly that.
‘He has astounded us with his portrayals of heroes and villains, loaners and leaders, dreamers and sociopaths. His characters have echoed through our culture in iconic films.’
